Income certificate, an assessment of your family’s overall income, is an official document that is required to avail benefits offered by the government through various subsidies and scholarship schemes. It highlights the annual income of the applicant and his/her family members from various sources. Individuals from any income group, caste or category can get an income certificate from the concerned issuing authorities provided they fulfil the required eligibility and documentation. When it comes to scholarships which are given based on the applicant’s financial condition, an income certificate plays a quintessential role.
Where can you get an income certificate? How can you apply for it? What is the processing fee charged for the income certificate? How much time does it take to get an income certificate? The answers to all these questions have been covered in detail in this article.
How to get an Income Certificate – Providing Authorities
In general, an income certificate is issued by the concerned authorities under different state governments. The issuing authority can be Village Tehsildar, District Magistrate, Collector, Revenue Circle Officer, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or other relevant district authorities. These authorities may vary from state to state. The table given below highlights the state-wise list of providing authorities for income certificates along with its processing time and application fees.
State-Wise List of Providing Authorities for Income Certificate
| State | Providing Authority | Processing Time* | Application Fee# |
| Andhra Pradesh | Mandal Revenue Officer | 7 days (for 1st time) thereafter 15 min. | INR 45 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Tehsildar Officer, Department of District Collectorate | 15 days | INR 10 |
| Assam | Concerned Office of the Circle Officer | 10 days | Not specified |
| Bihar | Zonal Officer/SDO/District Magistrate | 10 working days | Not specified |
| Chhattisgarh | SDM Offices | 15 days | INR 30 |
| Goa | Deputy Collector/Sub-Divisional Officer | 1 day | Not specified |
| Gujarat | Tehsil/Revenue Office | 7 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Haryana | SDM of the concerned Subdivision or Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district | 7 working days | INR 30 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Concerned Revenue Officer | Not specified | INR 7 |
| Jharkhand | Department of Revenue Land Reforms and Registration | 7 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Karnataka | Deputy Tehsildar and Tehsildar | 7 days | INR 15 |
| Kerala | Revenue Department Authorities or Tehsildar | 6 days | Up to INR 28 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Tehsil/Revenue/Circle Office | 7 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Maharashtra | Tehsildar/Naib Tehsildar/Sub-Divisional Officer/ | 15 days | Not specified |
| Manipur | District Administration Office/ Sub-Division Office/ Circle Office | 7 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Meghalaya | Office of the Deputy Commissioner | 7 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Mizoram | Office of the Deputy Commissioner | 2 to 3 days | INR 20 to INR 30 |
| Nagaland | Office of the Commissioner Nagaland / District Administration / District Magistrate | 10 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Odisha | District Magistrate/ADM/SDO/Tahsildar | 14 days | Not specified |
| Punjab | Tehsildar at Revenue Department Office | 7 days | Not specified |
| Rajasthan | Respective Tehsil/Block/Revenue Office | 7 days | INR 40 |
| Sikkim | District Administrative Centre | 7 days | INR 50 |
| Tamil Nadu | Taluk Office | 7 to 15 days | INR 60 |
| Telangana | Tehsil/Revenue Office | 7 working days | INR 10 |
| Tripura | Municipal/Block Development Office | 15 days | Not specified |
| Uttar Pradesh | Tehsildar/Revenue Department Authorities | 7 working days | INR 10 |
| Uttarakhand | Respective Tehsil /Revenue/Circle Office | 14 days | Not specified |
| West Bengal | District Welfare Office/SDO/BDO | 7 working days | No fee required |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Concerned Tehsildar Officer | 7 working days | INR 10 |
| Chandigarh | Deputy Commissioner Office | 12 working days | INR 20 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Mamlatdar office/Collector office | 7 working days | INR 10 to INR 30 |
| Daman and Diu | Mamlatdar office/Collector office | 7 working days | Not specified |
| Delhi | Deputy Commissioner/ Sub-District Magistrate/ Sub-Divisional Magistrate | 14 days | Not specified |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Tehsildar/Revenue Department Authorities | 7 to 15 days | Not specified |
| Ladakh | Revenue Department | Not specified | Not specified |
| Lakshadweep | Tehsil /Revenue/Circle Office | Not specified | Not specified |
| Puducherry | Tehsildar/Revenue Department Authorities | 14 days | Not specified |
*The processing time mentioned above is tentative. It may change depending on providing authority.
#The application fee is subject to change as per the decision of the providing authority.
How to get an Income Certificate – Calculating Income
What is counted as an income in the income certificate? This is a common question that comes in the mind of most of the applicants. Of course, an income certificate acts as a proof of your overall family income. Thus, income from all sources is taken into account while preparing the income certificate. The regular income earned by each earning member of the family is counted while calculating the family income. However, the following types of earning are exempted –
- Income of widows, sister or daughter
- Terminal benefits
- Surrender leave salary
- Family pension
- Festival allowance
The essential things which are taken into consideration while calculating the family income include –
- Income from salary
- Income from business
- Income from property
- Income from rented buildings
How to get an Income Certificate – Stepwise Application Process
The application for an income certificate can be made both online and offline through respective state administration websites or concerned authorities. However, in this technically advanced world, most of the issuing authorities prefer online applications for the ease of process. If you wish to get an income certificate, you primarily need to ensure that you have all the relevant documents for its processing and fulfil respective eligibility conditions.
Online Application
To ensure online application, each state administration has its dedicated website for getting an income certificate. Individuals, who are permanent residents of a particular state can refer to their respective state’s website for the application. The table below provides a detailed overview of state-wise application portals through which you can apply for the income certificate online. The process for online application is quite simple. You just need to create a login to the portal and complete the application requirements as specified.
State-Wise Online Application Detail for Income Certificate
| State | Where to apply? |
| Andhra Pradesh | Apply through the MEESEVA app of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Apply through Arunachal eServices portal of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. |
| Assam | Apply through e-District services of Assam state portal. |
| Bihar | Apply through RTPS portal of Bihar Government. |
| Chhattisgarh | Apply through the e-district portal of Chhattisgarh state. |
| Goa | Apply through Goa Online portal. |
| Gujarat | Apply through the Digital Gujarat portal. |
| Haryana | Apply through the e-Disha portal of Haryana. |
| Himachal Pradesh | Apply online through Himachal Online Seva (e-District) portal. |
| Jharkhand | Apply online through Jharkhand e-District (JharSewa) portal. |
| Karnataka | Apply online through the official website of Nadakacheri AJSK. |
| Kerala | Apply online through Akshaya portal of the Government of Kerala. |
| Madhya Pradesh | Apply online through MP e-District portal. |
| Maharashtra | Apply online through Aaple Sarkar portal of the Government of Maharashtra. |
| Manipur | Apply through the e-District portal of Manipur. |
| Meghalaya | Apply through the e-District portal of Meghalaya. |
| Mizoram | Apply through the e-District portal of Mizoram. |
| Nagaland | Apply through the e-District portal of Nagaland. |
| Odisha | Apply through the e-District portal of Odisha. |
| Punjab | Apply through the state portal of Punjab. |
| Rajasthan | Apply through e-Mitra portal of the Government of Rajasthan. |
| Sikkim | Apply through the e-Services portal of Sikkim. |
| Tamil Nadu | Apply through the Tamil Nadu e-Sevai center. |
| Telangana | Apply through the MeeSeva portal of the Government of Telangana. |
| Tripura | Apply through e-District portal of Tripura. |
| Uttar Pradesh | Apply through e-Saathi web portal or mobile app. |
| Uttarakhand | Apply through the e-District portal of Uttarakhand. |
| West Bengal | Apply through West Bengal e-District portal. |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Apply through the official portal of Andaman & Nicobar Administration. |
| Chandigarh | Apply through Sampark portal of Chandigarh. |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Apply through the official portal of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administration. |
| Daman and Diu | Apply through the official portal of Daman and Diu Administration. |
| Delhi | Apply through e-District portal of Delhi. |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Apply through Jammu & Kashmir State e-Services. |
| Ladakh | Apply offline through the Revenue Department. |
| Lakshadweep | Not applicable |
| Puducherry | Apply through e-District portal of Puducherry. |
Offline Application
Despite the ease of use with online application, there are some citizens who consider the offline mode of application as a convenient approach. If you too wish to apply for the income certificate offline, you need to contact the concerned authority at your nearby location. You can apply through one of the following providing authorities –
- SDM Office
- Tehsildar Office
- Revenue Office
- CSC (Citizen Service Centers)
- Collector Office
- District Magistrate Office
- BDO Office
How to get an Income Certificate – Key Documents Required
Since the applications for issuance of income certificate are made through respective state government authorities, the list of documents required may vary. However, some of the common documents that an individual must provide in support of his/her application include –
1. Identity proof such as
- Aadhaar Card
- Voter ID Card
- Driving License
- PAN Card
- Passport
- RSBY Card
- MGNREGA Job Card
- Identity card issued by government or semi-government organizations
2. Address proof such as
- Voter’s ID Card
- Passport
- PAN Card
- Aadhaar Card
- LPC
- Driving License
- Ration Card
- Land Allotment Passbook
- Electricity bill
- Water bill
3. Passport-size coloured photograph of the applicant
4. Income proof
- Income tax return statement, or
- Salary slip, or
- Form 16 (if salaried)
- Certificate from BDO (for rural areas)
- Certificate from concerned authorities for persons having income from agriculture, horticulture and veterinary sources
5. Age proof such as
- Birth Certificate
- Bonafide Certificate
- School Leaving Certificate
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How to get an Income Certificate – FAQs
Q. Who can apply for an income certificate?
Any individual who is a citizen of India can apply for an income certificate.
Q. Where can an income certificate be used?
An income certificate can turn out to be useful for the following purposes –
- Fee concession at educational institutions
- Secure seats in professional colleges in quota reserved for socially and economically backward classes
- Scholarships
- Free ration
- Relief for natural calamities victims
- Loan purpose
- Pension
Q. What is the application fee to be paid for an income certificate?
The application fees for income certificates vary from state to state. It may range from INR 7 to INR 60 depending upon the concerned state government. There are some states which do not charge any fees for income certificate application.
Q. Can an individual apply for the income certificate online?
Yes, most of the states have their respective e-district portals through which the individuals can apply for the income certificate online.
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