Accumulation of Income under section 11 (2) Income tax Act - 4 years or 5 years

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In term of accumulation of income of a charitable organization, I have received a different feedback of accumulation years some of my colleagues from South. One said as per latest amendment, NGO can accumulate income only for 3 years if the 85% of income is not spent. Another one said they can accumulate only for 4 years.

I have researched and noted that NGOs having exception under 10 (23C) can accumulate unspent income of 85% for 5 years and if it is not spent by 5 years, the unspent amount is taxable in the 5th year itself. Hence, the safer side they have only 4 years to accumulate. And Noted, this is not the case for other NGOs.

I really need input on this since I could not validate my opinion on this point.

Thanks

Great question! Here's a clear explanation of the accumulation period under Section 11(2) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 for charitable organizations (NGOs):

Section 11(2) - Accumulation of Income by Charitable Trusts/NGOs

Basic Rule:
A charitable trust/NGO can accumulate income for a maximum period of 6 months from the end of the financial year to apply it for charitable purposes. If not utilized within 6 months, it must be deposited in a scheduled bank account specified for accumulation.
Extended Accumulation Period (upto 5 years):
Under Section 11(2), if the NGO wants to accumulate income for more than 6 months, it can do so but only if the accumulation period is specified in its trust deed or governing document, and the income is used for the stated charitable purpose within the specified period.
- This period can be up to 5 years.
- If income is not spent within the specified period (maximum 5 years), the unspent amount becomes taxable in the year of expiry.

What about the 85% expenditure rule and accumulation?

NGOs are required to utilize at least 85% of their income (excluding voluntary contributions specifically made for a particular project) for charitable activities in the same year or accumulated within the specified time under Section 11(2).
If 85% is not spent or accumulated properly, the exemption under Section 11 can be denied for the unutilized amount.

Special case - Section 10(23C) approval NGOs:

Many NGOs have approval under Section 10(23C) for exemption on specific incomes or activities.
Such NGOs can accumulate unspent income up to 5 years, as you noted, but if the income remains unspent beyond this period, it will be taxable in the 5th year itself.
This 5-year period is the maximum allowed for accumulation and is subject to trust deed stipulations.

So, summarizing:

Situation	Allowed Accumulation Period
General NGOs (no special 10(23C) provision)	6 months (basic), or longer if specified but max 5 years
NGOs under Section 10(23C) approval	Up to 5 years; unspent amount taxable if not used within 5 years
Failure to spend or accumulate 85% of income	May lead to loss of exemption on unspent income

Your conclusion:

The safe and correct view is that accumulation can be done for up to 5 years only if allowed by the trust deed or specific provisions like 10(23C).
Many practitioners consider 4 years as a "safe" accumulation period to avoid last-minute tax issues in the 5th year, but legally the max is 5 years.