India · United States · UAE

Trust Registration (NGO)

A trust lets you formalise charitable, religious or family objectives under a registered deed. We draft the deed, register it with the sub-registrar, and handle the tax registrations that follow.

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|800+ businesses served since 2020

What it is

A legal structure for charitable or family objectives

A trust is formed under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 when a person or group sets aside property or funds for a defined purpose, recorded in a trust deed and managed by trustees on behalf of beneficiaries. Trusts can be public — serving the general community through charitable, educational or religious work — or private, set up for specific individuals or family members.

Registering the deed with the jurisdictional sub-registrar gives the trust legal standing and lets it apply for the tax registrations that make donations and charitable income more efficient.

What the deed needs to set out
  • The trust’s objectives, stated clearly and lawfully
  • Trustees, with at least one resident of India
  • How trustees are appointed, replaced and how disputes are resolved
  • The property or funds being placed in trust
  • Conditions under which the trust can be wound up

Who this is for

Charitable, religious and family objectives

Charitable initiatives

Formalising social work

Groups formalising education, healthcare or welfare work under a recognised legal structure.

Religious institutions

Managing religious property

Trusts set up to hold and manage religious property and the activities that go with it.

Families

Organising family assets

Private trusts used to hold and pass on family assets in an organised, documented way.

What Indefine handles

Deed drafting to ongoing compliance

Objectives and structure review

Confirming whether public, private or a combined structure fits your purpose.

Trust deed drafting

Objectives, trustees, powers and dispute resolution set out clearly and agreed by everyone involved.

Registration with the sub-registrar

Deed executed and filed in the jurisdiction where the trust is based.

PAN and bank account

Getting the trust operational with its own PAN and current account.

12A and 80G applications

Registrations that let the trust claim income-tax exemption and let donors claim deductions on their contributions.

Ongoing compliance

Annual filings and renewals kept current once the trust is operating.

How it works

Four steps to a registered trust

We confirm the structure

Public, private or combined, matched to your objectives.

We draft the deed

Trustees, powers and objectives agreed and documented.

We register with the sub-registrar

Filed in the jurisdiction where the trust is based.

12A/80G and filings follow

Tax registrations applied for, then compliance tracked each year.

800+
Businesses served
3
Countries · IN · US · UAE
Since 2020
Founded in Bangalore
CA-led
Qualified chartered accountants

What to keep ready

Documents you’ll need

A quick checklist so we can move fast. Don’t have one handy? We’ll tell you exactly what works.

Address proof of all the parties to the Trust Deed.

Copy of the rental agreement in case the office of the Trust is a rented/lease property.

Photos of the persons entering into the Trust.

Copy of utility bills of the registered office address of the Trust.
Typical timeline: we confirm your exact timeline upfront and track every deadline for you.
FAQ

Questions companies ask first.

How many trustees does a trust need?

At least two, with a minimum of one trustee resident in India, so the trust can be properly managed and held accountable.

What is 12A registration, and why does it matter?

Section 12A registration lets a trust’s income qualify for exemption under the Income Tax Act, and is generally a prerequisite for the 80G registration that lets donors claim a deduction for their contributions.

Can a trust have both public and private objectives?

Yes. A trust can be structured to serve both the general public and specific individuals, known as a public-cum-private trust, as long as the deed sets this out clearly.

Let’s talk

Tell us what you need.

A short call to understand where you stand and how we would run this for you. No obligation.

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