OPC Registration cost in India: government fees and yearly costs

The government cost of OPC Registration in India is low: the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) charges no SPICe+ filing fee when the authorised capital of a One Person Company is up to ₹15 lakh, so you mainly pay state stamp duty, a ₹1,000 name reservation fee, small PAN and TAN charges and a Digital Signature Certificate. The bigger cost comes every year after Registration, because an OPC must be audited and must file annual returns even if it earns nothing.

A One Person Company (OPC) is a company with a single shareholder, called the member. It is registered online through the same SPICe+ form as a Private Limited Company, so its cost structure is very similar. This post separates what the law fixes from what the market decides, and then shows the yearly costs that most "OPC Registration cost" searches never mention. For the full process, read the OPC Registration step-by-step guide. Figures are as of October 2026; confirm them on the MCA portal before you file.

What are the government fees for OPC Registration?

Item	Government cost	Notes
SPICe+ filing fee (incorporation)	Nil for authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh	Above ₹15 lakh, the fee is worked out from the MCA fee schedule and rises with capital
Name reservation in SPICe+ Part A	₹1,000 per name applied for	An approved name is held for 20 days; extensions cost extra
Stamp duty on the MoA and AoA	Set by the state of the registered office	In many states it depends on authorised capital; it is paid online through SPICe+
PAN and TAN of the company	Small fixed charges	Collected in the same SPICe+ payment
Director Identification Number (DIN)	No separate fee when allotted through SPICe+	A director who already has a DIN reuses it

Two terms need explaining. Authorised capital is the maximum share capital the company is allowed to issue; it is not money you must deposit. MoA and AoA are the Memorandum of Association (what the company will do) and the Articles of Association (its internal rules). The MCA's own SPICe+ guide confirms that companies with authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh "continue to enjoy 'Zero Filing Fee'", while stamp duty remains payable to the state.

How does stamp duty change the OPC Registration cost?

Stamp duty is usually the largest government item. Each state sets its own rates, and many charge a fixed amount on the MoA plus an amount on the AoA linked to authorised capital, often with a cap. That is why the same OPC can cost noticeably more to register in one state than in another. The SPICe+ form calculates the exact duty from the state and capital you enter, and the MCA portal has a fee calculator you can use before filing.

The city guides on this site explain local stamp duty in more detail, for example Company Registration in Mumbai and Company Registration in Delhi. Stamp duty is also payable later, when share certificates are issued.

What other costs come with OPC Registration?

• Digital Signature Certificate (DSC). A Class 3 DSC is an electronic signature on a USB token. The member and each director need one to sign the forms. It is bought from a licensed certifying authority at market price, usually with a validity of one to three years. If you already hold a valid Class 3 DSC, you can use it.
• Nominee documents. Every OPC must name a nominee, who gives consent in Form INC-3 with their PAN and address proof. There is no government fee for this, but it is compulsory.
• Notarisation or apostille. An NRI member living abroad usually has to get identity and address documents attested in that country.
• Professional certification. SPICe+ includes a declaration and certification by a professional in practice (a Company Secretary, Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant, and for the legal declaration an advocate also qualifies). Their fee is set by them, not by law. See Can you register a company yourself without a CA or CS?

What does an OPC cost every year after Registration?

This is where an OPC costs more than a sole proprietorship. An OPC is a company under the Companies Act, 2013, so these items apply from the first year, whatever the turnover:

Yearly item	When it is due	What drives the cost
Bookkeeping	All year	Your accountant or your own time
Statutory audit by a Chartered Accountant	Every year; no turnover exemption	Auditor's fee
Form AOC-4 (financial statements)	Within 180 days from the end of the financial year	MCA filing fee by nominal capital, plus preparation
Form MGT-7A (annual return)	Within 60 days of the date the AGM would have been due (an OPC holds no AGM)	MCA filing fee by nominal capital, plus preparation
Income tax return of the company	By the due date for companies	Preparation fee
DIR-3 KYC of each director	Once every three financial years, by 30 June	Late fee if missed

The MCA's normal filing fee for forms such as AOC-4 and MGT-7A is graded by nominal share capital: ₹200 per form below ₹1 lakh, ₹300 from ₹1 lakh to under ₹5 lakh, ₹400 from ₹5 lakh to under ₹25 lakh, ₹500 from ₹25 lakh to under ₹1 crore and ₹600 at ₹1 crore or more. Late filing costs an additional ₹100 per day per form, so a missed deadline can quickly cost more than the Registration itself. The DIR-3 KYC moved from yearly to once every three years under amended rules notified on 31 December 2025.

What one-time costs come in the first six months?

• First auditor: the board appoints the first auditor within 30 days of incorporation.
• Share certificate: issued to the member within two months, with state stamp duty on the shares.
• Form INC-20A: the declaration that the member has paid for the shares, filed within 180 days of incorporation. Missing it can lead to a ₹50,000 penalty on the company and a daily penalty on officers.
• Bank account: no government fee, but banks may require a minimum balance.

Is OPC Registration cheaper than a PVT. LTD. or a proprietorship?

Structure	Government Registration cost	Yearly compliance load
Sole proprietorship	No incorporation; only the Registrations your business needs (GST, Udyam, shop licence)	Lowest; tax audit only above income tax limits
One Person Company	Stamp duty, name fee, PAN/TAN, DSC	Audit and MCA filings every year; no AGM; one board meeting in each half of the calendar year unless there is only one director
Private Limited Company	Similar to an OPC, with a DSC for each director and subscriber	Audit, AGM, board meetings and MCA filings every year

So an OPC costs about the same as a PVT. LTD. to register, with slightly lighter yearly formalities, and clearly more than a proprietorship. The OPC vs Sole Proprietorship and PVT. LTD. vs LLP vs OPC posts compare them in depth, and How much does Company Registration cost in India? explains every cost layer for companies generally.

How can you keep OPC costs honest and predictable?

• Choose authorised capital of ₹15 lakh or less unless you have a clear reason to go higher; it keeps the MCA fee at nil and stamp duty lower.
• Check the name on the MCA and trademark registers before paying ₹1,000 for name reservation, so it is not rejected.
• Keep PAN, Aadhaar and address details identical across documents to avoid resubmission.
• Budget the first year's audit and filings at the start, and ask any professional for a written list of what is included.
• Plan for change: an OPC can convert into a PVT. LTD. at any time when a co-founder or investor joins, and conversion has its own filings and stamp duty.

Key takeaways

• There is no MCA filing fee for OPC Registration when authorised capital is up to ₹15 lakh.
• You still pay state stamp duty, ₹1,000 per name reserved, small PAN and TAN charges and DSC costs.
• Every OPC needs a statutory audit, AOC-4, MGT-7A and an income tax return every year, even with zero turnover.
• Late MCA filings cost ₹100 per day per form, so deadlines matter more than the Registration fee.
• An OPC costs about the same as a PVT. LTD. to register and more than a proprietorship to run.