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What to Do After Company Registration: Your First-Year Compliance Checklist

Your Certificate of Incorporation is the start, not the finish. Here are the filings every new company must make in year one — and a calculator that gives you your exact dates.

By the QwikFilings CA team · Updated 2026 · Miss a deadline, pay a penalty — so we track them for you

First things after incorporation

Within your first year you'll need to open the company bank account, appoint an auditor (30 days), file INC-20A (180 days), and then complete your first AGM and annual ROC filings (AOC-4, MGT-7), plus director KYC and the income-tax return. Each has a hard deadline — and a penalty for missing it.

Use the calculator below to get your own dates, then see what each filing is.

Your first-year compliance dates

Enter your incorporation date and we'll map out every deadline you need to hit in year one.

The first-year filings, explained

Open bank account

First

Open the company current account using your COI, PAN and board resolution.

Appoint auditor

30 days

The board appoints the company's first statutory auditor.

INC-20A

180 days

Commencement-of-business declaration after the paid-up capital is received. Mandatory before operating.

DIR-3 KYC

30 Sep

Annual KYC for every director holding a DIN.

First AGM

9 months

Held within 9 months of your first financial-year end.

AOC-4 & MGT-7

30 / 60 days

Financial statements and annual return, filed with the ROC after the AGM.

Income tax return

31 Oct

Company ITR for the first financial year (audited companies).

Bookkeeping & GST

Ongoing

Maintain books from day one, and file GST returns if registered.

Why this matters — the cost of slipping

Missed deadlines get expensive.Late MCA filings attract per-day penalties, INC-20A defaults can lead to strike-off, and lapses in director KYC deactivate the DIN. The penalties almost always cost more than staying compliant.

Compliance isn't a one-time event — it runs every year, and the calendar fills up fast once you're operating. Most founders would rather build their business than track ROC due dates.

That's exactly what our private limited company compliance service is for: we appoint the auditor, file INC-20A, run your AGM filings, handle director KYC and the annual returns — and remind you well before every deadline. New to the company itself? Start with what a Pvt Ltd is or revisit the registration process.

Set up your Indian entity — fully remote

From entity choice and apostille to SPICe+ filing and FC-GPR, a real CA runs your India entry end to end. No trip to India required.

Incorporate your Indian entity →

Related: Documents required · Registration process · Ongoing compliance

FAQs

What is the first thing to do after company registration?
Open the company bank account, then appoint your first auditor within 30 days and deposit the paid-up capital so you can file INC-20A within 180 days. After that come the annual filings.
What is INC-20A and when is it due?
INC-20A is the commencement-of-business declaration, due within 180 days of incorporation. Until it's filed the company can't legally start operations, and missing it can trigger strike-off.
What are the annual compliance filings for a Pvt Ltd?
After the first AGM: AOC-4 (financial statements) within 30 days, MGT-7/MGT-7A (annual return) within 60 days, plus director DIR-3 KYC by 30 September and the company income-tax return. We cover all of these under Pvt Ltd compliance.
What happens if I miss a compliance deadline?
Late ROC filings carry per-day penalties, an INC-20A default can lead to strike-off, and missed director KYC deactivates the DIN. Staying compliant is almost always cheaper than the penalties.
Do I need a CA for company compliance?
It's strongly recommended — the filings are technical, the deadlines are strict, and errors are costly. A CA tracks every due date and files correctly so you can focus on the business.