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[Guidelines, form and manner in respect of approval under clause (ii) and clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35.

5C. (1) An application for approval,—

(i) under clause (ii) [or clause (iii)] of sub-section (1) of section 35 by a [***] research association in ¹Form No. 3CF

(ii) under clause (ii) or clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 by a university, college or other institution in ²Form No. 3CF

shall be made, at any time during the financial year immediately preceding the assessment year from which the approval is sought, to the Commissioner of Income-tax or the Director of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the applicant.

³(1A) Form No. 3CF shall be furnished electronically, —

(i) under digital signature, if the return of income is required to be furnished under digital signature;

(ii) through electronic verification code in a case not covered under clause (i).

(1B) Form No. 3CF shall be verified by the person who is authorised to verify the return of income under section 140, as applicable to the applicant.

(1C) The Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or the Director General of Income-tax (Systems), as the case may be, shall:

(i) lay down the form, data structure, standards and procedure of furnishing and verification of Form No. 3CF;

(ii) be responsible for formulating and implementing appropriate security, archival and retrieval policies in relation to the said application made.”;

(2) Annexure to the application [in] Form No. ⁴3CF shall be filled out if the association claims exemption under clause (21) of section 10 of the Income-tax Act.

(3) The applicant shall send a copy of the application in Form No. ⁵3CF to Member (IT), Central Board of Direct Taxes accompanied by the acknowledgement receipt as evidence of having furnished the application form in duplicate in the office of the Commissioner of Income-tax or the Director of Income-tax having jurisdiction over the case.

(4) The period of one year, as specified in the fourth proviso to sub-section (1) of section 35, before the expiry of which approval is to be granted or the application is to be rejected by the Central Government shall be reckoned from the end of the month in which the application form from the applicant for approval is received in the office of Member (IT), Central Board of Direct Taxes.

(5) If any defect is noticed in the application in Form No. ⁶3CF or if any relevant document is not attached thereto, the Commissioner of Income-tax or, as the case may be, the Director of Income-tax shall serve a deficiency letter on the applicant before the expiry of one month from the date of receipt of the application form in his office.

(6) The applicant shall remove the deficiency within a period of fifteen days from the date of service of the deficiency letter or within such further period which, on an application made in this behalf may be extended, so however, that the total period for removal of deficiency does not exceed thirty days, and if the applicant fails to remove the deficiency within the period of thirty days so allowed, the Commissioner of Income-tax or, as the case may be, the Director of Income-tax shall send his recommendation for treating the application as invalid to the Member (IT), Central Board of Direct Taxes.

(7) The Central Government, if satisfied, may pass an order treating the application as invalid.

(8) If the application form is complete in all respects, the Commissioner of Income-tax or, as the case may be, the Director of Income-tax, may make such inquiry as he may consider necessary regarding the genuineness of the activity of the association or university or college or other institution and send his recommendation to the Member (IT) for grant of approval or rejection of the application before the expiry of the period of three months to be reckoned from the end of the month in which the application form was received in his office.

(9) The Central Government may before granting approval under clause (ii) or clause (iii) shall call for such documents or information from the applicant as it may consider necessary and may get any inquiry made for verification of the genuineness of the activity of the applicant.

(10) The Central Government may, under sub-section (1) of section 35, issue the notification to be published in the Official Gazette granting approval to the association or university or college or other institution or for reasons to be recorded in writing reject the application.

(11) The Central Government may withdraw the approval granted under clause (ii) or clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 if it is satisfied that the [***] research association or university or college or other institution has ceased its activities or its activities are not genuine or are not being carried out in accordance with all or any of the conditions under rule 5D or rule 5E.

(12) No order treating the application as invalid or rejecting the application or withdrawing the approval, shall be passed without giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the [***] research association or university or college or other institution.

(13) A copy of the order invalidating or rejecting the application or withdrawing the approval shall be communicated to the applicant, the Assessing Officer and the Commissioner of Income-tax or, as the case may be, the Director of Income-tax.

Amendments :-

1. Substituted by Income-tax (6th Amendment) Rules, 2021 w.e.f 01.04.2021 Notification dated 26.03.2021

For the following words,

duplicate in Form No. 3CF-I