An overview of NGO Registration in Kerala   

A non-governmental organisation, shorted form NGO, is a non-profit organisation that runs without government involvement. The main objective of an NGO is to deal with society's social and charitable purposes. NGOs must use all their profits earned during a financial year to further their goals. For instance, an NGO can operate in commerce, arts, science, sport, education, research, social welfare, religion, charity, and environmental protection. Therefore by registering an NGO, you will be able to fulfil your dream of working for the advancement and improvement of society. So before we start talking about registering an NGO, let us first know the meaning of an NGO, how it operates in Kerala and the registration criteria.

NGOs are classified into three (3) types as mentioned below:

• Section 8 business
• Society
• Trusts

The process of NGO registration is governed the following three laws:

• Indian Trusts Act, 1882 for Trust Registration
• Societies Registration Act, 1860 for Society Registration
• Companies Act, 2013 for Section 8 Company Registration

The difference between these three has been explained below:

What is the eligibility criteria to start an NGO in Kerala?

The following points illustrate the eligibility criteria to register an NGO in Kerala:

• If an NGO is incorporated as a Private Limited Company (PLC), then there must be minimum of two (2) directors.
• In the case, NGO is incorporated as a Public Limited Company, a minimum of three (3) directors are necessary.
• The maximum cap for a Private Limited Company is 200 members.
• For a Public Limited Company, there is no member cap.

Why is NGO registration required in Kerala?

Mentioned below are some of the benefits of NGO registration in Kerala:

• The range of both financial and human resources is expanded. The NGO will benefit because more volunteers will step forward.
• An organization that is registered as an NGO reinforces the ethical, social and legal norms of our society.
• A business with a NGO registration offers its members limited liability protection. The roles and responsibilities of all the members are restricted only to a certain extent of the capital or the fund contributed
• The NGO Registration grants the organisation a special legal standing and tax exemptions, allowing subscribers, donors, and creditors to claim a tax deduction for their contributions. It is not only exempt from taxes but also from a number of annual compliances. NGOs in Kerala receives rebate in income tax under Section 12A and 80G. NGOs with 80G-certification attract more donors for donating funds to the organization.
• It is not necessary to have a minimum share capital to operate independently. NGOs may receive direct funding from donations given to them. This indicates that NGOs can operate independently without higher share capital.
• After your business is registered, nobody else in India is allowed to use the same name or one that sounds similar to it. This provides the advantage of preventing illegal usage of your company's name and image.

Document needed for NGO registration

• Memorandum of Association (MOA);
• Articles of Association (AOA);
• Company’s name for the approval;
• Aadhar Card;
• Voter ID;
• Copy of passport;
• Driving license/ identity proof of all the directors;
• Address proof of the office that is water bill, electricity bill, or tax receipt.

What is process of NGO registration in Kerala?

The process to register NGO in Kerala has been explained below:

• The first step is to choose the name and the type of NGO that you want to register.
• The applicant is required to obtain DSC. After DSC is obtained, the application must obtain DIN-3 from ROC.
• Draft the AOA and MOA.
• Register the NGO with the appropriate authority.
• After registration NGO must obtain the PAN card
• Finally, for the tax exception, NGOs must apply under Section 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act

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