✅

Founder’s master checklist

All 141 checklist items from the guide. Ticks are saved in this browser.

Part 1 · Choosing your structure

Chapter 1: Choosing the Right Business Structure

Write down owners, funding plans and hiring plans for three years
Decide whether limited liability is required
Compare current tax treatment with a Chartered Accountant
Choose the structure and record the reasons

Chapter 2: Private Limited Company

Confirm two directors, including one resident in India
Obtain digital signatures for all directors and subscribers
Reserve the company name
Finalise the MoA and AoA
File SPICe+ and receive the Certificate of Incorporation
Open the bank account, appoint the first auditor and file the commencement declaration

Chapter 3: Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

Confirm two designated partners, one resident in India
Obtain digital signatures for the designated partners
File FiLLiP and receive the LLPIN
Sign, stamp and file the LLP agreement (Form 3)
Diary the annual Form 8 and Form 11 filings

Chapter 4: One Person Company (OPC)

Confirm the member and nominee meet the eligibility rules
Obtain the nominee’s consent (INC-3)
Incorporate through SPICe+
Add OPC annual filings to the compliance calendar

Chapter 5: Partnership Firm

Draft and agree the partnership deed
Execute the deed on correctly stamped paper
Register with the State Registrar of Firms
Get the firm’s PAN and open a bank account

Chapter 6: Sole Proprietorship

Choose and check a trade name
Obtain the registrations your business needs
Open a current account in the business name

Chapter 7: Section 8 Company

Finalise charitable objects
Obtain the licence and incorporate
Apply for income-tax registration and donation approval
Register on NGO Darpan if seeking grants or CSR funds

Chapter 8: Startup / DPIIT Recognition

Confirm the current eligibility conditions
Create the Startup India profile
Submit the recognition application
List the benefits you will apply for separately

Part 2 · Setting up

Chapter 9: Choosing and Reserving a Company Name

Chapter 10: Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

Obtain DSCs for all directors or partners
Register DSCs on MCA, GST and Income Tax portals
Diary each DSC’s expiry date

Chapter 11: Director Identification Number (DIN)

Obtain a DIN for each director
Diary director KYC deadlines

Chapter 12: Incorporation: SPICe+ Step by Step

Collect documents and signatures
File SPICe+ with e-MoA, e-AoA and AGILE-PRO-S
Receive the Certificate of Incorporation, PAN and TAN
Open the bank account and deposit subscription money
Appoint the first auditor
File the commencement-of-business declaration (INC-20A)

Chapter 13: PAN and TAN

Obtain PAN for the entity
Obtain TAN before the first TDS deduction
Register on the Income Tax e-filing portal

Chapter 14: GST Registration

Confirm whether registration is compulsory
Choose regular or composition scheme
Apply in REG-01 and complete Aadhaar authentication
Display the registration certificate
Set up GST-compliant invoicing

Chapter 15: Udyam (MSME) Registration

Register on the official Udyam portal
Add the Udyam number to invoices
Review classification each year

Chapter 16: Professional Tax

Check whether each State you employ in levies professional tax
Enrol and register as an employer
Configure State slabs in payroll

Chapter 17: Opening a Business Bank Account

Pass the account-opening resolution
Open the current account
Configure maker-checker approval roles

Chapter 18: Payment Gateway and Collections

Select an RBI-authorised payment aggregator
Publish terms, privacy, refund and contact pages
Integrate and test payments and refunds
Set up monthly settlement reconciliation

Part 3 · Running the business

Chapter 19: Setting Up Your Accounting

Choose accounting software with an audit trail
Set up the chart of accounts
Create customer, vendor and item masters with tax codes
Record opening balances and founder contributions
Appoint the statutory auditor

Chapter 20: Bookkeeping Routine

Set a weekly entry routine
Reconcile bank, gateway and GSTR-2B monthly
Close the books each month

Chapter 21: TDS — Tax Deducted at Source

Obtain TAN
Map vendors and payments to TDS provisions
Set a monthly deposit reminder
File quarterly statements and issue certificates

Chapter 22: Income Tax for Businesses

Confirm the applicable tax rate or regime
Plan advance tax instalments
Check whether a tax audit applies
File the income-tax return on time

Chapter 23: MCA / ROC Annual Compliance

Chapter 24: GST Returns and Compliance

Confirm the return schedule
Reconcile purchases with GSTR-2B monthly
File returns and pay tax on time
Check whether the annual return applies

Chapter 25: Trademark Registration

Search for conflicting marks
Choose classes
File the application
Track status and diary response deadlines

Chapter 26: Protecting Intellectual Property

List the company’s IP
Collect written IP assignments
Decide on copyright, patent and design filings
Put NDAs in place for confidential information

Chapter 27: Hiring Your First Employees

Register the establishment
Prepare offer letter and employment agreement templates
Check EPFO and ESIC registration requirements
Adopt a POSH policy and constitute the Internal Committee if required

Chapter 28: Running Payroll

Review the salary structure
Collect tax declarations
Set the monthly payroll and deposit calendar
Issue annual salary TDS certificates

Chapter 29: Contracts Every Founder Needs

Sign a founders’ agreement
Prepare customer, vendor and NDA templates
Maintain a contract register with renewal dates

Part 4 · Growing, changing and closing

Chapter 30: Raising Funding

Prepare a due-diligence folder
Agree the term sheet
Obtain valuation reports where required
Complete allotment and file returns

Chapter 31: Employee Stock Options (ESOP)

Design the ESOP plan
Pass the shareholder special resolution
Issue grant letters and maintain the register

Chapter 32: Foreign Investment (FDI)

Confirm the sector route and conditions
Check investor origin for land-border rules
Get a valuation for pricing
File the FIRMS reports on time

Chapter 33: NRI and Foreign Founders

Choose the structure
Appoint a resident director
Notarise and apostille documents
Bring in capital and complete FEMA reporting

Chapter 34: Annual Compliance Calendar

Chapter 35: Closing a Business

Choose strike-off, liquidation or other closure route
Settle liabilities and file pending returns
File the closure application
Cancel GST and other registrations
Archive records for the required period

Most searched services

Find your service · Compare business structures · Compliance calendar · Sitemap

UrbanFiling is a private professional services firm and is not affiliated with any government department or portal. Our fee is for our professional service; government fees, where they apply, are separate and paid at actuals.