Section 8 Non-Profit Company — Why Team Samarpan Foundation Chose This Legal Structure

Published: 6 October 2026 · 8 min read · Last updated: 6 October 2026

India's Section 8 Non-Profit Company structure (under the Companies Act 2013) is one of three ways to legally register a non-profit — the other two being a Public Charitable Trust and a Society. Team Samarpan Foundation chose Section 8. Here is a plain-English explanation of what that means, why we picked it, and what it costs us in governance discipline.

What is a Section 8 Non-Profit Company?

A Section 8 Company is a company registered under Section 8 of India's Companies Act 2013 (previously Section 25 of the 1956 Act). Unlike a regular private limited company, a Section 8 Company is specifically formed to promote commerce, art, science, sports, education, research, social welfare, religion, charity, protection of environment or similar objects. All profits must be re-applied to its stated objects, and no dividend may be paid to members.

In practical terms, it is a company that behaves like a charity — regulated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and the Registrar of Companies (RoC), with the same compliance standards as any other company: board of directors, annual audit, mandatory filings, and public disclosure of CIN.

Team Samarpan Foundation's Section 8 registration

Team Samarpan Foundation is registered as a Section 8 Non-Profit Company with:

Corporate Identity Number (CIN): U88900MR2026NPL476878
Section 8 Licence Number: 185648
Registrar: Registrar of Companies, Mumbai (Maharashtra jurisdiction)
Legal status: Public, not-for-profit, limited by shares
Primary object: Rural social welfare, cultural preservation, youth leadership and community dialogue in Soygaon Taluka, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District

You can verify any Section 8 company's registration status on the MCA website by entering the CIN. This public verifiability is one of the main reasons Harshal Fuse (our founder) chose this structure over a trust or society.

Section 8 vs Trust vs Society — a side-by-side look

Feature	Section 8 Company	Public Charitable Trust	Society
Governing Act	Companies Act 2013	Indian Trusts Act 1882 / State Trust Acts	Societies Registration Act 1860
Minimum members	2 directors (private) or 3 (public)	Minimum 2 trustees	Minimum 7 members
Regulated by	MCA / RoC	Charity Commissioner (state)	Registrar of Societies (state)
Public database	Yes — MCA portal, CIN searchable	Varies by state, mostly offline	Varies by state, often offline
Annual audit	Mandatory	Mandatory above certain income	Mandatory above certain income
Governance discipline	Highest — directors, board resolutions, filings	Flexible	Moderate
Perceived credibility (corporate / institutional donors)	Highest	Moderate	Moderate
Setup cost	₹8,000–₹25,000 (approx)	₹2,000–₹10,000	₹2,000–₹8,000

Why Team Samarpan Foundation chose Section 8

1. Public verifiability

In rural Maharashtra, many organizations call themselves "NGOs" without any registration at all. Even registered trusts and societies can be hard to verify from outside the state. A Section 8 company's CIN appears on the Government of India's MCA portal, which anyone — a donor, a journalist, a volunteer's family — can check in 60 seconds. For a young organization building trust, that one-click verification matters enormously.

2. Discipline enforced by law

Section 8 companies file MGT-7 (annual return), AOC-4 (financial statements), and must hold formal board meetings with minutes. These compliance obligations force governance habits — proper books, formal decisions, documented resolutions — from Day 1. Trusts and societies offer more flexibility, but that flexibility can become an excuse to skip discipline. We wanted the opposite.

3. Fit for growth

If Team Samarpan Foundation expands to new talukas or districts, a Section 8 company can open branches, receive grants, apply for CSR funding, and (once eligibility criteria are met) seek 80G and 12A certification under the Income Tax Act. The company form scales smoothly as the organization grows.

Important disclosure: Team Samarpan Foundation's application for 80G and 12A tax-exemption certification is applied for, pending. Donations to the organization are currently not tax-deductible under the Income Tax Act until these certifications are granted. We will publish the certificates on our website the moment they are received.

What Section 8 does NOT mean

Being a Section 8 company does not automatically mean:

Donations are tax-deductible (that requires separate 80G registration)
The organization can receive foreign donations (that requires separate FCRA registration)
Government endorsement of the organization's work

It only means: the organization is a legally recognised not-for-profit entity, regulated by the MCA, with a verifiable CIN.

How to verify any Section 8 NGO before donating

Go to MCA Master Data search
Enter the CIN (for us: U88900MR2026NPL476878)
Check: Company status should show "Active"
Check: Class of company should show "Company limited by shares" and section 8 licence number
If asking about tax deduction, separately ask for 80G certificate copy

Learn more about our organizational structure on our About page, read about our founder Harshal Fuse, or see how we guide donors to verify any Section 8 NGO.

Want to volunteer, donate, or partner with us?

Visit teamsamarpan.org →