Business Registration

Section 8 Company

A Section 8 company is a not-for-profit company formed to promote charitable or socially beneficial objects. Its income must be applied to those objects and dividends cannot be distributed to members.

Starting priceCustom quotation

Estimated timelineCommonly 15–30 business days

✓ Exact document checklist✓ Transparent fee split✓ Authority filing support✓ Post-completion checklist

Request free consultation

AuthorityMinistry of Corporate Affairs — Registrar of Companies

Official filing destination

Realistic timeframeConfirmed after review

After complete documents

Information reviewedJuly 2026

Verify case-specific rules before filing

Service definition

What Section 8 Company means

Who this service is suitable for

Non-profits seeking a formal corporate structure
Education, research, social-welfare, environment, art or charitable initiatives
Organisations seeking grants or institutional governance
Founders who do not intend to distribute profits

Eligibility requirements

Permitted charitable or social objects
At least two directors and members for a private-form Section 8 company
A credible plan for applying income only to stated objects
Registered office and compliant constitutional documents

Key benefits

Separate legal entity and limited liability
Structured governance and perpetual succession
Credibility for donors and institutions
Ability to seek separate tax registrations such as 12AB/80G when eligible

Limitations and important considerations

No dividend or profit distribution
Object changes and conversion are regulated
MCA incorporation does not automatically grant income-tax exemption or FCRA permission
Governance and annual reporting remain mandatory

Exact preparation list

Documents required

Clear, current and matching records reduce avoidable queries. Foreign documents may need notarisation or apostille where stated.

Director/member KYC and DSC details

Registered-office proof and NOC

Detailed objects and proposed activities

Projected income and expenditure, commonly for three years

Declarations and professional certification required by MCA forms

Proposed MOA and AOA tailored to Section 8 restrictions

Application process

Step by step

Commonly 15–30 business days; object review and resubmissions can extend it.

Define eligible non-profit objects and governance

Arrange DSCs and reserve/confirm name

Prepare Section 8 constitutional documents and financial projections

File incorporation and licence-linked SPICe+ forms

Respond to ROC clarification

Receive Section 8 licence and Certificate of Incorporation

Transparent pricing

Professional, government and optional costs

No government charge is presented as a CorpFile fee. Your final quotation confirms the exact scope before payment.

CorpFile professional feeCustom quotation

Depends on founders, objects, projections and drafting complexity

Government, DSC and stamp chargesAt actuals

MCA and state-dependent components

Separate tax/foreign-funding registrationsNot included

12AB, 80G and FCRA are different engagements

What’s included

Object-eligibility review
Incorporation and Section 8 document drafting
Financial-projection format
MCA form preparation
One standard resubmission response

What’s not included

Government fee, stamp duty or authority charges unless expressly listed
Notary, apostille, courier, translation or physical visit costs
Work triggered by litigation, hearing, inspection or a material scope change
12AB, 80G, CSR-1, FCRA or grant approval

Customer handover

Exact deliverables you receive

✓

Section 8 licence

✓

Certificate of Incorporation and CIN

✓

PAN and TAN

✓

Approved MOA and AOA

✓

Incorporation filing records

Common application mistakes

Using commercial profit-distribution language
Vague or ineligible objects
Assuming Section 8 status equals tax exemption
Weak projections or conflicting activity descriptions

Common rejection, objection or delay reasons

ROC questions on objects or revenue model
Name containing restricted words
Incomplete declarations
Mismatch between projections and proposed activities

Location matters

State-specific cost or procedure

Incorporation stamp duties can vary. Separate charitable registrations, local permissions and fundraising rules may depend on state and activity.

Post-completion compliance

Apply separately for 12AB/80G or other benefits if needed
Maintain donor, grant and restricted-fund records
Complete board, audit, AOC-4 and annual-return filings
Use funds only for permitted objects
Obtain FCRA approval before accepting covered foreign contributions

Validity and renewal

How long it remains valid

Continues unless surrendered, revoked, converted or dissolved; the Section 8 licence is not an annual subscription.

Non-compliance risk

Penalties and practical consequences

These are common risks, not a substitute for advice on an existing default or notice.

What can go wrong

Misapplication of income can lead to licence revocation and serious penalties
Foreign contribution without FCRA compliance can trigger enforcement
MCA and tax filing defaults attract additional fees and loss of benefits

Service-specific answers