A complete compliance checklist for an Indian business — which registrations you need and at what threshold, what has to be filed monthly, quarterly and annually across GST, income tax, TDS, ROC and labour law, and what each failure costs.
Compliance obligations in India attach to thresholds — turnover, headcount, entity type, activity. This checklist works through them in that order, so you can establish what actually applies to you before worrying about dates.
Registrations — What You Need and When
| Registration | Trigger |
|---|---|
| Permanent account number | Every entity, on formation |
| Tax deduction and collection account number | Before making any payment on which tax must be deducted (s.397) |
| GST registration | Turnover above ₹40 lakh for goods or ₹20 lakh for services in most States, with lower limits in special category States. Mandatory regardless of turnover for inter-State supply of goods, e-commerce operators and certain others. |
| Provident fund | 20 or more employees |
| State insurance | 10 or more employees, for those within the wage ceiling |
| Professional tax | As notified by the State |
| Shops and establishments | Generally within 30 days of commencing operations, State-specific |
| Import export code | Any import or export |
| FSSAI registration or licence | Any food business |
| Udyam registration | Optional, but required to access MSME benefits and protections |
Inter-State supply removes the turnover threshold for goods. A business selling goods to another State must register for GST from the first rupee, not on crossing ₹40 lakh. This catches small online sellers routinely.
GST
- Issue tax invoices in a continuous series with the prescribed particulars.
- File the outward supply return monthly by the 11th, or quarterly under the QRMP scheme.
- File the summary return and pay tax by the 20th, or on the quarterly date applicable to your State.
- Reconcile input tax credit against the auto-populated inward statement every month.
- Comply with e-invoicing if your turnover exceeds the notified threshold.
- Generate e-way bills for consignments above the applicable value.
- File the annual return by 31 December, with the reconciliation statement where required.
- Renew the letter of undertaking before 1 April, if you export without paying tax.
Income Tax
- Pay advance tax in four instalments — 15 June, 15 September, 15 December and 15 March.
- Maintain books where section 62 requires it.
- Obtain a tax audit under section 63 where turnover exceeds ₹1 crore, or ₹10 crore where both cash tests are satisfied.
- Furnish the audit report one month before the return due date.
- File the return by 31 July, 31 October or 30 November, according to the table in section 263(1).
TDS and TCS
- Obtain a deduction and collection account number before the first deduction.
- Deduct at the rate in the section 393 table, checking the threshold for each payee.
- Deposit by the 7th of the following month, and by 30 April for tax deducted in March.
- File quarterly statements by 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May.
- Issue certificates — annually for salary, quarterly for other deductions.
- Collect tax at source under section 394 where it applies to your supplies.
ROC and MCA — Companies and LLPs
- Hold at least four board meetings, no more than 120 days apart.
- Hold the annual general meeting within six months of the year end.
- File AOC-4 within 30 days and MGT-7 or MGT-7A within 60 days of the AGM.
- File ADT-1 within 15 days of the AGM where an auditor is appointed.
- File DIR-3 KYC by 30 September for every director.
- File DPT-3 by 30 June.
- File MSME-1 half-yearly where dues to micro and small suppliers exceed 45 days.
- File event-based forms within 30 days of the event.
- For an LLP: Form 11 by 30 May and Form 8 by 30 October.
- Maintain statutory registers at the registered office.
Labour and Employment
- Deposit provident fund and state insurance contributions by the 15th.
- Pay at least the minimum wage notified by the State for each category.
- Constitute an internal complaints committee where there are ten or more employees, and file its annual report with the District Officer.
- Issue appointment letters and payslips.
- Pay statutory bonus within eight months of the accounting year end.
- Maintain the registers and file the annual returns each applicable Act requires.
- Keep gratuity nominations current.
What Failure Costs
| Failure | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Late GST return | Late fee per day, plus interest on tax paid late |
| Late TDS deposit | 1.5% per month, plus 30% disallowance of the expenditure |
| Late TDS statement | ₹200 per day, capped at the tax deductible |
| Late MCA filing | ₹100 per day per form, uncapped |
| Three years of MCA non-filing | Disqualification of every director for five years |
| Advance tax shortfall | 3% per instalment for the first three, 1% for the fourth (s.425) |
| Operating without a required registration | Penalty, and in some cases closure of the activity |
Related Guides
- Business Compliance Calendar 2026–27
- Business Compliance Guide for Indian Companies
- Annual Business Compliance Checklist
- ROC & MCA Compliance Calendar 2026–27
Key Facts About Business Compliance Checklist
- Applies in: All states across India, under the relevant central law.
- Mode: Mostly online via the official government portal.
- Typical timeline: Ranges from a few days to a few weeks depending on the case.
- Non-compliance: May attract penalties, interest or late fees.
- Expert help: TaxClue completes the entire process end to end for you.
At what turnover is GST registration required?
Generally ₹40 lakh for a supplier of goods and ₹20 lakh for services, with lower limits in special category States. But the threshold does not apply at all to inter-State supply of goods, to e-commerce operators, and to certain other categories, who must register from the first rupee.
When does provident fund registration become mandatory?
At 20 or more employees. State insurance applies at 10 or more employees for those within the wage ceiling. Both are headcount tests, not turnover tests.
Over 90% of compliance penalties in India arise from missed due dates — timely handling can save businesses thousands of rupees each year.
Business Compliance Checklist: a key compliance topic in Indian tax and corporate law that businesses and individuals must understand to remain compliant.