How-to guides and checklists
Step-by-step processes and document checklists for common company, tax and IP tasks.
Convert a Sole Proprietorship to a Private Limited Company
There is no direct legal conversion. You incorporate a new private limited company with the proprietor as a shareholder and director, then transfer the business…
How-toDocuments for GST Registration: Complete Checklist
GST registration in Form REG-01 needs the business PAN, Aadhaar and photos of the proprietor, partners or directors, proof of the principal place of business wi…
How-toDocuments for LLP Registration in India: Checklist
LLP registration needs PAN and an address proof for every partner, a passport for foreign partners, a utility bill under two months old for the office and Class…
How-toDocuments for Private Limited Company Registration
To register a private limited company you need, for each director and subscriber, PAN, Aadhaar or passport, a recent address proof and photograph, plus a utilit…
How-toDocuments for Trademark Filing in India
To file a trademark in India you need the mark itself (word or logo image), the applicant's name, address and nationality, the class and description of goods or…
How-toHow to Add a Director to a Private Limited Company
To add a director, confirm the AoA allows it, get the person's DIN, DIR-2 consent and DIR-8 non-disqualification declaration, then pass a board resolution appoi…
How-toHow to Allot Shares After Incorporation: PAS-3 Guide
To allot more shares, confirm authorised capital, then choose a rights issue to existing holders under section 62 or a private placement under section 42 with a…
How-toHow to Apply for DPIIT Startup Recognition (2026)
Apply for DPIIT recognition through the National Single Window System at no cost. Your company, LLP, registered partnership or cooperative society must be up to…
How-toHow to Apply for the Startup Tax Holiday (IMB Certificate)
An eligible startup can deduct 100% of profits for any three consecutive years out of its first ten. The provision is now section 140 of the Income-tax Act 2025…
How-toHow to Appoint an Auditor for a Private Company
The board appoints the first auditor within 30 days of incorporation; if it fails, shareholders do so within 90 days. The first auditor holds office until the f…
How-toHow to Change a Company Name: Steps and Forms
To change a company's name, reserve the new name through RUN with the ₹1,000 fee, hold a board meeting, pass a special resolution of shareholders, then file MGT…
How-toHow to Change a Company's Registered Office in India
The route depends on distance. Within the same city or town, a board resolution and INC-22 within 30 days suffice. Moving outside local limits but under the sam…
How-toHow to Choose and Check a Company Name in India
Pick a distinctive name that is not identical or too similar to an existing company, LLP or registered trademark, and avoid restricted words without approvals. …
How-toHow to Claim a GST Refund on Exports
Exporters claim GST refunds in one of two ways. If you paid IGST on exported goods, the shipping bill is treated as the refund application once GSTR-1 and GSTR-…
How-toHow to Close a Private Limited Company (Strike Off)
To close a dormant private company voluntarily, stop business, settle all liabilities, close bank accounts and file overdue financial statements and annual retu…
How-toHow to Close an LLP in India (Form 24 Strike Off)
An LLP that has not carried on business for at least a year, or never started, can close by filing Form 24 with the registrar. First clear all liabilities, clos…
How-toHow to Convert a Partnership Firm into an LLP
To convert a firm into an LLP under section 55 of the LLP Act, all partners must become partners of the LLP. Reserve the name through RUN-LLP, then file FiLLiP …
How-toHow to Convert an LLP into a Private Limited Company
An LLP converts into a private limited company under section 366 of the Companies Act. You need at least two partners, approval of the partners, a name reservat…
How-toHow to Draft a Founders' Agreement: Key Clauses
A founders' agreement records how co-founders share equity, how that equity vests, who does what, who owns the IP, how decisions are made and what happens when …
How-toHow to File a GST Return: GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B Steps
Report outward supplies in GSTR-1 by the 11th of the next month (or quarterly with IFF under QRMP), review inward invoices in the Invoice Management System, the…
How-toHow to File an LUT for Exports Under GST (RFD-11)
File a Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 on the GST portal before your first export of the financial year. It lets you export goods or services, or suppl…
How-toHow to File DIR-3 KYC Under the Three-Year Rule
Every DIN holder now files DIR-3 KYC Web once every three consecutive financial years, by 30 June of the relevant year, under amendments effective 31 March 2026…
How-toHow to File FC-GPR on the RBI FIRMS Portal
File FC-GPR on the RBI FIRMS portal within 30 days of issuing shares or convertible instruments to a non-resident. Register the entity and a business user, then…
How-toHow to Get an Import Export Code (IEC) in India
Apply for an IEC online on the DGFT portal in Form ANF-2A, using the entity's PAN, the signatory's Aadhaar, proof of business address and proof of a bank accoun…
How-toHow to Get Udyam (MSME) Registration in India
Udyam registration is free and done online on the official Udyam portal using the Aadhaar of the proprietor, managing partner or authorised signatory, and the e…
How-toHow to Hold a Board Meeting: Notice, Quorum, Minutes
Send written notice with the agenda to every director at least seven days before the meeting. Quorum is one-third of the total strength or two directors, whiche…
How-toHow to Hold an AGM for a Private Company
A private company must hold its AGM within six months of the financial year end, so by 30 September, and within 15 months of the last AGM. The first AGM can be …
How-toHow to Increase Authorised Capital of a Company
To increase authorised capital, confirm the AoA permits it, hold a board meeting to call a general meeting, and pass an ordinary resolution of shareholders (a s…
How-toHow to Issue ESOPs in a Private Company in India
To issue ESOPs, draft a scheme, get board approval and pass a special resolution of shareholders with the disclosures in Rule 12, then file MGT-14 within 30 day…
How-toHow to Issue Sweat Equity Shares in a Private Company
Issue sweat equity by passing a special resolution under section 54 stating the number of shares, price, consideration and recipients, backed by a registered va…
How-toHow to Maintain Statutory Registers for a Company
Every company must maintain statutory registers at its registered office, including the register of members in MGT-1, directors and KMP, charges in CHG-7, loans…
How-toHow to Make Your Company's Books Audit-Ready
Audit-ready books are complete, reconciled and supported. Use accounting software with an audit trail that cannot be switched off, back it up daily on servers i…
How-toHow to Open a Current Account for a New Company
Open a current account by giving the bank the certificate of incorporation, PAN, MoA and AoA, a board resolution naming signatories, and KYC of directors and au…
How-toHow to Protect Your Brand Name Before Launch
Before launch, search the trademark register and MCA records, then file a trademark application for the brand name and logo in your key classes on a 'proposed t…
How-toHow to Raise a GST-Compliant Invoice in India
A GST tax invoice must show the supplier's name, address and GSTIN, a unique serial number of up to 16 characters, date, buyer details and GSTIN for B2B, HSN or…
How-toHow to Raise a Seed Round: Compliance Checklist
A compliant seed round runs in four phases: sign a term sheet, clear due diligence, execute the share subscription and shareholders' agreements, then issue shar…
How-toHow to Recover Dues from a Client: Notice to MSME Samadhaan
Start with documented reminders and a statement of account, then send a legal notice demanding payment with interest. Micro and small enterprises registered on …
How-toHow to Register a Trademark in India: Step by Step
Search the trademark register, choose the right class, and file Form TM-A online for ₹4,500 per class (individuals, startups and small enterprises) or ₹9,000. T…
How-toHow to Register for Professional Tax as an Employer
Professional tax is a state tax on employment and professions, capped at ₹2,500 per person per year. In states that levy it, an employer obtains a registration …
How-toHow to Remove a Director or Accept Resignation
A director resigns by written notice; the board notes it and the company files DIR-12 within 30 days. The director may also file DIR-11 directly. To remove a di…
How-toHow to Reply to a GST Notice: Step-by-Step Guide
First identify the notice form and section, note the reply deadline and download it from the GST portal. Reconcile the data the officer relies on, gather invoic…
How-toHow to Reply to an Income Tax Notice in India
Log in to the income tax e-filing portal, open e-Proceedings and confirm the notice is genuine using its DIN. Identify the type, the tax year and whether it is …
How-toHow to Respond to a Trademark Objection in India
Download the examination report from IP India, identify whether the objection is on absolute grounds under section 9 or relative grounds under section 11, and f…
How-toHow to Revive a Struck-Off Company (Section 252)
A company struck off by the ROC can be restored only by an NCLT order under section 252. An aggrieved person can appeal within three years of the dissolution or…
How-toHow to Send a Legal Notice in India
A legal notice is a formal written demand, usually sent through an advocate, that states the facts, the legal basis, the relief sought and a deadline to comply.…
How-toHow to Set Up an Indian Subsidiary of a Foreign Company
A foreign company sets up an Indian subsidiary by incorporating a private limited company through SPICe+, with at least two shareholders (usually the parent and…
How-toHow to Transfer Shares in a Private Limited Company
To transfer shares in a private company, check the AoA for pre-emption and board approval rights, agree a price backed by valuation, and execute Form SH-4 with …
How-toMonthly Compliance Checklist for Indian Companies
Each month, deposit TDS by the 7th, file GSTR-1 by the 11th (or use IFF if on QRMP), pay PF and ESI contributions by the 15th, and file GSTR-3B by the 20th, or …
How-toOnboarding Your First Employee: EPF, ESIC, PT and TDS
Before the first salary, issue an appointment letter, get a TAN and deduct TDS on salary, and register for professional tax in states that levy it. EPF becomes …
How-toYear-End Closing Checklist for Startups in India
Close the books at 31 March by reconciling bank, GST and TDS records, recording accruals and provisions, verifying fixed assets and confirming balances with cus…