Company Registration Cost and Fees in India: Year 1 and Every Year After

Company Registration fees at a glance

The government fee to register a Private Limited Company or One Person Company is ₹0 when authorised capital is up to ₹15 lakh. What you actually pay the government is the ₹1,000 name fee, state stamp duty, about ₹131 for PAN and TAN, and a Digital Signature Certificate for each signatory. An LLP pays about ₹750 in MCA fees at ₹1 lakh contribution, plus stamp duty on its LLP Agreement.

Structure	Government fees (example)	Then, every year
PVT. LTD.	MCA fee ₹0 up to ₹15 lakh capital + ₹1,000 name fee + stamp duty (Maharashtra: 0.3% on the AoA, about ₹300 at ₹1 lakh capital) + PAN/TAN about ₹131 + 2 DSCs. Delhi example at ₹1 lakh capital: about ₹1,481 plus DSCs.	Statutory audit, AOC-4, MGT-7A or MGT-7, income tax return, even with zero sales
LLP	RUN-LLP ₹200 + FiLLiP ₹500 + Form 3 ₹50 = about ₹750 at ₹1 lakh contribution, + stamp duty on the LLP Agreement (Maharashtra: 1% of cash contribution, minimum ₹500) + 2 DSCs	Form 11 and Form 8; audit only above ₹40 lakh turnover or ₹25 lakh contribution
OPC	Same as a PVT. LTD.: MCA fee ₹0 up to ₹15 lakh capital + ₹1,000 name fee + state stamp duty + PAN/TAN + DSC	Statutory audit, AOC-4, MGT-7A, income tax return; no AGM

DSCs and professional fees are market-priced and not fixed by law. Figures are as of November 2026; the MCA portal shows the exact amount before you pay. The full line-by-line chart is in the government fees chart.

Company Registration at ₹999 or ₹9,999: what is left out?

If the government fee can be close to ₹0, why is ₹999 or ₹9,999 still not the price of a company? Because a company is not finished when the certificate arrives. Registration properly done for a two-director PVT. LTD. ends with 18 documents and Registrations, and the last five are the ones low-price offers most often leave out.

Item	Often in a ₹999-type offer?	Needed anyway?
Government fees and stamp duty	Usually charged extra, "at actuals"	Yes
DSCs for directors	Often priced separately	Yes, one per signatory
SPICe+ filing, MoA and AoA	Yes	Yes
First auditor appointment	Often extra	Yes, within 30 days
Share Certificates and their stamp duty	Often extra	Yes, within 2 months
Form INC-20A	Often extra	Yes, within 180 days (₹50,000 penalty if missed)
Audit and annual ROC filings	Not included; sometimes recovered through a yearly contract	Every year, even with zero sales

So the honest question is not only "how much is Registration?" but "how much will this company cost me every year?" Think First. Register Later. Build Better.

Company Registration cost in India is really two numbers: what you pay once to register the company, and what the company costs every year after, even in a year with no sales. Most advertisements show only the first number. This guide explains both, so you can compare offers honestly.

The one-time cost has four parts: government fees (often small — the MCA charges no incorporation fee when authorised capital is up to ₹15 lakh), third-party costs such as Digital Signature Certificates, professional fees (set freely by whoever does the work), and the post-incorporation work every company must complete. Only the government fees are fixed by law. Figures here are as of October 2026 and can change, so confirm them on the MCA portal before you file. For the step-by-step process, read Private Limited Company Registration in India.

Registration cost vs the cost of owning a company

Think of Company Registration as a flight ticket and running the company as the holiday. The ticket gets you there once; the holiday is where most of the money is spent. A Private Limited Company has to keep accounts, get them audited, file with the ROC and file tax returns every year — whether or not it earns anything.

Year 1: one-time	Every year after
Government fees and state stamp duty	Bookkeeping and statutory audit
Digital Signature Certificates	Board meetings and AGM
Professional fees for SPICe+, MoA and AoA	AOC-4 and MGT-7A or MGT-7 with the ROC
First auditor, share certificates and their stamp duty, INC-20A	Income tax return; GST returns once registered, even with zero sales
Bank account documentation	DIR-3 KYC once every three years; state professional tax

So the useful question is not only "how much does Registration cost?" but "how much will this company cost me every year?" Read Annual compliance cost of a Private Limited Company and LLP before you decide.

Private Limited Company Registration fees in India: compare the full quote

When comparing PVT. LTD. Company Registration fees in India, ask for an itemised quote showing the registered office state, authorised capital, number of signatories and exact scope. Compare government charges and professional fees separately; a single advertised price does not show whether digital signatures or post-incorporation work are included.

• One-time incorporation: identify government charges, stamp duty, DSCs and professional preparation and filing fees.
• Work after incorporation: ask whether the first auditor, share certificates, INC-20A and bank account documentation are included. The full list of 18 items is in Private Limited Company Registration: the 18 documents and Registrations.
• Recurring annual costs: obtain a separate quote for accounting, audit, ROC filings and applicable tax returns.

For the detailed statutory breakdown, use the government fees chart. For location-specific requirements, use the Company Registration city and state guides across India.

How much does it cost to register a company in India?

Layer	What it covers	Who decides the amount
1. Government and statutory fees	MCA fees, state stamp duty on the MoA and AoA, PAN and TAN charges, name reservation fee	Law and state stamp rules
2. Third-party costs	Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs), notarisation or apostille for foreign documents, courier	The market (certifying authorities, notaries)
3. Professional fees	Preparing and filing SPICe+, drafting the MoA and AoA, handling queries from the Registrar	The professional you choose
4. First-year compliance	Statutory audit, annual filings, INC-20A, DIR-3 KYC, income tax return, bookkeeping	Partly law (filing fees), mostly professional fees

The first three together are the "Company Registration Process and Cost" most people compare. The fourth is often left out of advertisements, but it is not optional.

Company registration charges: government fees and other costs

Company Registration fees and charges paid to the government are modest for a small company:

• MCA fee for SPICe+ (the single online incorporation form, short for "Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company Electronically Plus"): nil when authorised capital — the maximum share capital the company may issue — is up to ₹15 lakh. Above that, the fee rises with capital.
• Name reservation: a separately submitted SPICe+ Part A name application carries a ₹1,000 fee. This is an application fee, not ₹1,000 for each alternative name.
• Stamp duty on the Memorandum and Articles of Association (MoA and AoA): set by the state of the registered office, and in many states linked to authorised capital. It is calculated and paid online through SPICe+.
• PAN and TAN of the company: small fixed charges collected through SPICe+.

In other words, for a typical two-founder company with ₹1 lakh or ₹10 lakh authorised capital, the government's share is usually stamp duty, the ₹1,000 name fee and a small PAN/TAN charge. That is why the statutory part of Registration can genuinely be low — and why the yearly cost matters more.

Worked example: Private Limited Company Registration cost in Maharashtra

Here is how the government part works out for a two-director Private Limited Company with its registered office in Maharashtra, using the rates explained in the Company Registration in Mumbai guide:

Item	Authorised capital ₹1 lakh	Authorised capital ₹10 lakh
MCA fee for SPICe+	Nil	Nil
Name reservation (if SPICe+ Part A is filed separately)	₹1,000	₹1,000
Stamp duty on the AoA (0.3% of share capital)	About ₹300	About ₹3,000
Stamp duty on the MoA	Small fixed amount	Small fixed amount
PAN and TAN	Small fixed charges	Small fixed charges
DSCs for two directors	Market price per DSC	Market price per DSC

The difference between the two columns is almost entirely stamp duty, which is why authorised capital is worth deciding carefully. Professional fees and first-year compliance come on top of both. Other states have their own stamp duty rates, so the same company costs a different amount elsewhere. SPICe+ calculates the exact figures when you file.

What third-party costs should you expect?

A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is an electronic signature on a USB token. Every proposed director and subscriber signs the incorporation forms with a Class 3 DSC. DSCs are issued by certifying authorities licensed by the Controller of Certifying Authorities, and their price depends on the provider and the validity period. A founder who already has a valid Class 3 DSC can reuse it.

If a director or shareholder is a foreign national or an NRI, their identity and address documents usually need to be notarised or apostilled abroad, which adds cost and time. See our post on NRI and foreign national directors.

What do Company Registration consultant fees cover?

You are allowed to file SPICe+ yourself on the MCA portal. However, Section 7 of the Companies Act needs a declaration by a professional engaged in forming the company — an advocate, or a Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant or Company Secretary in practice — and that declaration is part of SPICe+. Most founders therefore hire someone. The professional fee typically pays for:

• checking the name against existing companies, LLPs and trademarks;
• drafting the MoA (objects of the company) and AoA (internal rules);
• filling SPICe+ and its linked forms (e-MoA, e-AoA, AGILE-PRO-S for EPFO, ESIC, bank account and, optionally, GST), and certifying them;
• answering resubmission queries from the Registrar.

There is no official rate. Fees vary with the professional's experience, city and what is included. When comparing, compare the scope, not just the headline figure — our post on Registration packages and pricing lists the questions to ask.

What does a company cost in its first year after Registration?

This is the part most low-price Registration offers do not mention. A Private Limited Company has these obligations from day one, whatever its turnover:

Item	When	Cost driver
Appointment of first auditor by the board	Within 30 days of incorporation	Audit fee for the year
Share certificates (with stamp duty on issue of shares)	Within 2 months of incorporation	State stamp duty; preparation
Form INC-20A (declaration of commencement of business)	Within 180 days of incorporation	MCA filing fee; professional fee
Board meetings and minutes	First within 30 days, then through the year	Your time, or a professional's
Bookkeeping and statutory audit	Every year	Accountant and auditor fees
AOC-4 (financial statements) and MGT-7A or MGT-7 (annual return)	Within 30 and 60 days of the AGM	MCA filing fee; professional fee
Income tax return	Every year, by the due date for companies	Professional fee
DIR-3 KYC of each director	Once every three financial years, by 30 June	Late fee if missed

Missing these is expensive. A late INC-20A can lead to a penalty of ₹50,000 on the company, and late annual forms attract additional fees of ₹100 per day per form under the company rules. The audit is compulsory for every company, even one with zero sales. So the honest answer to "how much does a company cost?" includes at least one year of accounting, audit and filing — often more than the Registration itself. The Life after Registration lessons explain each filing.

Why do ₹999-type offers often cost more in the end?

Very low advertised prices are not necessarily dishonest, but they usually leave things out. Common exclusions are:

• Government fees and stamp duty — charged "at actuals" on top.
• DSCs — priced separately per director.
• Authorised capital limits — the price may assume ₹1 lakh capital; higher capital means more stamp duty.
• State limits — some states have higher stamp duty, so the offer may apply only to certain states.
• Post-Registration items — share certificates, INC-20A, auditor appointment and bank account help are often extra.
• Bundled annual compliance — a low Registration fee is sometimes recovered through a fixed yearly compliance contract.

Ask for a written list of what is included and excluded before you pay. Cheap is fine if the scope is clear; cheap with surprises is not.

How does the cost differ for an LLP or OPC?

An LLP is registered through FiLLiP, with fees based on the partners' contribution, starting at ₹500 for a contribution up to ₹1 lakh, plus a stamped LLP agreement filed in Form 3. Its yearly compliance is usually lighter because an LLP needs an audit only above certain turnover or contribution limits, but Form 11 and Form 8 are due every year. See LLP Registration in India: Process, Documents and Cost. A One Person Company uses SPICe+ like a PVT. LTD. and has similar costs, with a few compliance relaxations — the OPC lessons cover them. If you are still choosing, the PVT. LTD. vs LLP vs OPC guide compares all three.

How can you keep Company Registration charges low?

• Keep authorised capital at or below ₹15 lakh unless you truly need more.
• Use SPICe+ Part A for a new Company name. Decide whether to reserve separately or file with Part B after checking the current instructions and charges.
• Get documents right the first time — clean address proofs and matching names avoid resubmissions.
• Budget for the first year's audit and filings at the start, not when they fall due.
• Choose the structure that fits your plans; a PVT. LTD. you do not need costs more each year. The Before you register lessons help you decide.

Company formation cost: compare the same scope

The cost of incorporating a company is not necessarily the advertised professional fee. Company formation charges and company incorporation fees may be used for different combinations of government charges, stamp duty, signatures and professional work. Ask for a written breakdown before comparing the cost of company registration in India.

For a Private Limited Company registration cost in India, identify the authorised capital and registered-office state first. A quote for PVT. LTD. company registration charges should distinguish one-time formation costs from banking assistance and annual maintenance. The cost of registering a company in India also needs to be compared with the cost of keeping that structure compliant.

Company registration me kitna paisa lagta hai?

कंपनी रजिस्ट्रेशन फीस में सरकारी शुल्क, राज्य की स्टाम्प ड्यूटी, डिजिटल सिग्नेचर और पेशेवर शुल्क अलग-अलग समझें। प्राइवेट लिमिटेड कंपनी पंजीकरण शुल्क की तुलना करते समय पहले साल और हर साल के अनुपालन का खर्च भी पूछें।

Key takeaways

• Company Registration cost is two numbers: the one-time cost to register, and the yearly cost of running the company.
• The one-time cost has government fees, third-party costs, professional fees and post-incorporation work.
• There is no MCA incorporation fee up to ₹15 lakh authorised capital; stamp duty varies by state.
• Every PVT. LTD. needs an audit and annual filings from year one, whatever its turnover.
• Very low offers usually exclude government fees, DSCs or post-Registration work — ask what is left out, and what the company will cost every year.