How to File Form 10A Online in 4 Easy Steps

If you are planning to open a religious trust or charitable organisation, you must consider other factors besides financial obligations. For instance, one of the major aspects to consider is the registration of the charitable organisation with the Income Tax Department, which allows you to claim beneficial tax exemptions.

Learning how to file Form 10A is crucial for getting this registration underway. This article deals with Form 10A and its filing process.

How to File Form 10A Online — Process of filing Form 10A online

Overview of Form 10A

According to a particular section of IT Act, charitable institutions are eligible to claim exemptions on the income they receive. However, in order to do so, they should mandatorily have a registration under Section 12A of ITA.

Obtaining this registration is quite an easy procedure with Form 10A. Charitable organisations need to file this form on the official portal of IT department. The process of e filing form 10A requires a digital signature of the applicant or an electronic verification code. Go through the following sections to get a clear understanding of how the procedure works.

Also Read: Form 10E Of Income Tax: Importance, Filing Process, And Eligibility

Step-by-step Guide to Filing Form 10A on e-Filing Portal

To know how to file Form 10A using the e-filing website of the Income Tax Department, refer to the steps mentioned below:

Step 1: A charitable organisation or trust has to first log in to the income tax e-filing portal to begin this procedure.

Step 2: On the upper left side of the IT Department portal, the applicant can find e file menu. From there, one has to choose ‘Income Tax Forms’.

Step 3: The assessment year has to be chosen along with Form 10A from the drop-down list.

Step 4: Applicants have to select Prepare and Submit Online as the submission mode and tap on Continue to proceed further.

There are specific instructions provided on the portal which will help applicants understand which things are required while going through the form filing process.

Who Needs to File Form 10A for Registration?

While you have a clear idea regarding the filing procedure of Form 10A, you should know which people or entities will be eligible for this. The following list comprises such details:

Charitable institutions and trusts which have registration under Section 80G and existing laws of 12A can file Form 10A.
Charitable organisations or trusts which are newly incorporated and trying to get registration can also file this form.

When Should You Apply for Registration in Form No. 10A?

The due date of filing form 10A for unregistered charitable institutions or trusts is generally within one month prior to the past year’s commencement. The tax exemptions available for such organisations can be claimed from that year.

Recently, the government has extended certain due dates or timelines for filing specific forms, where Form 10A was also included. After the announcement made by CBDT, certain charitable organisations eligible for donations as per the norms of IT Act of India, can file the form till March 31 2022. Newly incorporated trusts should pay heed to such announcements related to extension for filing form 10A whenever they wish to get registration.

Which Documents Are Required for Form 10A?

Find the list of documents required for filing Form 10A provided below:

An instrument copy that states or proves the establishment of specific trusts or charitable institutions
A written copy that shows the activities of the charitable organisation
Paperwork proving adoption or any kind of modifications of the objects (if any)
Trust’s yearly accounts (should not comprise less than 3 years’ annual accounts before the application date)
Any particular order that provides evidence of existing granted registration under Section 12A or Section 12AA should be submitted.
In case there was any order that clearly demonstrates the rejection of the registration application before under Section 12A

Other than these, you can go through the website of Income Tax Department to get clarity regarding further requirements. Also, in case you are wondering how to file Form 10A if one of these documents is missing, you can refer to the official website and submit your query.

What Are Some of the Important Points about Form 10A?

While you already know the requirements a charitable organisation has to meet before filing Form 10A, you should also learn about some additional pointers related to this process. Note that before you submit the form, you need to make sure the following details are present in that:

Type of trust or charitable organisation (among religious, religious-cum-charitable, only charitable, etc.)
Name, PAN card details, address, Aadhaar card information of the Director or the concerned NGO/Managing Trustee
Purpose of establishing the organisation or trust, where some of the options can be as follows:

To extend educational or medicinal support
To preserve historical monuments
To help individuals gain knowledge on yoga, etc.
Any religious reason

Legal standing under which the trust or organisation’s head is established

In case the charitable institution submitted such an application earlier and got rejected for any particular reason, the authority needs to verify that. If the application was granted, the information needs to be provided in the form.

Also Read: Section 80G Of Income Tax Act: Tax Deduction On Donations To Charity & Fund

Final Word

After verification of these details and your application, you will get approval of your registration. Now that you know how to file Form 10A and all its prerequisites make sure you prepare the necessary documents to expedite the process.

FAQs on How to File Form 10A Online

Q1. How can a taxpayer select more than one section code in Form 10A?

Ans: A taxpayer must choose only a single section code while filling Form 10A application. He/she cannot register one charitable or religious trust under different sections. Therefore, a person must make sure to choose the section codes carefully.

Q2. Does a charitable trust need to file a fresh Form 10A to obtain registration under Section 80G if it is already registered under Section 12A?

Ans: In such a case, a trust would need to file a separate Form 10A. This is because the rules state that any organisation looking to register under a unique section code would need to file this form every time.

Q3. Which section of Form 10A requires the applicant to enter details in the section marked ‘Religious Activities details’?

Ans: When an applicant chooses the first proviso to sub-section (5) under 12-Clause (iv) of Section 80G, the person must fill in the Religious Activities details section. For any other section code, the Religious Activities details filled are grayed off, and no inputs are necessary.

Q4. What are the specifications for attached documents while filing Form 10A?

Ans: Applicants must follow the below-mentioned specifications:
All attachments must be in PDF format, and they should have 300 DPI scan clarity.
Only the English translated version of a document should be submitted if the original is in vernacular language.

Q5. What is the time duration for provisional registrations issued after Form 10AC submission?

Ans: As per Section 12AB, first-time registrations will be issued for 3 years. However, if it is not a first-time issuance, a provisional registration under Section 12A(1)(ac)(i) will be valid for 5 years.

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