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Siddharth is a content marketer at EquityList with 4+ years of experience writing content for B2B SaaS brands.

GST Registration in India: When and How to Register

GST registration is the process of enrolling a business under India's GST system to receive a GSTIN. Here's when it's mandatory, and what changed in 2025.

PAS-3 Return of Allotment: Filing After You Issue Shares

PAS-3 is the return of allotment Indian companies file with the ROC after issuing shares, due within 15 or 30 days depending on the allotment route.

PAS-6 Filing Guide: Applicability, Deadlines, and Penalties

PAS-6 is filed to reconcile issued share capital with dematerialised holdings. Understand the applicability, current thresholds, deadlines, and penalties.

INC-20A: Commencement of Business Filing for New Companies

Form INC-20A is the declaration confirming a company can start business. Learn about the filing deadline, fees, penalties, and the filing procedure.

ADT-1: Appointing Your First Auditor

Understand how and when to appoint your company's first auditor under Section 139(6), and if Form ADT-1 filing is actually required.

MGT-7 and MGT-7A Annual Return: A Founder's Filing Guide

MGT-7 is the annual return every Indian company files with the ROC. Understand filing rules, due dates, certification, penalties, and the CCFS-2026 fee waiver.

MGT-14: Filing Board and Special Resolutions with the ROC

MGT-14 puts board and shareholder decisions on public record for investors and lenders to verify. See who must file, the fee slabs, and penalties for delay.

AOC-4 Filing Explained: Financial Statements Filing for Companies

Form AOC-4 files a company's financial statements with the Registrar of Companies. Understand who must file it, deadlines, fees, and current penalty rules.

DPT-3 Return Filing Guide for Startups in India

Wondering if your startup actually needs to file DPT-3? Here's what counts as an exempted receipt, what doesn't, and where convertible notes and loans fit in.

DIR-12: Director Appointment, Resignation & Changes Guide

DIR-12 is mandatory even when DIR-11 isn't. Get the deadlines, fee slabs, and required documents for filing director changes under the Companies Act, 2013.

Cap Table Due Diligence Checklist for Indian Companies

Cap table due diligence checklist for Indian companies: what investors verify against your Register of Members, valuations, and FEMA trail.

FDI Rules for Indian Startups: Routes and FEMA Compliance

FDI in India: automatic vs approval route, eligible instruments, pricing rules for unlisted companies, FC-GPR filing deadlines, and annual FLA return obligations.

The Cap Table Due Diligence Checklist for U.S. Companies

Cap table due diligence confirms your documented ownership matches signed, filed records. See what VCs verify line by line and how to prepare before a round.

Valuation Cap vs Discount Rate on SAFE Notes: What the Math Looks Like at Different Outcomes

Learn how valuation caps and discount rates determine SAFE conversion prices, and see how these terms lead to different outcomes.

How to Convert Physical Share Certificate to Demat: Step-by-Step Guide for Private Companies

A step-by-step guide for private companies converting physical share certificates to demat: company setup, the DRF process, and what changes after conversion.

Secretarial Audit Applicability for Private Companies

Secretarial audit applicability hinges on two triggers for a private company: ₹100 crore in bank borrowings or a public-company parent. Understand both the routes.

Form MGT-8: What It Is, Who Needs It, and When to File

Form MGT-8 is a CS certificate required under Section 92(2). Here's who needs it, what gets certified, when it's due for private companies.

Allotment of Shares: Procedure and Compliance Under The Companies Act, 2013

Understand what allotment of shares means, which routes the Companies Act 2013 provides, and the board resolution, PAS-3, and demat obligations that follow.

Reduction of Share Capital: When and How Private Companies Can Reduce Capital

How private companies reduce share capital under Section 66 of the Companies Act, 2013, the NCLT process, tax treatment, and when to use it over a buyback.

How to Increase Authorised Share Capital: Procedure and Filing Requirements

Increasing authorised share capital falls under Section 61 of the Companies Act, 2013. Understand the general meeting process, Form SH-7, MGT-14 applicability, stamp duty, and penalties.

Transmission of Shares in India: Procedure, Documents Required, and SEBI Rules

Transmission of shares in India involves a lot of moving parts. Understand the procedure for physical and demat shares, required documents, SEBI thresholds, and timelines for it.

Forfeiture of Shares: The Complete Legal Guide for Indian Companies

Shares can be forfeited when a shareholder fails to pay a call. Here is what the Companies Act, 2013 says about the procedure, consequences, and what happens to the shares after.

Optionally Convertible Debentures (OCDs): Structure, Classification, and Issuance in India

Optionally convertible debentures let investors choose between equity and repayment at maturity. Here is how they work, how to issue them, and where they fit in Indian law.

Non-Convertible Preference Shares: What They Are and How They Work

Non-convertible preference shares never convert to equity and that single feature changes how they're classified under FEMA, Ind AS, and who can hold them.

Valuation of Preference Shares in Indian Private Companies: A Complete Guide

Preference share valuation in Indian private companies depends on the transaction type. Learn about applicable methods for valuation of preference shares under Indian law.

Redemption of Preference Shares: Rules and Conditions Under Companies Act, 2013

A complete guide to redemption of preference shares in India: statutory conditions, permitted funding methods, the step-by-step procedure, and the tax treatment.

SEBI ESOP Regulations: A Compliance Guide For Listed Companies

Understand how SEBI (Share Based Employee Benefits and Sweat Equity) Regulations govern scheme types, eligibility, approvals, trust rules, vesting, disclosures.

Section 62 of the Companies Act, 2013: Further Issue of Shares Explained

Section 62 of the Companies Act, 2013 governs further issue of shares in India. Understand each route, its approval requirements, compliance timelines, and more.

Capital Gains on Unlisted Shares in India: STCG, LTCG, Rates & Rules

Sold shares in a private company? Learn how capital gains on unlisted shares are calculated in India.

RSU Taxation in India: A Complete Guide to Tax Events, Rates, and Compliance

RSUs granted by Indian and foreign companies are taxed at vesting and sale in India. Learn how tax calculation is done, what capital gains rates apply, and what filing requirements arise.

Equity Financing vs Debt Financing: How to Choose

Choosing between equity financing vs debt financing comes down to one trade-off: permanent dilution or repayment obligation. Here's how to decide.

Preference Shares Explained: Types, Rights, and How They Affect Your Cap Table

A complete guide to preference shares, covering types, classification, rights, and how each class affects your cap table.

What Are Tag-along Rights? A Complete Guide for Founders and Investors

Tag-along rights give minority shareholders the right to sell their shares on the same terms as majority shareholders. Understand how the whole mechanism plays out.

Buy-back of Shares for Private and Unlisted Companies under Companies Act, 2013

A buy-back of shares allows a company to repurchase its own shares from existing shareholders. Learn what the Companies Act, 2013 requires for executing buy-back.

Founders' Agreement for U.S. Companies: Importance, Key Clauses, and Free Template

A complete guide to founders' agreements for U.S. companies: Structure, key clauses, governing law, and a free template.

Co-Founder Equity Split in India: How to Decide, Document, and Protect It

A co-founder equity split defines each founder's ownership stake in the company. Understand the frameworks to get the split right and avoid common mistakes.

ESOP Accounting under Ind AS 102: How to Record Stock Option Expenses

Learn how ESOP accounting for recording stock option expenses works under Ind AS 102 with journal entries, expense calculations, and adjustments.

Founders' Agreement: Definition, Key Clauses, and Template for Indian Startups

Learn what a founders' agreement covers (equity, vesting, IP assignment, and exit clauses) and why Indian startups must sign one before issuing shares.

Perquisite Tax on ESOPs in India: What Employees Need to Know

Learn how perquisite tax on ESOPs works in India. Understand when it's triggered, how FMV is calculated, and what it means for employees exercising stock options.

ESOP Scheme in India: Definition, Structure, Filing Guide

Learn what an ESOP scheme is, what it must legally contain under the Companies Act 2013, how to get it approved, and the clauses required in the complete scheme.

Share Subscription Agreement: Definition, Key Clauses, and Template

Learn about the share subscription agreement used for fresh share issuance: key clauses, Indian compliance requirements under Companies Act and FEMA, and differences from shareholders' agreements.

Valuation Report in India: Requirements, Sample Format, and Regulatory Guide

Learn when valuation reports are required in India, who can issue them, and understand what it must contain. Also find a sample valuation report for your reference.

Private Placement of Shares in India: A Complete Guide for Startups and Founders

Private placement under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 2013 explained: process, conditions, FEMA compliance, and penalties for Indian startups raising capital.

Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) return: A Complete Filing Guide

Learn who must file the FLA return, deadlines, FLAIR portal steps, penalty structure under FEMA, and how it fits into India's foreign investment reporting framework.

Raising Capital Through a Rights Issue in India: Process and Compliance Guide

Learn about raising capital through a rights issue in India, the step-by-step process, compliance requirements, and FEMA obligations for companies with foreign shareholders.

Complete Guide to Form FC-TRS Filing in India

Understand FC-TRS filing in India: when it is required, pricing rules under FEMA, documents needed, and step-by-step reporting on the RBI FIRMS portal.

FC-GPR Filing in India: Complete Guide to RBI Reporting for Foreign Investment (2026)

Learn FC-GPR filing for foreign investment in India, including timelines, documents, steps to file the form RBI FIRMS portal, and compliance requirements under FEMA.

A Complete Guide to Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS)

Learn how Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) function in India, including investor rights, conversion terms, tax implications, FEMA compliance requirements, and their role in startup funding.

A Founder’s Guide to Anti-Dilution Clauses

Learn how anti-dilution protection works, the difference between full-ratchet and weighted average, and what founders should consider in negotiations.