CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS in India have to Re- register now for availing exemption under Income Tax act.
Charitable Trusts and exempt
institutions have to reapply for Income Tax registration
The Finance Act, 2020 has made far-reaching and sweeping changes pertaining
to the registration and exemptions of charitable institutions.
All the existing charitable and
religious institutions (including NGOs) which are registered or approved under
the Section 12A, Section 12AA, Section 10(23C) and Section 80G are compulsorily required to
switch to section 12AB for fresh
registration.
Currently, several hospitals, schools and colleges are registered
simultaneously under section 10(23C) and 12AA. Charitable trusts and institutions
currently registered under both section 10(23C) and section 12AA will now be
required to apply for revalidation or renewal of either the approval under
section 10(23C) or registration under section 12AA, but not
both.
Section 12AA dealing with the procedure
for registration of a charitable trust will cease to be applicable from June
01, 2020 instead, a new
section 12AB has been inserted prescribing the procedure for fresh registration.
Further, instead of the CIT (Exemption), an application is required to be made
to the Principal Commissioner of Income-tax or Commissioner of Income-tax.
The Government intends to create a National Register of all charitable and religious institutions and
the Income Tax Department will issue an electronically generated Unique
Registration Number (URN) to all
charitable and religious institutions. The process of revalidation
of all the charitable and religious institutions will enable the Government to
weed out all the inactive and defunct charitable institutions. In the past,
many registered trusts were found engaged in malpractices for private profit
earning rather than doing any genuine social work. The department wants to curb
those practices. The renewal of
registration after every five years will provide an opportunity to withdraw the
exemptions without going through the complicated cancellation provisions.
Charitable trusts and exempt institution
which are already registered under section 12A or section 12AA of Income Tax
Act, 1961 will now be required to reapply online for registration and
approval by August 31, 2020. Provisions of
registration under section 12AA or
section 12A will become redundant from 01st June 2020 and a new section 12AB will come into force with
effect from 01st June 2020. All the existing registered trusts under the
erstwhile section 12A or section 12AA would move to new provision section 12AB.
CA MOHAMED ASHARAF, FCA, DISA (ICA)
+919447746535
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