The 27-Point Business Compliance Checklist for Indian Businesses

Sole proprietorship, Partnership, LLP, OPC or Pvt Ltd registered with MCA/Registrar of Firms.

Company PAN (not personal PAN) for all business transactions, TDS, GST, banking.

Separate current account in business name — do not mix personal and business funds.

Municipal corporation or panchayat trade licence for the business premises.

GSTIN is mandatory. Even voluntary registration is advisable for B2B businesses to claim input tax credit.

Late filing = ₹50–200/day penalty + 18% interest on outstanding tax. Check your filing status now.

Annual return due every December. Penalty ₹200/day for delay, max 0.25% of turnover.

Business ITR (ITR-3 / ITR-6) due by July 31 (or October 31 with audit). Penalty up to ₹10,000 for late filing.

TDS on salary, contractor payments, rent above ₹50,000/month. 1.5% interest per month on TDS not deposited.

Mandatory for all food businesses (restaurants, cloud kitchens, bakeries, manufacturers, traders). Operating without it = shutdown + fine up to ₹2 lakh.

FSSAI licence expires annually. Operating with expired licence carries same penalty as having none.

Packaged food: mandatory info on label — FSSAI logo, net content, MRP, ingredients, nutritional info, allergens, batch/LOT number.

FSSAI audit readiness — documented cleaning schedules, pest control records, food handler training certificates.

Free registration that unlocks priority credit, government tenders, 45-day payment protection, and state subsidies. No excuse not to have it.

PM Vikas Yojana, PMEGP, Mudra, CGTMSE, state-specific capital subsidy — most businesses leave lakhs unclaimed.

Mandatory to sell to government departments. Free registration with MSME certificate gets you preferential treatment.

Required if 10+ workers (with power) or 20+ workers (without power). State Labour Department issues this — penalty for operating without = imprisonment up to 2 years.

Required for any manufacturing process. Green / Orange / Red category — obtain from your state PCB before commencing production.

Required for factories and commercial establishments. Annual renewal needed. Absence = insurance claim rejection risk.

Mandatory for 370+ product categories including steel, cement, electronics, food products. Operating without = criminal liability.

ESIC registration mandatory. Employee contribution 0.75% + employer 3.25% of wages. Penalty = 12% p.a. interest + damages.

Provident Fund at 12% each (employer + employee). Mandatory for businesses with 20+ employees. Late = 12–37% penalty.

Applicable in most states. Employer deducts from salary and deposits with state government. Small but critical compliance.

Required for all commercial establishments. State-specific — register with local labour department within 30 days of starting.

Mandatory under IT Act and DPDP Act 2023 if you collect any personal data. Non-compliance = up to ₹250 crore penalty under new DPDP rules.

Unregistered trademarks can be stolen. File within the first year of launch — protection is retroactive from application date.

Pvt Ltd / LLP must file AOC-4, MGT-7, ADT-1 annually. Penalty = ₹100/day per form, no cap — can cross lakhs.