New Company Registration Checklist — All Licences and Registrations After Incorporation

Incorporating a company is just the first step — after receiving the Certificate of Incorporation (COI), a new company needs to obtain multiple registrations, licences and compliances before it can legally operate. Missing any of these can lead to penalties and operational disruptions. Here is the complete post-incorporation compliance checklist for new companies in India.

Immediate Post-Incorporation (Within 30 Days)

• PAN (Permanent Account Number): Applied automatically during SPICe+ incorporation — verify receipt and correctness
• TAN (Tax Deduction Account Number): Also applied through SPICe+ — required for deducting TDS on salary, rent, professional fees
• Bank Current Account: Open with a scheduled bank — requires COI, MOA/AOA, PAN, board resolution, directors' KYC (Aadhaar + PAN), address proof
• Registered Office: File Form INC-22 within 30 days if the registered office address was not provided at incorporation
• First Board Meeting: Within 30 days of incorporation — appoint auditor, note registered office, adopt bank account resolution, issue share certificates

GST Registration

• Mandatory if turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh in special category states), or for specific taxable activities
• Voluntary registration is beneficial for B2B businesses claiming ITC
• Apply on gst.gov.in — approve within 7 working days for Aadhaar-authenticated applications

Professional Tax Registration (Kerala)

• Register with local body (Panchayat/Municipality/Corporation) for Employer PT deduction and remittance
• Also register for own Professional Tax (PTEC — for the company as an entity)

PF and ESIC Registration

• EPFO registration: When employee count reaches 20
• ESIC registration: When employee count reaches 10
• Can voluntarily register even with fewer employees

Other Registrations (As Applicable)

• MSME Udyam Registration: If turnover/investment qualifies — free, beneficial, get immediately
• Trade Licence: From local body (Panchayat/Municipality) — for the business premises
• FSSAI Licence: If dealing in food products
• Import Export Code (IEC): From DGFT — if planning to import or export goods/services
• Trademark Registration: File immediately to protect brand name and logo
• KPCB Consent: If manufacturing or potentially polluting activities
• Shops and Establishments Registration: Under Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act — for offices and commercial establishments

First Year Annual Compliance Deadlines

• File GST returns monthly (GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B)
• File TDS returns quarterly (26Q, 24Q as applicable)
• Hold First Annual General Meeting (AGM) within 9 months of first financial year end
• File AOC-4 (financial statements) and MGT-7 (annual return) with ROC after AGM
• File Income Tax Return (ITR-6 for companies) by October 31

Conclusion

A new company has dozens of registrations and compliance requirements in its first year — getting all of them right from the start saves significant time and penalty costs. SPOTON provides end-to-end new company setup services in Kerala including incorporation, all post-registration compliance and ongoing statutory filings. Contact us for comprehensive new business setup services.