Why Every Startup Needs a Compliance Calendar

When founders are focused on product, customers, and fundraising, compliance tends to be the last thing on the list — until a penalty notice arrives. In India, a newly registered company or LLP has compliance obligations from its very first month of existence, regardless of whether it has started operations or generated any revenue.

What Happens When Startups Miss Compliance Deadlines

• Late ROC filings attract penalties of ₹100/day per form — with no upper cap in some cases
• Non-filing of GST returns can lead to cancellation of GST registration
• Missed TDS deposits attract 1.5% interest per month
• Directors can become personally liable for company defaults in certain cases
• Late ITR filing blocks carry-forward of business losses — critical for early-stage companies

Key Compliance Milestones for a New Private Limited Company

Within 30 Days of Incorporation

• File INC-20A (Declaration of Commencement of Business) — mandatory
• Open a current bank account
• Obtain a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for all directors
• Register for GST if turnover exceeds threshold or you're doing interstate supply

Ongoing Monthly Compliance

• GST returns (GSTR-1 + GSTR-3B) — 11th and 20th of every month
• TDS payment to government — 7th of next month
• Payroll processing and PF/ESI deposits (if employees > threshold)
• Monthly bookkeeping and reconciliation

Annual Compliance (Private Limited Company)

• Annual General Meeting (AGM): within 6 months of financial year end
• AOC-4 (Financial Statements): within 30 days of AGM
• MGT-7/7A (Annual Return): within 60 days of AGM
• DIR-3 KYC for all directors: 30 September every year
• Income Tax Return: 31 October (for companies requiring audit)
• GSTR-9 Annual Return: 31 December

The Compliance Calendar Every Startup Should Maintain

A compliance calendar is simply a shared document (or platform) that lists every regulatory obligation, its due date, responsible person, and status. It should be reviewed at the start of every month and updated when regulations change.

The best-run startups we work with treat compliance like a product sprint — it has owners, deadlines, and review cycles. The ones that struggle treat it as a once-a-year fire drill.

How TheTaxpert Helps

TheTaxpert brings all startup compliance into one structured platform. From incorporation through annual filings, your assigned Tax Expert tracks every deadline, collects documents proactively, and files on time — so founders can focus on building the business.

• Single platform for all tax, ROC, and GST compliance
• Deadline reminders and real-time status tracking
• Lifetime document vault for all filings
• Dedicated Tax Expert assigned to your company