There is provided an anti-reflective coating forming composition for lithography comprising a polymer compound, a crosslinking compound, a crosslinking catalyst, a sulfonate compound and a solvent. The anti-reflective coating obtained from the composition has a high preventive effect for reflected light causes no intermixing with photoresists, has a higher dry etching rate compared with photoresists, can form a photoresist pattern having no footing at the lower part, and can use in lithography process by use of a light such as ArF excimer laser beam and F2 excimer laser beam, etc.