MHA’s Latest Notice Regarding Online Annual Returns!

Have you received a Notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) by email in your inbox with the subject line: “Non-submission of mandatory Annual Returns from 2011-12 to 2016-17”? 

We, at CAP, just did, this afternoon and of all days, on ‘Labour & Maharashtra Day’ holiday! 

It ruined plans for an afternoon nap. 

But, on a more serious note, those who may have been napping on their FCRA compliance, may have reasons to lose sleep for many more days to come!

However, conversely, unless your association has been delinquent, don’t panic! 

It’s just a general wake-up call for all those registered under FCRA 2010, but, have not yet filed their Annual Returns ONLINE from the fiscal year 2011-12 to 2016-17.

Same Notice also on MHA's Website

Those who regularly visit https://fcraonline.nic.in (and if you don’t, we recommend that you do visit it regularly) may have also seen the same notice at:

https://fcraonline.nic.in/home/PDF_Doc/FC_Notice_26042018.pdf

3,292 Associations in default

MHA has listed as many as 3, 292 associations in default, though many of them appear to be in default only for the fiscal year 2016-17.

How to check if your association is named?

• There is no need for you to scan the entire list to see if your association is in this list.
• On your keyboard, simply click Ctrl and F simultaneously and a search box/window will appear in the right-hand corner. 
• In this box type either your organization’s name or your FCRA registration number and if your organization is unfortunately on this list it will open on that page with your organization’s name highlighted. 
• You may then find that on MHA’s system you have not filed returns for either one or more years out of the listed financial years between FY 2010-11 to FY 2016-17.

What next?

If your association is named in the list, your immediate next step should be to log into your FCRA account and file the missing return/s online in Form FC 4. 

Scanned copes of the Income and Expenditure Statement, Receipt and Payment Statement, Balance Sheet etc., must also be uploaded along with the Annual Return.

In case of difficulty …

If your association is faced with any technical difficulty in uploading the Annual Return, please write to support-fcra@gov.in

Conclusion:

• In our opinion MHA has provided NGOs registered under FCRA 2010 with yet another opportunity to regularise any irregularity in filing online accounts.
• Hurry, MHA will review your association’s status 15 days after the date of the Notice issued on 24^th April 2018.
• Lapse on the part of your association to comply may lead to penalty (to compound the offence of late filing of the Annual Return/s) or subsequently, deregistration!

Just about a year ago MHA had provided NGOs with a similar opportunity to file FCRA Returns from FY 2010-11 to 2014-15.