Incorporation
We prepare and file your 12A/12AB and 80G applications with the Income Tax Department so your non-profit's own income is tax-exempt and donors can claim a deduction on what they give you.
Incorporating a Section 8 company doesn't itself make your income tax-exempt or your donations tax-deductible. Those are two separate applications to the Income Tax Department, on a different statute entirely, and neither happens automatically. We prepare and file both so your non-profit and its donors get the tax treatment they're expecting.
12A/12AB registration exempts your own company's income under Sections 11/12 of the Income Tax Act. 80G registration lets your donors claim a deduction on what they give you. They're legally distinct approvals, each with its own application, its own Unique Registration Number, and its own renewal clock, though they're commonly applied for together because they share the same application infrastructure.
This is the natural next step right after your Section 8 company is incorporated. Without it, your company's income is taxed like any ordinary company's, notwithstanding its Companies Act non-profit status, and donors get no tax incentive to give.
Scope
Form 10A is for a first-time application, giving provisional registration valid for 3 years. Form 10AB is for permanent registration or a renewal, valid for 5 years at a time. The old perpetual-registration model was removed; every registration, including pre-existing ones, now needs periodic renewal.
We confirm which of 12A/12AB, 80G, or both you actually want before filing, since an entity can hold one without the other.
We assemble your incorporation certificate, MoA/AoA, activity note, and (where applicable) prior financial statements and audit reports into the application, and file it on the portal.
Specifics
12A/12AB registration is about your entity's own tax position: it exempts the company's income under Sections 11/12 of the Income Tax Act. 80G registration is about your donors' tax position: it lets someone who gives to you claim a deduction on that donation. Getting 80G doesn't itself change what your company owes in tax, its purpose is to make giving to you more attractive. You can hold one without the other, though most non-profits apply for both together since they share the same application infrastructure.
| Form | When it's used | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 10A | First-time application | 3 years (provisional) |
| 10AB | Permanent registration, or a renewal | 5 years at a time |
There's no perpetual registration anymore. Every 12A/80G registration, including ones granted years ago under the old rules, now has to be periodically renewed through Form 10AB.
Process
Step 1 of 4
Confirm scope
We confirm whether you need 12A/12AB only, 80G only, or both, and whether this is a first-time application or a renewal.
Common mistakes founders make
Clarifications
Yes, if you want your own income tax-exempt or want donors to get a deduction. Incorporation under the Companies Act doesn't grant either automatically; both need this separate application to the Income Tax Department.
Yes. They're legally distinct approvals. You can hold 12A/12AB without 80G, meaning your own income is exempt but donors get no deduction, or in principle have one lapse while the other stays active.
Form 10A for a first-time application, giving 3-year provisional registration. Form 10AB for permanent registration or a renewal, giving a 5-year cycle. We confirm which applies to you before filing.
No. The old perpetual-registration model was removed. Every registration, including ones granted years ago, now needs periodic renewal through Form 10AB.
That's expected for a brand-new entity applying right after incorporation. Annual accounts and audit reports get requested where they already exist; they don't block a first-time application.
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