15 December 2016
I want to register a trust incorporated in July 2016. I am facing a problem in Filing Form 10A online, as it asks for the Assessment Year and the last Assessment year to select is AY 2016-17. Please provide the way to proceed.
20 July 2025
This is a very good question, and itโs a common confusion when filing Form 10A for registration of a trust under Section 12A / 12AB of the Income Tax Act.
Letโs clarify this based on your situation:
๐งพ Scenario:
Your trust was incorporated in July 2016. You are trying to file Form 10A (as was applicable then), but the latest Assessment Year available on the portal is AY 2016โ17, which seems confusing. โ Clarification:
๐ธ 1. Assessment Year (AY) vs. Previous Year (FY) Period Meaning Previous Year (PY) Year in which income is earned (here: FY 2016โ17, i.e., July 2016 to March 2017) Assessment Year (AY) Year following the PY, in which income is assessed (here: AY 2017โ18) So, since the trust was formed in July 2016, your first financial year is FY 2016โ17, and corresponding AY is 2017โ18.
๐ธ 2. So Why is Portal Showing Only AY 2016โ17? This issue youโre facing was a known bug/limitation in the old e-filing portal (pre-2021). It often did not allow selection of the correct AY when registering trusts that were formed during that year.
๐ ๏ธ What You Should Do:
โ A. Select the Correct AY: 2017โ18 Even if the drop-down shows AY 2016โ17 as the last year, make sure:
You try clearing browser cache/cookies, or Use a different browser or Incognito mode Try again after a short time; often the portal would auto-update at month-end โ B. If the Issue Persists (Historic Fix): Back then, CBDT had advised:
File manually if the online portal doesnโt allow submission Or submit a request through the e-filing helpdesk ๐ง Contact: efilingwebmanager@incometax.gov.in ๐ Helpdesk:
๐ Current Scenario (Post-2021):
Form 10A is now filed via the new income tax portal https://www.incometax.gov.in, and the AY field is generally auto-handled based on the date of incorporation and PAN of the trust.
If youโre still trying to file under the new system, youโll be required to:
File Form 10A for fresh registration under Section 12AB Provide incorporation certificate, PAN, trust deed, and other documents AY will not be an issue anymore under the new process โ Conclusion:
For trust incorporated in July 2016, the correct AY is 2017โ18 If AY 2016โ17 was the latest selectable at that time, it was a portal limitation Use new portal now if not yet registered, and file Form 10A/10AB properly If issues persist, contact CBDT e-filing helpdesk