Annual Compliance Checklist for Indian Startups: ROC, GST, TDS and More

Early-stage founders are usually focused on product and fundraising — compliance often becomes an afterthought until a deadline is missed and a penalty notice arrives. Here's the annual checklist every Indian Private Limited Company or LLP should track from day one.

Within 30 Days of Incorporation

• First board meeting — mandatory within 30 days for companies
• Appoint statutory auditor — mandatory for every company regardless of turnover; missing this is one of the most common early-stage lapses since it has no immediate business impact until flagged later

Within 60 Days of Incorporation

• Bring in subscribed capital through banking channels and file Form INC-20A (declaration of commencement of business) — a company cannot legally commence business operations or borrow money until this is filed

Ongoing Monthly/Quarterly Compliance

• GST returns (if registered): GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B monthly (or quarterly under QRMP), even as NIL returns if there's no activity
• TDS deposits and returns: Deduct and deposit TDS on salary, professional fees, and rent payments by the 7th of the following month; file quarterly TDS returns (24Q for salary, 26Q for others)
• Advance tax: Quarterly installments (15 June, 15 September, 15 December, 15 March) if estimated annual tax liability exceeds ₹10,000
• Payroll compliance: PF and ESI deposits by the 15th of the following month, if applicable based on employee count

Annual ROC Filings

• Form AOC-4 (financial statements) — within 30 days of the AGM
• Form MGT-7/7A (annual return) — within 60 days of the AGM
• AGM itself — must be held within 6 months of financial year-end (by 30 September for a March year-end), and the first AGM within 9 months of the first financial year-end
• DIR-3 KYC for every director — annual, by 30 September, even if no other details have changed
• LLPs: Form 8 (statement of accounts) by 30 October and Form 11 (annual return) by 30 May instead of AOC-4/MGT-7

Annual Tax Compliance

• Statutory audit — mandatory for every company regardless of turnover; LLPs only above the prescribed turnover/contribution threshold
• Income tax return — 31 October for companies/audited entities (30 November if transfer pricing applies)
• GST annual return (GSTR-9) — 31 December, mandatory above ₹2 crore turnover

What Happens If You Miss These

• ROC late fees: ₹100 per day per form, uncapped — a filing delayed by 6 months on two forms can easily cross ₹30,000-40,000 in accumulated penalty alone
• Director disqualification: Persistent non-filing over multiple years can lead to the company being struck off and directors disqualified from holding directorships anywhere for 5 years
• GST late fees and interest: As with any registered business, ₹50/day (or ₹20/day for NIL) plus 18% annual interest on unpaid tax
• Loss of investor confidence: Compliance lapses are a standard item in investor due diligence — a messy compliance history can complicate or delay a funding round

Building a Compliance Calendar

The single most effective thing an early-stage founder can do is put every recurring deadline above into a shared calendar with reminders 2 weeks ahead — not the day before. Most compliance lapses aren't from not knowing the rule; they're from the deadline sneaking up during a busy product or fundraising sprint.

If tracking this alongside building your product feels like too much, a fixed-fee compliance retainer that handles ROC, GST, and TDS filings on a set schedule removes the need to track each deadline yourself — worth considering once you're past the first few months and compliance starts competing for real attention.