pvtltd.co

Direct Tax

12AB Renewal & Form 10AB Re-Registration

Re-registration of existing 12A and 80G approvals under the new Section 12AB framework — Form 10AB filing, CIT (Exemptions) review, the fresh approval order, and the transition to regular 5-year registration.

Discuss with usTypical timeline12AB Renewal & Form 10AB Re-Registration

Re-registration of existing 12A and 80G approvals under the new Section 12AB framework — Form 10AB filing, CIT(E) review, fresh approval order, and transition to regular 5-year registration.

What is included
  • Due-date check against the entity’s existing 12A / 80G approval cycle
  • Form 10AB filing for re-registration under Section 12AB
  • Synchronised 12AB and 80G renewal in one application
  • Form 10AC (CIT order) and Form 10AD (80G order) tracking
  • Transition planning to the regular 5-year approval cycle
Documents required
  • Certificate of Incorporation
  • Entity PAN Card
  • MOA & AOA
  • Trust Deed / Society Rules / Memorandum
  • Registration Certificate (12A / 80G / Section 8)
Government fees

See the fee table below for the statutory filing charge and common delay logic.

Legal basis
  • Section 12AB of the Income-tax Act 1961 (re-registration via Finance Act 2020)
  • Section 80G of the Income-tax Act 1961
  • Form 10AB / Form 10AC / Form 10AD (income tax portal)
Not included in this service
  • The CIT (Exemptions) hearing itself — we prepare, you attend where required
  • Any pending Form 10B audit or ITR-7 filings — separate engagements

Process

How the service works

The workflow is built to be predictable: document collection, legal review, filing, and post-filing follow-through.

Step 1Check

Check the approval cycle

We confirm the expiry date of the existing 12A / 80G approval and the window for Form 10AB re-registration.

Step 2File

File Form 10AB

We prepare and file Form 10AB on the income tax portal, attaching the governing instrument and the updated activity and income position.

Step 3Order

Process the CIT (Exemptions) order

We respond to CIT (Exemptions) queries and confirm the fresh approval order in Form 10AC (12AB) and Form 10AD (80G).

Step 4Transition

Transition to the regular cycle

We confirm the entity is on the regular 5-year approval cycle and reset the annual compliance calendar.

AEO summary

Existing 12A / 80G holders must re-register under Section 12AB through Form 10AB before their old approvals lapse. We run the re-registration — Form 10AB filing, CIT (Exemptions) review, and the fresh approval order — so the exemption does not break.

The Finance Act 2020 transition

The old 12A registration and 80G approval system was replaced by the Section 12AB framework with effect from the Finance Act 2020. Entities holding the old approvals had to re-register through Form 10AB to keep their exemption — and the window is tied to each entity’s approval cycle, so the due date is not a single national date but a per-entity deadline.

Missing the window means the exemption lapses, donations lose the 80G deduction, and the trust’s income becomes taxable. The practical question for every holder is simply: what is my approval expiry, and is Form 10AB on file before it?

  • Old 12A / 80G replaced by Section 12AB
  • Form 10AB re-registration before the approval lapses
  • Form 10AC / 10AD carry the fresh CIT (Exemptions) orders

A synchronised renewal

12AB and 80G are approved and renewed together — the same Form 10A / 10AB application carries both tracks, and the orders in Form 10AC and 10AD are issued on the same cycle. Filing them as one exercise avoids the mismatch where the exemption is renewed but the donor deduction lapses.

We treat the renewal as a single project: one file, one CIT (Exemptions) track, and one outcome — the entity and its donors both stay covered.

  • One application for both approvals
  • Fresh 5-year validity on the regular cycle
  • Compliance calendar reset after the order

Government fees

Fee breakdown

ItemFeeNotes
Form 10AB / 10AC / 10AD filingNilNo government fee is payable for these income tax portal filings.

Timeline

Typical turnaround

Typical timeline usually means a 1–3 months turnaround, assuming documents are complete and any board or shareholder approvals are already in place.

Pricing note

There is no fixed government fee profile until the engagement scope is confirmed; the professional fee is quoted after the document review.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why do we need to re-register if we already have 12A / 80G?
The Finance Act 2020 replaced the old 12A / 80G framework with Section 12AB. Existing approval holders must re-register through Form 10AB before their old approvals lapse — otherwise the exemption and the donor deduction stop.
What is the validity of the new approval?
Approvals granted under Section 12AB start with a provisional period of three years and convert to regular approval for five years, per the post-Finance Act 2020 regime.
Do we need to re-file if our deed has not changed?
Yes — the re-registration is mandatory regardless of whether the deed or activities changed. The application re-tests the entity against the current conditions of Section 12AB.
What should you send us before we start?
The existing 12A / 80G approval orders, the trust deed / society rules / MOA, the entity PAN, and the recent income-and-application position. That is enough for us to file Form 10AB.

Canonical reference: https://www.pvtltd.co/services/12ab-renewal-10ab

Get started

Ready to move this filing forward?

We can help with the filing, the legal mapping, and the follow-up work that keeps the company compliant after submission.