Which registrations does a new business actually need?
A new business needs the registration that matches its legal form, and then only the further licences that its activity actually requires. There is no single licence called business registration.
Which registration comes first?
| Form | First filing |
|---|---|
| Proprietorship | No incorporation. The owner starts in his or her own name. See the proprietorship page |
| Partnership or LLP | A deed, and for an LLP a registration under the LLP Act |
| Company | Incorporation with the Registrar. A private company is on the private-company page |
Which filings are separate?
GST follows turnover. The lines are on the GST guide. A shop or office may need a state registration under the Shops Act, on the Shops Act page. A trademark is another statute. What a certificate of incorporation leaves out is on the post-incorporation page.
What is not a universal licence?
Import licensing, a factory licence, and a sector approval apply only when that activity needs them. They are not issued to every new company. This page does not list a fee for any of them.
Frequently asked questions
Four questions cover one licence, GST, the Shops Act, and a trademark.
Is there one licence called business registration?
No. The first step is the legal form: a proprietorship, a partnership, an LLP, or a company. Each has its own filing, or, for a proprietorship, no incorporation at all.
Does every business need GST on day one?
No. GST registration follows turnover, or a case where it is compulsory below that line. The lines are on the GST guide.
Does the Shops Act apply in every state the same way?
No. It is a state law. There is no single national fee or national form.
Does incorporation include a trademark?
No. A trademark is a separate application. The certificate of incorporation is not a trademark registration.
Sources
The legal form comes first. GST, a state shop registration, and a trademark are separate statutes. None of them is issued by the certificate of incorporation alone.