80G Receipt Format for Temples — Sample & Mandatory Fields
Donors ask for an 80G receipt format every day — especially near financial year-end. If your temple or trust gives a vague slip or a half-filled receipt, the donor's Chartered Accountant may reject it. Your institution also faces questions during audit.
This guide shows a practical 80G receipt format for temples, the fields you must include, and how to issue receipts without paperwork chaos.
What is an 80G receipt?
An 80G receipt is the document that lets a donor claim a tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act when they donate to a registered temple, trust or NGO. Without a valid receipt from your institution, they cannot claim the deduction.
For your mandal, a proper format is both a legal duty and a service to devotees who give regularly.
Sample 80G receipt format (what it should look like)
Your receipt does not need fancy design. It needs the right information in a clear order. A practical layout looks like this:
- Header — full name and address of the temple / trust (as registered)
- Registration block — institution PAN, 80G number, validity dates
- Receipt number and date — sequential number + donation date
- Donor block — name, address, PAN (if required)
- Donation block — amount in figures and words, payment mode, UPI/cheque reference
- Purpose — general corpus or specific purpose (annadan, building, etc.)
- Signature — authorised signatory + stamp
Keep a carbon copy or digital duplicate of every receipt. Auditors and Form 10BD filing both depend on a complete receipt register.
14 mandatory fields (checklist)
Use this as your format checklist before you hand any receipt to a donor:
- Full name and address of the donee institution
- PAN of the institution
- 80G registration number
- Validity period of the 80G registration
- Donor's full name
- Donor's complete address
- Donor's PAN (mandatory for cash donations above ₹2,000)
- Amount in figures
- Amount in words
- Date of donation
- Mode of payment (cash / cheque / UPI / NEFT / RTGS)
- Cheque number or transaction reference (non-cash)
- Sequential receipt number
- Purpose — corpus or specific
Missing even one field can make the receipt useless for the donor's tax return.
Common format mistakes temples make
- No PAN on cash donations above ₹2,000 — invalid for 80G claims
- Gaps in receipt numbers — auditors flag missing numbers immediately
- Expired 80G number printed on the receipt — check validity every year
- Only amount filled, no address or payment mode — incomplete format
- Handwritten register with no duplicate — lost books = lost compliance
If your trust cannot produce receipts for donations received, the Income Tax department can treat those amounts as unaccounted income — even for a registered trust.
Paper receipt book vs software format
A printed receipt book works if you fill every field carefully and never skip numbers. Most temple committees struggle on busy festival days — volunteers rush, PAN is skipped, and the register falls behind.
Software like Sanstha ERP uses the same 80G receipt format, but fills institution details, registration number and sequential receipt numbers automatically. You enter donor name and amount; the system prints or sends the PDF on WhatsApp.
See the full 80G receipt guide, the complete format guide with example, and receipt management features.
How to start using a compliant format this week
- Print your current receipt and compare it to the 14-field list above
- Update any missing fields (especially 80G validity and donor PAN rules)
- Assign one person to own the receipt register — no gaps
- Before the next festival, test one full receipt end-to-end with a known donor
If you want the format handled automatically, start free with Sanstha ERP — no credit card needed.
Conclusion
A clear 80G receipt format protects your donors' tax claims and your temple's audit. Whether you use paper or software, every field must be correct and every number sequential.
Sanstha ERP generates compliant 80G receipts in seconds. Start free →