Pune: The deadline for uploading and submitting the audit report and balance sheet (online submission of trust account) – for the financial year ending on March 31, 2020 – is nearing and only 8 days are left to complete this process.
All public trusts in Maharashtra need to submit their trust accounts online through website www.charity.maharashtra.gov.in and submit the necessary copies to the nearest Charity Commissioner Officeby January 31, 2021.
As per the law, once the financial year ends, public trusts are required to submit their trust account within six months (April 1 to September 30). However, in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID19, public trusts were unable to file their accounts.
Hence the deadline for submission of accounts was extended up to November 30, 2020 initially and later up to December 31, 2020 and now January 31, 2021 by the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner R N Joshi.
Shivraj Kadam Jahagirdar Adv
Pune Public Trusts Practitioners Association Trustee Adv Shivraj Kadam Jahagirdar said, “Once the public trusts submit their accounts online, they get a ‘Trust Account Acknowledgment receipt’. Along with this receipt, submission of PAN details of all trustees has also been made mandatory now. Also, a certificate from the Chartered Accountant stating that all funds and donations received by trust have been utilised for achieving its goals is required to be attached with the receipt and PAN details. Public trusts should file their accounts and details within the stipulated time and avoid any penal action.”