Nobody starts a company to do paperwork. But in a due diligence, your first year's records tell investors exactly how the business is run. Here is everything that comes due in year one, in roughly the order it arrives.
Right after incorporation
- Open the company bank account and deposit the subscription capital
- File the declaration of commencement of business with the ROC
- Appoint the first auditor within 30 days of incorporation
- Issue share certificates to founders
- Apply for DPIIT Startup India recognition if eligible, it unlocks tax benefits and schemes
As soon as you transact
- GST registration once you cross the threshold, sell across states, or your customers need GST invoices
- TDS deduction the moment you pay salaries, rent or professional fees above the limits, with monthly deposits and quarterly returns
- Professional tax and, as your team grows, PF and ESI registration
- Books of account from day one, not from the day the first investor asks
Month by month once running
- GST returns, monthly or quarterly depending on your scheme
- TDS deposits by the 7th of each month
- Payroll with payslips and statutory deductions
- A monthly close, so the numbers stay current instead of becoming archaeology
At year end
- Audited financial statements
- Annual ROC filings for financials and the annual return
- The company income tax return
- The annual general meeting and its minutes
The pattern behind the list
None of these is hard on its own. What hurts startups is that they arrive on different calendars from different authorities, and every miss quietly compounds into penalties and a messier diligence. The fix is one calendar, owned by one team.
That is what our startup registration and compliance service does: incorporation, DPIIT recognition, GST, TDS, ROC and clean books on a single calendar, with an AI dashboard showing your runway and burn on top.