Banks and financial institutions in Nepal have set aside part of their profit for corporate social responsibility for years. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) guidelines, as amended in 2025, make the fund work harder: more of it has to be spent in the year, spread across the country and planned ahead. With FY 2083/84 under way since 17 July 2026, here is what the rules ask for and what to keep on record.
The rules in brief
- The fund: at least 1% of net profit goes into a CSR fund, set aside from one year's profit and spent in the next fiscal year.
- Spend most of it in the year: at least 60% of the fund is spent in the same fiscal year, once the financial statements are approved. The rest is carried forward.
- Plan each half-year: an annual CSR plan, and the list of activities sent to NRB at least 15 days before each half-year.
- Spread it across provinces: commercial banks and national-level institutions spend at least 10% of the fund in each of the seven provinces.
- Avoid one big cheque: no more than 5% of the fund on one programme.
- Give through the right hands: money goes only to government, community or non-profit organisations.
- Keep it clean: no branding or promotion of the bank, and no staff benefits.
Who comes first
In a directive of 2 December 2024, the Supreme Court said CSR money should give first priority to people in extreme poverty, in areas such as housing, education, health, children and women's empowerment. The guidelines follow the same direction. In practice, that means recording for each programme not only what was spent, but who benefited and how many of them live in extreme poverty or belong to marginalised groups.
The half-year calendar
Nepal's fiscal year runs from 1 Shrawan to the end of Asar, about mid-July to mid-July. FY 2083/84 runs from 17 July 2026 to 16 July 2027. The two half-years start on 1 Shrawan and 1 Magh, so the activity lists are due about:
- Early July, 15 days before 1 Shrawan, for the first half-year;
- The end of December, 15 days before 1 Magh (about mid-January), for the second half-year.
For FY 2083/84 the first list is already behind you. The next one, for the second half-year, is due around the end of December 2026, so now is the time to settle which programmes will run from Magh onwards.
A worked example
Take a commercial bank with a net profit of NPR 1,50,00,00,000 in FY 2082/83. Its CSR fund for FY 2083/84 is 1% of that: NPR 1,50,00,000.
- 60% in the year: at least NPR 90,00,000 has to be spent by the end of FY 2083/84. Up to NPR 60,00,000 may be carried forward.
- 10% per province: at least NPR 15,00,000 in each of the seven provinces (Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim): NPR 1,05,00,000 in all.
- 5% per programme: no single programme above NPR 7,50,000.
Two things follow. The province rule alone takes up 70% of the fund, so a bank whose programmes cluster around Kathmandu needs partners in every province early in the year. And the 5% cap means many smaller programmes, which means more partners to check and more receipts to keep. The amounts here are illustrative; your own figures depend on your audited accounts.
What to record during the year
- Each programme: its CSR area, province, district, partner organisation, budget, spending and the number of beneficiaries, with the share in extreme poverty.
- Each payment: the date, the amount, the receiving organisation and its receipt. Only payments to government, community or non-profit organisations.
- Each partner: its registration with the District Administration Office (renewed every year), Social Welfare Council affiliation, PAN and tax exemption certificate, with their dates.
- The fund: last year's net profit, the 1% fund, what was carried forward, what was spent and what is left.
What doesn't count
Staff benefits and promotion of the bank are out. So is employee volunteering: it is valuable, and many banks organise it around Constitution Day (about 19 September), Dashain and Tihar, Earthquake Safety Day (mid-January) or their founding anniversary, but it is not CSR spending. Report the hours separately, for example in the social section of your annual report.
One thing to watch
In July 2026 the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies published a draft amendment to the Company Act that would have companies deposit CSR money in a government CSR fund. FNCCI and the Nepal Bankers' Association oppose it. It is a draft, not law, and it is not clear how it would sit alongside the NRB guidelines. Keep planning under the current rules, and keep an eye on it.
Doing it in CorpHands
On the CSR fund page, choose Bank or financial institution (NRB) and tick national-level if it applies. Enter last year's net profit and CorpHands works out the 1% fund, adds what was carried forward, and shows spending by CSR area and by province against the 10% line, the share spent against the 60% target, and any programme above 5%. It lists the two activity-list dates for the year and flags a figure that falls short (the 60% check once the year has ended). At year end, download the CSV statement and the Nepal CSR pack. See how it works.
This article gives general information on Nepal Rastra Bank's CSR guidelines as amended in 2025, the Industrial Enterprises Act 2020 and related rules, as we understand them in October 2026. It is not legal or accounting advice. Check the current directives and confirm your figures, plans and filings with your compliance team and auditor.