Register a private limited company, an LLP or a one person company in Kerala with a firm of Chartered Accountants in Kakkanad, Kochi. We help you choose the right structure, file the SPICe+ or FiLLiP forms with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and set up the registrations a Kerala business needs after incorporation: GST, shop and establishment, professional tax, KSUM and DPIIT recognition, and the first-year compliance calendar.
Led by Regi Tom Antony, FCA, MBA (Australia), ACMA (UK), CGMA (USA), CISA (USA), former Group CFO/COO (OSRAM/Siemens, Westcon Group; Middle East & Africa).
To register a company in Kerala, you choose a structure (private limited company, LLP or one person company), obtain digital signatures for the directors or partners, reserve a name and file the incorporation forms online with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs: SPICe+ for a company or FiLLiP for an LLP. The Registrar of Companies issues a Certificate of Incorporation, and the company's PAN and TAN are issued with it. Once documents are ready, the process usually takes one to three weeks. A Kerala business then registers under the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, enrols for professional tax with the local body, registers for GST where required and can apply for Kerala Startup Mission and DPIIT recognition. Regi Tom Antony & Associates, Chartered Accountants in Kakkanad, Kochi since 1997, handles the whole process for founders across Kerala and for NRIs setting up a business at home.
The choice depends on who owns the business, whether you will raise investment, and how much compliance you are ready for.
| PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY | LLP | ONE PERSON COMPANY (OPC) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owners | At least 2 shareholders and 2 directors | At least 2 partners, 2 of them designated partners | One individual, with a nominee |
| Resident in India | At least one director | At least one designated partner | The member must be an Indian citizen resident in India |
| Minimum capital | None | None | None |
| Raising investment | Best: shares, ESOPs and investor rights | Difficult: no shares to issue | Must convert to raise equity |
| Liability | Limited to the shares held | Limited to the agreed contribution | Limited to the shares held |
| Compliance load | Highest: board meetings, statutory audit, annual ROC filings | Lower: audit only above set thresholds | Similar to a private company, with some relaxations |
| Filed on MCA | SPICe+ (with e-MoA, e-AoA and AGILE-PRO-S) | RUN-LLP for the name, then FiLLiP | SPICe+, with the nominee's consent |
| Usually suits | Startups, tech and product businesses, anyone raising funds | Professional and service firms, family partnerships | Solo founders who want a company |
Not sure which to choose? Our tax planning and structuring team compares the tax and compliance cost of each with your numbers before you register.
The process is online, through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. You do not need to visit the Registrar's office in Kochi.
Obtain a Class 3 digital signature certificate (DSC) for every proposed director or designated partner.
Check the name on the MCA portal and against trademarks, then reserve it through SPICe+ Part A (companies) or RUN-LLP (LLPs).
File SPICe+ Part B with the e-MoA, e-AoA and AGILE-PRO-S, or FiLLiP for an LLP, with the directors' or partners' IDs, address proof and proof of the registered office in Kerala.
The Registrar issues the certificate with the CIN; the company's PAN and TAN come with it, and DINs are allotted to new directors.
Open the bank account applied for through AGILE-PRO-S, register for GST where required, and file the LLP agreement within 30 days for an LLP.
Appoint the first auditor within 30 days, file the commencement of business declaration (INC-20A) within 180 days, and set up the annual calendar.
Forms and steps as published on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal. The full document list, with what each one must show, is in our guide: documents needed to register a company in India.
Incorporation creates the company. These registrations let it trade, employ people and claim startup benefits in Kerala.
Under the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, through the Labour Commissionerate. Our guide on SME Advisory explains the steps: shop and establishment registration in Kerala.
Enrolment with the panchayat, municipality or corporation where the office is. In Kerala this is not part of the SPICe+ filing. Guide: professional tax in Kerala.
Required once turnover crosses the threshold, and from the start for some businesses, such as those making inter-state supplies of goods or selling through e-commerce platforms. Applied for on the GST portal or with AGILE-PRO-S.
Eligible startups registered in Kerala can apply for a KSUM unique ID, which opens state schemes, incubation and grants. See Kerala Startup Mission.
Recognition as a startup by DPIIT on the Startup India portal, the gateway to the startup tax benefits and self-certification under labour and environment laws.
Provident fund and employee insurance registrations once you cross the employee thresholds, plus TDS on salaries from the first payroll.
Most penalties new companies pay are for missed first-year filings, not for anything complicated.
| WHEN | WHAT | WHO FILES |
|---|---|---|
| Within 30 days | First board meeting; appointment of the first auditor | Directors, with the CA |
| Within 30 days (LLP) | LLP agreement filed in Form 3 | Designated partners |
| Within 180 days | Commencement of business declaration (INC-20A), after the share capital is received | Company |
| Every year | Financial statements (AOC-4) and annual return (MGT-7A for small companies) with the Registrar | Company |
| Every year (LLP) | Statement of account and solvency (Form 8) and annual return (Form 11) | LLP |
| Every year | Income tax return, tax audit where applicable, and DIR-3 KYC for directors | Company and directors |
| Monthly or quarterly | GST returns, TDS returns and payroll filings, once registered | Company |
We set this up as a written compliance calendar with dates and owners. Ongoing bookkeeping and filings: virtual CFO and accounting services.
Online platforms file the forms. A CA firm also gets the structure, the share capital and the first year right, and stays with you after incorporation.
We compare a company, an LLP and an OPC with your numbers and plans, including how founders will be paid and how investors will come in.
Authorised and paid-up capital, shareholding between founders, and founders' agreements, so the first funding round is not held up.
Bookkeeping, GST, TDS, the first statutory audit and the annual filings, from one firm in Kochi since 1997.
For founders who need investor-ready advisory, pitch decks and valuations, see startup advisory in Kochi. NRIs and foreign companies setting up in India: India Entry Advisory.
Tell us about the business, the founders and your timeline. We will suggest the right structure, the registrations you need after incorporation and send a fixed professional fee.