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Section 8 Company Registration

Section 8 Company is named Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, which pertains to a established ‘for promoting commerce, art, science, sports, education, research, social welfare, religion, charity, protection of environment or any such other object’, provided the profits, if any, or other income is applied for promoting only the objects of the company and no dividend is paid to its members. Therefore, Section 8 Company or Section 25 Company is a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 for charitable or not-for-profit purposes.

A Section 8 Company is similar to a Trust or Society; expect, a section 8 Company is registered under the Central Government’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Trusts and Societies are registered under State Government regulations. A section 8 company has various advantages when compared to Trust or Society like improved recognition and better legal standing. Section 8 company also has higher credibility amongst donors, Government departments and other stakeholders.

Reasons to Register a Section 8 Company

Registration

Section 8 Companies are registered under the Companies Act, 2013. Hence, the process for registration and certificate of incorporation for a Section 8 Company is issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

Name

Section 8 Companies can be registered with names that contain words like Association, Foundation, Society, Counsels, Club, Charities, Institute, Academy, Organisation, Federation, Chamber of Commerce, Development and more.

Profits

Like a private limited company, a Section 8 Company will also have revenue, expenses, profits and losses. However, in a Section 8 Company the profits can be used only for the charitable or not-for-profit purposes mentioned in the MOA.

Management

Trusts are managed by Trustees as per a Trust Deed. Section 8 Company does not have the concept of Trustees. Hence, Section 8 Companies are managed by the Board of Directors based on the MOA and AOA of the Section 8 Company.

Transferability

The management of a Section 8 Company can be easily transferred from one person to another by altering the changing the composition of Board of Directors. Section 8 Company can also be controlled by shareholders.

Old Section 25

Many entrepreneurs, both established names in the industry, as well as those just beginning, have always felt an attraction toward philanthropy. These may look to found religious or otherwise socially responsible companies dedicated to promoting the welfare of all.

Documents Required for Section 8

Identity and Address Proof

Identity and address proof will be required for all directors and shareholders of the company to be incorporated. In case of Indian nationals, PAN is mandatory. For foreign nationals, apostilled or notarised copy of passport must be submitted mandatorily. All documents submitted must be valid. Residence proof documents like bank statement or electricity bill must be less than 2 months old.

Registered Office Proof

All companies must have a registered office in India. To prove access to the registered office, a recent copy of the electricity bill or property tax receipt or water bill must be submitted. Along with the utility bill, rental agreement or sale deed and a letter from the landlord with his/her consent to use the office as a registered office of a company must be submitted.

Obtaining DSC & DIN

Digital Signature Certificate(DSC) and Director Identification Number(DIN) is required for the proposed Directors of the Section 8 Company. DIN and DSC can be obtained for the proposed Directors within 5 to 7 days.

Name Approval & License

Once DIN and DSC are available for atleast two Directors, application for reservation of name for section 8 company can be made to MCA. Once, the name is reserved, a license must be obtained prior to incorporation.

Section 8 Company

Once the license is obtained, registration documents can be submitted to the MCA along with an application for registration. MCA will usually approve the application for incorporation in 5 to 7 days, subject to their processing time.

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Section 8 FAQ,s

How many people are required to register a section 8 company?

A minimum of two people are required to register a section 8 company in India.

What are the requirements to be a Director?

The Director needs to be over 18 years of age and must be a natural person. There are no limitations in terms of citizenship or residency. Therefore, even foreign nationals can be Directors in a Indian Section 8 Company.

Is an office required for starting a Section 8 Company?

An address in India where the registered office of the Company will be situated is required. The premises can be a commercial / industrial / residential where communication from the MCA will be received.

What is thDo I have to be present in person to incorporate a Section 8 Company?

No, you will not have to be present at our office or appear at any office for the registration of a Section 8 Company. All the documents can be scanned and sent through email to our office. Some documents will also have to be couriered to our office.

What are the documents required for registration?

Identity proof and address proof is mandatory for all the proposed Directors of the Section 8 Company. PAN Card is mandatory for Indian Nationals. In addition, the landlord of the registered office premises must provide a No Objection Certificate for having the registered office in his/her premises and must submit his/her identity proof and address proof.

How long will it take to incorporate a Section 8 Company?

Constitutional Council can incorporate a Section 8 Company for in 20-30 days. The time taken for registration will depend on submission of relevant documents by the client and speed of Government Approvals. To ensure speedy registration, please choose a unique name for your Company and ensure you have all the required documents prior to starting the registration process.

How long is the registration of the Company valid for?

Once a Company is incorporated, it will be active and in-existence as long as the annual compliances are met with regularly. In case, annual compliances are not complied with, the Company will become a Dormant Company and maybe struck off from the register after a period of time. A struck-off Company can be revived for a period of upto 20 years.

What is a Digital Signature Certificate?

A Digital Signature establishes the identity of the sender or signee electronically while filing documents through the Internet. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) mandates that the Directors sign some of the application documents using their Digital Signature. Hence, a Digital Signature is required for all Directors of a proposed Section 8 Company

What is Director Identification Number (DIN)?

Director Identification Number is a unique identification number assigned to all existing and proposed Directors of a Company. It is mandatory for all present or proposed Directors to have a Director Identification Number. Director Identification Number never expires and a person can have only one Director Identification Number.

Can NRIs / Foreign Nationals be a Director in a Section 8 Company?

Yes, a NRI or Foreign National can be a Director in a Section 8 Company after obtaining Director Identification Number. However, atleast one Director on the Board of Directors must be a Resident India.