Startup Compliance Calendar: Every Filing in Your First Two Years

If you launched a startup in FY 2025-26 or are launching one in FY 2026-27, here is the practical bottom line: you will need to file returns for GST, TDS, income tax, and ROC every single year — and some of these are monthly. Missing them is not a "pay a small fine and move on" situation. Penalties compound, directors can be disqualified, and GST registrations can be cancelled. This calendar covers every major filing for a private limited company in its first two years, with exact due dates, rupee-level penalties, and a worked example so you know what the numbers actually look like.

Your Legal Structure Determines Your Compliance Load

Before listing dates, understand this: a private limited company (Pvt Ltd) has the heaviest filing load. An LLP is lighter. A sole proprietorship has the lightest. Most funded startups are Pvt Ltd, so this calendar focuses there — but the GST and TDS sections apply to all structures.

• Pvt Ltd: ROC filings, board meeting minutes, statutory audit, income tax return, GST, TDS.
• LLP: LLP annual return, statement of accounts, income tax return, GST, TDS.
• Sole Proprietorship: Income tax return, GST, TDS (if applicable).

Month-by-Month Startup Compliance Calendar (FY 2026-27)

The table below covers the core filings. Due dates assume a Pvt Ltd company with GST registration and at least one salaried employee.

The First 6 Months: One-Time Filings You Cannot Ignore

Most founders miss these because they are not recurring and no one sends you a reminder:

1. INC-20A — Declaration of commencement of business. File within 180 days of incorporation. Without this, your company legally cannot borrow money or exercise borrowing powers. Penalty is steep: ₹50,000 on the company and ₹1,000 per day on every officer in default.
2. GST Registration — Mandatory once turnover crosses ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh in special category states). If you are selling to other businesses and want your customers to claim input tax credit, register voluntarily from Day 1 even below the threshold.
3. TAN Registration — Required before you pay any salary or make any payment attracting TDS. Apply on the NSDL portal. There is no prescribed time limit, but you need it before the first TDS payment.
4. Shops and Establishments Registration — State-level requirement. Most states require this within 30 days of opening. Penalties vary by state.
5. Professional Tax Registration — Required in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal. Register and pay monthly or annually as the state prescribes.

Worked Example: TDS on a ₹12,00,000 Salary Package

Say your startup hires its first employee in April 2026 at a CTC of ₹12,00,000 per year (₹1,00,000 per month). The employee opts for the new tax regime. Here is what your TDS obligation looks like:

• Gross salary: ₹12,00,000
• Standard deduction (new regime): ₹75,000
• Net taxable income: ₹11,25,000
• Tax on ₹11,25,000 (new regime slabs FY 2026-27): Nil on first ₹4,00,000 + 5% on ₹4,00,001–₹8,00,000 (= ₹20,000) + 10% on ₹8,00,001–₹11,25,000 (= ₹32,500) = ₹52,500 total tax
• Add 4% cess: ₹52,500 × 1.04 = ₹54,600 annual TDS
• Monthly TDS to deduct: ₹54,600 ÷ 12 = ₹4,550 per month

You must deposit ₹4,550 by the 7th of the following month and file Form 24Q quarterly. If you deposit even one day late, interest of 1.5% per month accrues from the date of deduction. On ₹4,550, that is about ₹68 per month — small, but the 234E penalty of ₹200 per day for a late quarterly return can quickly exceed the TDS itself.

ROC Filings: What a Private Limited Company Must Do Every Year

The Companies Act imposes a strict annual cycle even if your company has zero turnover:

• Hold at least 4 board meetings per year, with not more than 120 days between any two meetings.
• Hold your AGM within 6 months of the financial year end (i.e., by 30 September).
• Get your accounts statutorily audited by a Chartered Accountant — mandatory for every Pvt Ltd company regardless of turnover.
• File AOC-4 (financials) within 30 days of AGM and MGT-7A (annual return) within 60 days of AGM.

A startup with zero revenue still pays a CA for a statutory audit and still files AOC-4 and MGT-7A. Budget at least ₹15,000–₹25,000 per year for this even at the small-company level.

Common Mistakes Founders Make With Compliance

• Treating INC-20A as optional: Many founders think commencement of business is automatic. It is not. A company that skips INC-20A can be struck off the register under Section 248 of the Companies Act.
• Confusing TDS deposit date with TDS return date: The deposit is monthly (7th of next month). The return is quarterly. Missing the deposit attracts interest; missing the return attracts the brutal ₹200/day fee under Section 234E.
• Not filing GSTR-1 because there were no sales: A nil GSTR-1 must still be filed. The ₹20/day penalty on a nil return is low, but if you miss six months across two employees and a year, it adds up and your customers cannot see your invoices on the portal.
• Skipping DIR-3 KYC: Directors must complete KYC every year by 30 September. Miss it and your DIN is deactivated. You cannot sign any ROC form — including the annual return — until you pay ₹5,000 to reactivate it.
• Assuming DPIIT recognition exempts you from all filings: DPIIT Startup India recognition gives you tax benefits under Section 80-IAC and exemptions from angel tax — it does not exempt you from GST, TDS, ROC filings, or statutory audit.

How to Actually Stay on Top of This

The single most practical thing you can do is build a shared Google Calendar with every due date listed above and set reminders 10 days in advance. Pair that with a Compliance Checkup at the start of each financial year to catch anything that has slipped. For most seed-stage startups, the realistic annual compliance cost runs between ₹40,000 and ₹1,20,000 depending on the number of employees, GST transactions, and whether you need a tax audit — budgeting for this upfront is far cheaper than paying penalties and professional fees to clean up a backlog.

Frequently asked questions

What is the penalty for not filing INC-20A for a new company?

The company faces a penalty of ₹50,000, and every officer in default (typically directors) faces ₹1,000 per day for every day the default continues. More seriously, a company that has not filed INC-20A and has not commenced business within two years of incorporation can be struck off by the Registrar of Companies under Section 248 of the Companies Act, 2013.

Does a startup with zero revenue still need to file GST returns?

Yes, if you are GST-registered. You must file nil returns for every period in which you had no transactions — both GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B. The penalty for a nil return is lower (₹20 per day instead of ₹50 per day) but it still accrues. Persistent non-filing can lead to cancellation of your GST registration, which is painful to reverse.

Is a statutory audit compulsory for a private limited company even if turnover is zero?

Yes. The Companies Act, 2013 makes statutory audit mandatory for every private limited company regardless of turnover or age. You must appoint a Chartered Accountant as auditor within 30 days of incorporation (or at the first AGM), get your accounts audited, and file the audited financials with the ROC every year. There is no minimum turnover threshold for this requirement.

What is the QRMP scheme and should a new startup use it?

QRMP (Quarterly Return Monthly Payment) is a GST scheme for taxpayers with annual turnover up to ₹5 crore. Under QRMP, you file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B quarterly instead of monthly, but you still pay tax monthly through a fixed-sum or self-assessed payment. For a new startup with low and irregular sales, QRMP can reduce paperwork significantly. However, if your B2B customers need your invoices reflected on the portal quickly for their input tax credit, monthly filing may be better for your business relationships.

General information for FY 2026-27, not professional advice for your specific case. Rules change — verify against the latest notification or ask a KyaTax expert.
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