Guide
How much does it cost to register a Private Limited company in India?
The honest answer: ₹3,000–₹25,000 all-in for a typical founder, depending on authorised capital, the state you incorporate in, and the professional fees you choose. Here is exactly where every rupee goes.
Short answer: the government cost is the smallest part. With ₹1–15 lakh authorised capital, the MCA fee is ₹500–₹15,000; stamp duty adds a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the state; two DSCs and DINs add roughly ₹2,000–₹4,000. Professional fees — typically ₹5,000–₹15,000 — usually exceed the total government cost. What nobody quotes you is the year-after cost: audit and ROC filings of ₹25,000–₹60,000 every year.
Government fee
₹500–₹15,000 MCA fee + state stamp duty — the smallest line item.
Pre-incorporation
2 DSCs + 2 DINs: roughly ₹2,000–₹4,000, renewed yearly.
Professional fee
₹5,000–₹15,000 for a clean SPICe+ filing — usually the biggest line.
The MCA incorporation fee, by authorised capital
The fee is charged on authorised capital — the maximum shares the company can issue — not paid-up capital. It is fixed by the fee table in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014. Small companies and One Person Companies get reduced rates under the same rules.
| Authorised capital | MCA incorporation fee |
|---|---|
| Up to ₹1,00,000 | ₹500 |
| ₹1,00,001 – ₹5,00,000 | ₹1,000 |
| ₹5,00,001 – ₹10,00,000 | ₹5,000 |
| ₹10,00,001 – ₹25,00,000 | ₹10,000 |
| ₹25,00,001 – ₹50,00,000 | ₹15,000 |
| Above ₹50,00,000 | ₹25,000+ |
Source: Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014, fee table — confirm current rates on the MCA portal before filing.
The full cost stack
| Item | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MCA incorporation fee (authorised capital based) | ₹500 – ₹15,000 | Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 |
| State stamp duty on MoA + AoA | ₹100 – ₹5,000+ | State Stamp Act — varies by state |
| DSC (Class 3) × 2 directors | ₹1,000 – ₹3,000 | Per year; renewal required |
| DIN application (per director) | ₹500 × 2 | Part of SPICe+; ₹500 per DIN |
| Professional / filing fees | ₹5,000 – ₹15,000 | End-to-end incorporation support |
| PAN + TAN | Included | Auto-issued with SPICe+ |
The cost that surprises founders: year one and every year after
Annual ROC filings
Form AOC-4 (financials) + Form MGT-7 (annual return) — MCA fee on paid-up capital, plus ₹100 per day late fee if missed.
Statutory audit
Mandatory under the Companies Act for every private limited company — audit fees scale with turnover, typically ₹15,000+.
Budget ₹25,000–₹60,000 per year for audit + filings + a compliance professional. This is the recurring cost most online quotes omit — and it is why incorporation should not be chosen on the one-time fee alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MCA government fee to register a Private Limited company?
The MCA incorporation fee is set by the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014 and is based on your authorised (not paid-up) share capital: up to ₹1 lakh is ₹500, ₹1–5 lakh is ₹1,000, ₹5–10 lakh is ₹5,000, ₹10–25 lakh is ₹10,000, and ₹25–50 lakh is ₹15,000. Small companies and One Person Companies get reduced fees under the same rules. Most founders incorporate with ₹1–15 lakh authorised capital, so the MCA fee is typically ₹500–₹15,000.
Do I have to pay stamp duty on incorporation?
Yes — stamp duty is payable on the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association, and it is set by each state's Stamp Act, not by the MCA. It varies significantly: some states charge a flat amount of a few hundred rupees, others levy a percentage of authorised capital. Maharashtra and Karnataka are typically at the higher end. Your incorporation advisor should quote the stamp duty for the state where the registered office will be, before you decide the authorised capital figure.
Are PAN and TAN included in the incorporation fee?
Yes. PAN and TAN are applied for automatically as part of the SPICe+ incorporation form (the same form reserves the name and incorporates the company), and they are issued free of any separate MCA fee. There is no additional government charge for PAN/TAN at incorporation.
What does the company pay every year after incorporation?
The recurring costs are: ROC annual filings (Form AOC-4 for financial statements and Form MGT-7 for the annual return — MCA fees based on paid-up capital, plus late fees of ₹100 per day if missed), a statutory audit (mandatory under s.44AB/s.143 of the Companies Act — audit fees vary with turnover), and director KYC (DIR-3 KYC, ₹500 per director per year, once per financial year). Most small companies budget ₹25,000–₹60,000 per year for audit + filings + a compliance professional.
Can I register the company myself to save the professional fee?
You can — the forms are on the MCA portal — but you will still need two Class 3 DSC tokens, a correct state-specific SPICe+ attachment set, and you personally absorb every rejection and resubmission cycle. A name rejection, an address-proof mismatch, or a DSC signature error each costs 1–2 weeks. For most founders the professional fee buys preparation and one clean filing, not just form-filling.
Next steps
Hub Guide · ROC Annual Filing
Go deeper — the ROC Annual Filing hub
The cost that surprises founders is the annual one: MGT-7/MGT-7A (s.92), AOC-4 (s.137), DIR-3 KYC, and s.403 late fees of ₹100/day with no ceiling. Our firm ROC hub walks through each filing and the strike-off risk, statute-cited.
Open the hub guide