INC-20A Filing

What's covered

• Form INC-20A is the declaration of commencement of business that a company files with the Registrar under Section 10A (Sec 10A) of the Companies Act 2013. It applies to every company incorporated after 2 November 2018 that has share capital — private limited, public and Section 8 companies alike. Companies incorporated before that date, and companies that do not have share capital, are exempt from the requirement.
• The declaration must be filed within 180 days of incorporation. In it the directors confirm that every subscriber to the memorandum has paid the value of the shares agreed to be taken, and the form verifies the company's registered office. Form INC-20A is filed with the company's CIN, signed with a Digital Signature Certificate and certified by a practising chartered accountant, company secretary or cost accountant.
• Failing to file INC-20A has real consequences: the company cannot commence business or exercise borrowing powers until the declaration is filed, and prolonged default exposes the company to strike-off action by the Registrar. The default also carries a penalty on the company of ₹50,000 and on every officer in default of ₹1,000 for each day of continuing default, up to a maximum of ₹1,00,000. These figures are stated from our benchmark and are confirmed against the current rules before filing.
• We collect the subscription money into the company's bank account, assemble the bank statement and registered-office proof, and file INC-20A with the required professional certification inside the 180-day window so the company can lawfully begin trading and borrowing.