Services for clients across India. Applicable state, sector and professional requirements are assessed before an engagement.

For trusts, societies & Section 8 NGOs

Registration to renewals — 12A, 80G, FCRA and CSR-1 set up right, and the annual filings that keep your exemptions alive

NGOs rarely lose their tax-exempt status to wrongdoing. They lose it to a missed form — a 12A renewal that lapsed, an FCRA return not filed, a CSR-1 never done. We hold the calendar so the exemption survives.

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This page is for trustees, secretaries and founders of charitable trusts, registered societies and Section 8 companies who want the entity formed correctly, the exemption applications filed and the recurring returns kept — all from one desk that understands the charity-tax framework, not just company forms.

Your NGO compliance life, mapped

StageWhat it involvesHow we handle it
1. Form the entityChoosing trust, society or Section 8 company for your objects and funding, and getting it registeredTrust / society registration
2. Get the NITI Aayog IDNGO Darpan registration — asked for at every government grant, CSR-1 and FCRA stepNGO Darpan registration
3. Claim the exemptions12A for the trust’s own exemption and 80G for donor deduction, via Form 10A or 10AB on the income-tax portal12A / 80G / Section 8
4. Receive CSR and foreign fundsCSR-1 with the MCA to take corporate CSR, and FCRA registration or prior permission with the designated SBI account for foreign contributionsFCRA & CSR-1
5. File every yearITR-7, the audit report in Form 10B or 10BB, the FCRA FC-4 return and renewals before validity lapsesAudit & annual filing

The services NGOs use most

Trust / society registration12A, 80G, FCRA complianceNGO Darpan (NITI Aayog)Audit & 10B / 10BBITR-7 filingFund accounting & books
Plan the year first — free tools

Compliance Calendar FY 2026-27 — build your NGO date list
TDS Rate Finder — NGOs deduct TDS on payments too

NGO reading from our insights desk

Frequently asked questions

Is 12A and 80G registration permanent?
No. A new NGO gets provisional registration valid for three years, and a regular registration runs for five years. Both are renewed by filing Form 10AB before expiry — miss the window and the exemption can be treated as never granted, exposing past years. Tracking these renewal dates is exactly what an NGO desk is for.
Do we need FCRA to accept a foreign donation?
Yes. Any foreign contribution requires either FCRA registration or prior permission, and the money must be received only in the designated FCRA account at the State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch, before being moved to a utilisation account. Taking foreign funds without this is a serious breach, so we set the structure up before the first receipt.
What is CSR-1 and do we need it?
Form CSR-1 is a registration with the MCA that gives your NGO a CSR Registration Number. A company cannot route its CSR spend to you without it. If you intend to receive corporate CSR grants, CSR-1 comes first — it is quick, but companies will ask for the number before releasing funds.
Is NGO Darpan registration mandatory?
It is not a stand-alone legal requirement, but in practice it is unavoidable: the NITI Aayog Darpan unique ID is captured in government grant portals, in CSR-1 and in FCRA and 12A/80G workflows. Government funding is effectively closed without it, which is why we treat it as a first-year step.
Does an NGO have to file an income-tax return?
Yes — a registered NGO files ITR-7, and where total income before exemption exceeds the basic limit it must also file an audit report in Form 10B or 10BB. Late or missed filing can cost the exemption for the year, so the return is not optional even when there is no tax to pay.

CA Somesh Chandak & Associates, Thane. This page is general guidance for the charity and non-profit sector, not advice on your specific facts; forms, thresholds and validity periods change. Speak to us before acting.