First-year compliance for a private limited company
| Compliance | When |
|---|---|
| First board meeting | Within 30 days of incorporation |
| First auditor appointed by the board | Within 30 days of incorporation |
| Declaration of commencement (INC-20A) | Within 180 days of incorporation |
| Share certificates issued | Within 60 days of incorporation |
| Board meetings | 4 a year, gap ≤ 120 days (2 for small companies/OPCs) |
| AGM | Within 9 months of the first year-end, then by 30 September |
| AOC-4 / MGT-7 (or 7A) | 30 / 60 days after the AGM |
| ITR-6 | 31 October (audited) |
Recurring compliance by trigger
- GST returns: monthly or quarterly once registered
- TDS: monthly deposit, quarterly returns
- ESIC: 10+ employees earning up to ₹21,000 a month
- PF: 20+ employees
- MSME-1: half-yearly if dues to micro/small suppliers are over 45 days
- DPT-3: by 30 June for loans and deposits
- Tax audit: turnover above ₹1 crore (₹10 crore if cash ≤ 5%)
- Director KYC: once every three years by 30 June, plus updates within 30 days of changes
DPIIT recognition benefits
DPIIT-recognised startups (incorporated within 10 years, turnover up to ₹200 crore) get self-certification under several labour and environment laws, faster patent examination with fee rebates, public procurement relaxations and eligibility for the 80-IAC tax holiday if incorporated before 1 April 2030.
