LLP COMPLIANCE · FORM 3

File Your LLP Agreement Within 30 Days

Your LLP agreement isn’t complete until it’s filed with the MCA in Form 3 — and the clock is just 30 days from incorporation. Most designated partners miss it. Here’s the rule, the cost of slipping, and a free template to file fast.

1

IncorporationLLP certificate issued

2

30-day windowExecute & sign the agreement

3

File Form 3On or before day 30

THE RULE

What is Form 3 — and why 30 days?

Form 3 is the e-form that records your LLP Agreement with the Registrar. The agreement sets out contribution, profit-sharing, partner rights and duties — but in the eyes of the MCA it only counts once Form 3 is filed. Under the LLP Act, that filing is due within 30 days of incorporation (and again within 30 days of any later change to the agreement).

The clock starts at incorporation

Not when you feel ready, not when business begins. Day 1 is the date on your incorporation certificate; day 30 is your hard deadline.

Stamp it, sign it, then file

The agreement must be printed on stamp paper of the correct value for your state and signed by all designated partners before witnesses — before Form 3 goes up.

Same 30 days for any change

Add a partner, change contribution, or amend a clause later? Each change resets a fresh 30-day Form 3 window of its own.

The trap: first-time partners assume the “nine-month first-year breather” they heard about applies here. It doesn’t — that’s a different rule. Form 3 is a flat 30 days from day one.

LLP FORM 3 · FREE TOOL

LLP Form 3 Late Fee Calculator

Form 3 (the LLP Agreement) is due within 30 days of incorporation — the deadline most designated partners miss. Until it’s filed, your LLP stays in default. Check your exact dues below.

Date of incorporation (or LLP agreement change)

Filing on

Total contribution (₹)

Last year turnover (₹) optional

The late fee isn’t the real cost — the cascade is. Form 8, Form 11 and most other LLP filings build on the agreement recorded in Form 3. Leave Form 3 pending and your LLP stays a defaulting LLP: the agreement isn’t on record, downstream compliance is blocked, and designated partners stay exposed — while the ₹100/day, no-cap meter on Form 8 & Form 11 keeps running in the background.

Normal filing fee (by contribution)

Up to ₹1 lakh	₹50
Above ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh	₹100
Above ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh	₹150
Above ₹10 lakh	₹200

Additional fee (multiple of normal fee)

Delay	Small LLP	Other LLP
Up to 15 days	1×	1×
16–30 days	2×	4×
31–60 days	4×	8×
61–90 days	6×	12×
91–180 days	10×	20×
181–360 days	15×	30×
Beyond 360 days	25×	50×

How it’s read: A Small LLP has contribution up to ₹25 lakh and turnover up to ₹40 lakh — which covers almost every newly incorporated LLP — and pays the lower multipliers. Unlike Form 8 / Form 11 (₹100 per day with no cap), the Form 3 additional fee is a slab multiple of the normal fee and effectively tops out at 25× / 50×. Form 3 is also required within 30 days of any change to the LLP agreement.

This calculator estimates the MCA normal filing fee plus additional (late) fee for Form 3 under the LLP Rules and the LLP (Amendment) Rules, 2022, as current in Jun 2026. It excludes stamp duty on the agreement, professional certification, and any adjudication penalty. For an exact, case-specific figure, talk to us. Not legal advice.

MISS THE WINDOW

The late fee is the small problem

The Form 3 government fee is modest. What hurts is everything a pending Form 3 freezes behind it.

Your LLP is a defaulter

Until Form 3 is filed, the agreement isn’t on record and the LLP is treated as non-compliant from day 31.

Downstream filings are blocked

Form 8, Form 11 and most other filings build on the agreement recorded in Form 3. Leave it pending and clean compliance stalls.

No amnesty to wait for

ROC fees aren’t normally waived, and the Form 8/Form 11 meter that follows runs at ₹100/day with no cap.

Use the calculator above to see your exact Form 3 dues, then clear the default before it compounds.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Sample LLP Agreement template

A clean, ready-to-edit Word document covering every clause Form 3 expects. Replace the highlighted fields, print on your state’s stamp paper, sign, and file. Drafted by a practising CA firm.

Parties, contribution & profit-sharing tables
Partner powers, duties, meetings & restrictions
Admission, retirement, disputes & winding-up clauses
Signature & witness block, ready to print

Download the Word template (.docx)

Free, no sign-up. A sample only — not legal advice. Need it drafted, stamped and filed for you? Message us on WhatsApp.

BEFORE YOU FILE

Clauses every LLP agreement needs

Form 3 reads from your agreement. A thin deed means re-filing later — another 30-day window, another fee. Cover these once, properly.

Capital contributionAmount and form (cash / kind) per partner.

Profit & loss sharingThe ratio in which results are split.

Rights, duties & authorityWhat partners may do, and bind the LLP to.

Meetings & decisionsNotice, quorum and the voting threshold.

Admission & exitAdding, retiring, expelling and settling partners.

Remuneration & interestPartner pay and interest under Sec 40(b).

Dispute resolutionArbitration clause to avoid court delay.

Duration & winding upPerpetual succession and exit procedure.

All eight are pre-built into the free template above — just fill in your details.

FAQ

LLP Form 3 filing — quick answers

When is LLP Form 3 due?

Within 30 days of incorporation, and again within 30 days of any later change to the LLP agreement.

Does the 30 days start from incorporation or from business start?

From the date on your incorporation certificate. It has nothing to do with when the LLP starts trading.

What is the late fee for filing Form 3 late?

The normal filing fee (₹50–₹200 by contribution) plus an additional fee that is a multiple of it — rising with the delay and lower for a small LLP. Use the calculator above for your exact figure.

What happens if I never file Form 3?

The LLP stays in default, the agreement isn’t on record, and downstream filings like Form 8 and Form 11 are blocked — while those carry their own ₹100/day, no-cap penalty.

Do I need stamp paper before filing?

Yes. The agreement must be executed on stamp paper of the value prescribed by your state and signed by all designated partners before it is filed in Form 3.

Can I use a template instead of paying for drafting?

You can start from our free sample template above and fill in your details. For a stamped, partner-specific deed filed correctly the first time, a CA-drafted version is safer.

Don’t let day 30 slip

We draft your LLP agreement, get the stamping right for your state, and file Form 3 on time — so your LLP never starts life in default.

File Form 3 with us See LLP compliance plans

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