Chapter VIII - Deductions to be Made in Computing Total Income
Section 133
Section 133: deduction for donations to certain funds and charitable institutions
Section 133 is the Income-tax Act, 2025's version of the deduction long known as "80G". It allows either 100% or 50% of eligible monetary donations to be deducted, depending on the recipient. A 10%-of-adjusted-gross-total-income cap applies only to the categories specified in Section 133(2). An individual or HUF taxed under the default new regime in Section 202(1) cannot claim this Chapter VIII deduction.
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Need advice on Section 133?
This article is for general information. Refer to the Income-tax Act, 2025 as amended by the Finance Act, 2026 and the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2026 for the official provisions. If you need professional advice for your situation, contact Bizeneed.
Statutory text
Bare law
(1) In computing the total income of an assessee, there shall be deducted, as per and subject to the provisions of this section,— (a) the whole of the aggregate of the sum or the sums paid by the assessee, in the tax year as donations to–– (i) the National Defence Fund set up by the Central Government; or (ii) the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund or the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES FUND); or (iii) the Prime Minister’s Armenia Earthquake Relief Fund; or (iv) the Africa (Public Contributions-India) Fund; or (v) the National Children’s Fund; or (vi) the National Foundation for Communal Harmony; or (vii) a University or any educational institution of national eminence as may be approved by the prescribed authority in this behalf; or (viii) any fund set up by the State Government of Gujarat exclusively for providing relief to the victims of earthquake in Gujarat; or (ix) any Zila Saksharta Samiti constituted in any district under the chairmanship of the Collector of that district for improving primary education in villages and towns having a population up to one lakh according to the last census of which figures are published before the first day of the relevant tax year, in such district and for literacy and post-literacy activities; or (x) the National Blood Transfusion Council or any State Blood Transfusion Council which has its sole object the control, supervision, regulation or encouragement in India of the services related to operation and requirements of blood banks; or (xi) any fund set up by a State Government to provide medical relief to the poor; or (xii) the Army Central Welfare Fund or the Indian Naval Benevolent Fund or the Air Force Central Welfare Fund established by the armed forces of the Union for the welfare of the past and present members of such forces or their dependants; or (xiii) the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Cyclone Relief Fund, 1996; or (xiv) the National Illness Assistance Fund; or (xv) the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or the Lieutenant Governor’s Relief Fund, if the fund meets all the following conditions:–– (A) it is the only fund of its kind established in the State or the Union territory; (B) it is under the overall control of the Chief Secretary or the Department of Finance of the respective State or the Union territory; (C) it is administered in a manner specified by the State Government or the Lieutenant Governor; or (xvi) the National Sports Development Fund set up by the Central Government; or (xvii) the National Cultural Fund set up by the Central Government; or (xviii) the Fund for Technology Development and Application set up by the Central Government; or (xix) the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities constituted under section 3(1) of the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999; or (xx) the Swachh Bharat Kosh, set up by the Central Government, other than the sum spent by the assessee in pursuance of Corporate Social Responsibility under section 135(5) of the Companies Act, 2013; or (xxi) the Clean Ganga Fund, set up by the Central Government, where such assessee is a resident and such sum is other than the sum spent by the assessee in pursuance of Corporate Social Responsibility under section 135(5) of the Companies Act, 2013; or (xxii) the National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse constituted under section 7A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985; or (xxiii) the Government or to any such local authority, institution or association as may be approved in this behalf by the Central Government, to be utilised for the purpose of promoting family planning; or (xxiv) the Indian Olympic Association or any other association or institution established in India, as the Central Government may, having regard to the guidelines issued in this behalf, by notification, specify for the development of infrastructure for sports and games in India or the sponsorship of sports and games in India, by an assessee being a company; (b) an amount equal to 50% of the aggregate of the sums paid as donation by an assessee during the tax year to–– (i) the Prime Minister’s Drought Relief Fund; (ii) any fund or any institution to which this section applies, if:— (A) it is established in India for a charitable purpose; and (B) it is a registered non-profit organisation or an institution or fund mentioned in Schedule VII (Table: Sl. No. 1) and approved under section 354; (iii) the Government or any local authority, to be utilised for any charitable purpose other than the purpose of promoting family planning; (iv) an authority constituted in India by or under any law enacted either for the purpose of dealing with and satisfying the need for housing accommodation or for the purpose of planning, development or improvement of cities, towns and villages, or for both; (v) a corporation established by the Central Government or any State Government for promoting the interests of the members of such minority community, as may be notified by the Central Government; (vi) any entity, for the renovation or repair of any temple, mosque, gurudwara, church or other place which is notified by the Central Government to be of historic, archaeological or artistic importance or to be a place of public worship of renown throughout any State or States.
(2) Where the aggregate of the sums referred to in sub-section (1)(a)(xxiii) and (xxiv), and sub-section (1)(b)(ii) to (vi) exceeds 10% of the adjusted gross total income, then the amount in excess of 10% of the adjusted gross total income shall be ignored for the purpose of computing the aggregate of the sums in respect of which deduction is to be allowed under sub-section (1).
(3) Where deduction under this section is claimed and allowed for any tax year in respect of any sum specified in sub-section (1), the sum in respect of which deduction is so allowed shall not qualify for deduction under any other provision of this Act for the same or any other tax year.
(4) The deduction under this section shall be allowed only for donation made as a sum of money.
(5) Any deduction for a donation over ₹ 2000 shall be allowed only if the payment is made by a mode other than cash.
(6) Any claim of deduction by the assessee in his return of income filed for any tax year in case of a donation made to an institution or fund referred in sub-section (1)(b)(ii), shall be allowed–– (a) only on the basis of the information relating to such donation furnished by such institution or fund to the prescribed authority or person authorised by such authority; and (b) subject to verification as per the risk management strategy formulated by the Board from time to time.
(7) For the purposes of this section,–– (a) “adjusted gross total income” means gross total income as reduced by any portion thereof on which income-tax is not payable under any provision of this Act and by any amount in respect of which the assessee is entitled to a deduction under any other provision of this Chapter; (b) “charitable purpose” does not include any purpose the whole or substantially the whole of which is of a religious nature; (c) “National Blood Transfusion Council” means a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and has an officer of the rank of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India or higher to deal with the AIDS Control Project as its Chairman; (d) “State Blood Transfusion Council” means a society registered, in consultation with the National Blood Transfusion Council, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or under any law corresponding to that Act in force in any part of India and has a Secretary to the Government of that State dealing with the Department of Health, as its Chairman; (e) an association or institution having as its object the control, supervision, regulation or encouragement in India of such games or sports as may be notified by the Central Government, shall be deemed to be an institution established in India for a charitable purpose.
Introduction
Section 133 permits deductions for qualifying donations to listed funds and eligible institutions. The percentage of deduction, any adjusted-income cap, recipient approval and payment method vary by category and should be tested donation by donation.
Key takeaways
Eligible donation categories
The section allows the whole or 50% of specified monetary donations, depending on the fund or institution; some categories are also subject to a 10% adjusted-gross-total-income ceiling.
Cash threshold
A donation above ₹2,000 qualifies only when paid by a mode other than cash; donations in kind are outside this deduction.
The two donation categories
Section 133(1)(a) lists recipients for which 100% of an eligible donation may be deducted. These include the National Defence Fund, the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund / PM CARES Fund, the National Children's Fund and several other named funds. The 10% cap still applies to the two items identified in Section 133(1)(a)(xxiii) and (xxiv).
Section 133(1)(b) covers recipients for which 50% of an eligible donation may be deducted. This includes the Prime Minister's Drought Relief Fund, eligible charitable institutions or funds under clause (ii), and the other recipients listed in clauses (iii) to (vi). The Drought Relief Fund is outside the 10% cap in Section 133(2).
The 10%-of-income cap on some donations
Section 133(2) applies the 10% cap only to donations under Section 133(1)(a)(xxiii) and (xxiv), and Section 133(1)(b)(ii) to (vi). The aggregate of those donations above 10% of adjusted gross total income is ignored when computing the deduction.
The 50% deduction for the Prime Minister's Drought Relief Fund in Section 133(1)(b)(i) is not part of that 10% cap. The remaining Section 133(1)(a) donations are also outside it. Section 133(7)(a) defines adjusted gross total income.
Conditions that apply to every donation under this section
- Only donations made as a sum of money qualify - donations in kind (goods, property, services) are not deductible under this section.
- Any donation exceeding ₹2,000 must be paid by a mode other than cash to qualify; cash donations above ₹2,000 get no deduction.
- A sum that has been allowed as a deduction under Section 133 cannot also be claimed under any other provision of the Act.
- For donations to a registered non-profit fund or institution under Section 133(1)(b)(ii), the claim is only allowed based on the donation information that institution itself reports to the tax authorities - so the receiving institution's own compliance matters for the donor's claim to go through.
- For an individual or HUF taxed under Section 202(1), Section 202(2)(a)(xii) excludes this deduction. Check the applicable tax regime before claiming it.
Step-by-step flow for applying Section 133
- 1
Was the donation made as a sum of money?
- No (goods, property or services): No deduction.
- Yes: Go to the next step.
- 2
Was a donation over ₹2,000 paid by a mode other than cash?
- Cash above ₹2,000: No deduction for that donation.
- Non-cash, or ₹2,000 or less: Go to the next step.
- 3
Which clause covers the recipient?
Section 133(1)(a) allows the whole of the donation; Section 133(1)(b) allows 50%. For clause (1)(b)(ii) recipients, the claim depends on information the institution furnishes and is subject to verification.
- 4
Is the donation in the 10% group?
Donations under (1)(a)(xxiii)-(xxiv) and (1)(b)(ii)-(vi) are aggregated; any amount above 10% of adjusted gross total income is ignored.
- 5
Compute the deduction
Apply 100% or 50% to the counted sums. A sum allowed here cannot be deducted under any other provision.
Practical checklist
Do
- Identify the precise recipient clause and verify its approval or registration for the donation date.
- Keep the donation certificate, payment evidence and calculation of any applicable income-linked ceiling.
Avoid
- Do not assume all donations receive a 100% deduction or are outside the 10% limit.
- Do not claim cash donations beyond the statute's permitted amount or a donation lacking the required information trail.
Illustrative example
Worked example: mixed donations and the 10% limit
Hypothetical facts (illustration only, not a real taxpayer): Mrs. Sen, an individual who has opted out of the default regime, has gross total income of ₹12,00,000 and other Chapter VIII deductions of ₹1,50,000; no part of her income is tax-free. She donates by bank transfer ₹50,000 to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, ₹1,60,000 to an approved registered non-profit organisation under clause (1)(b)(ii) that reports the donation, and ₹20,000 to the Prime Minister's Drought Relief Fund. She also gives ₹3,000 in cash to another charity.
Cash donation
₹3,000 in cash exceeds ₹2,000, so it gets no deduction.
Adjusted gross total income
₹12,00,000 − ₹1,50,000 = ₹10,50,000; 10% = ₹1,05,000.
10% group
The ₹1,60,000 non-profit donation exceeds ₹1,05,000, so ₹55,000 is ignored; 50% × ₹1,05,000 = ₹52,500.
Outside the 10% group
PM National Relief Fund: 100% × ₹50,000 = ₹50,000. PM Drought Relief Fund: 50% × ₹20,000 = ₹10,000.
Outcome
- Total deduction under Section 133 = ₹50,000 + ₹52,500 + ₹10,000 = ₹1,12,500.
- The ₹52,500 depends on the non-profit furnishing the donation information and on verification under Section 133(6).
Glossary
- Qualifying donation
- A contribution meeting a recipient and payment category specifically listed in Section 133.
- Adjusted gross total income
- The statutory income base used to compute the percentage cap for certain donations.
Frequently asked questions
Is Section 133 the same as the deduction people call "80G"?
It serves the same purpose - a deduction for donations to government funds and approved charities - but is renumbered as Section 133 under the Income-tax Act, 2025, with its own list of qualifying funds in the section text and Schedule VII.
Do all donations get a 100% deduction?
No. Section 133(1)(a) generally provides a 100% deduction, while Section 133(1)(b) provides 50%. The 10% adjusted-gross-total-income cap applies only to Section 133(1)(a)(xxiii)–(xxiv) and Section 133(1)(b)(ii)–(vi). In particular, the Prime Minister's Drought Relief Fund receives a 50% deduction without this 10% cap.
Can I claim a deduction for a ₹5,000 cash donation?
No - any donation above ₹2,000 must be made through a non-cash mode (bank transfer, cheque, card, etc.) to qualify for deduction under this section.
Can I deduct the value of goods I donated to a charity?
No - Section 133 only allows a deduction for donations made as a sum of money, not for donations of goods, property or services.
Is the 10% limit worked out on gross total income?
No. It uses adjusted gross total income: gross total income reduced by any portion on which income-tax is not payable and by deductions under other provisions of Chapter VIII (Section 133(7)(a)).
Need help applying this provision to your situation?
Get your Section 133 donation deductions verified with our tax teamLast updated 10 October 2026