Section 8 or trust?
| Point | Section 8 company | Trust |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Companies Act | State trust laws |
| Governance | Board, clear rules | Trustees, deed-based |
| Credibility with donors | High | Varies |
| Compliance | Higher | Lower |
| Foreign members or directors | Allowed | Possible, but less common |
The registrations.
Licence and company
Applied for together.
12A and 80G
Tax exemption and donor deduction. See 12A & 80G Registration.
Registration
To receive CSR funds from Indian companies.
Foreign funds
Registration or prior permission before receiving UK grants.
Receiving UK funds.
Grants from a UK charity are foreign contributions. They can only be received after FCRA registration, usually available after three years of activity, or with prior permission for a specific grant, into a designated account in New Delhi. See FCRA Audit.
Why UK companies choose us in India.
We work with your UK finance team, lawyers and auditors, and translate Indian requirements into plain English.
Every filing and certificate is checked by a second Chartered Accountant before it goes in.
A written scope, timetable and fee before work starts.
One calendar of every MCA, RBI, GST and income-tax deadline for your Indian entity.
Set-up, accounts, payroll, tax, audit and RBI filings handled together.
Encrypted document sharing and digital signatures. Directors never need to travel.
Non-profit set-up for UK charities.
We help UK charities and foundations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set up and run non-profit entities in India.
London
South East
Midlands
North of England
East and South West
Scotland, Wales, NI
Section 8 company FAQs.
UK charity working in India?
Tell us your programmes. We will plan and set up the entity.
This page is general guidance based on the Companies Act, 2013, FEMA, RBI directions and Indian tax law as they stand. It is not legal or financial advice for your situation. Rules, limits and deadlines can change, so please speak to us before acting on it.