Running a Private Limited company in India means navigating a calendar of statutory filing deadlines spread across MCA, income tax, GST and other regulatory bodies. Miss one, and the penalties accumulate fast. This is the complete, annotated compliance calendar every Pvt Ltd founder needs.
Why compliance deadlines matter more than founders think
A missed MCA filing is not just a penalty — it triggers a chain of consequences. Director disqualification under Section 164 of the Companies Act kicks in after three consecutive years of default on annual filings. Once disqualified, a director cannot be appointed to any other company. Bank accounts can be frozen. Government tenders become inaccessible. The business effectively enters a compliance blacklist. Most of these outcomes are entirely preventable.
The core MCA annual compliance calendar
April 30: DIR-3 KYC (director KYC) for all directors who have a DIN — penalty ₹5,000 for late filing. June 30: Deadline for holding the first board meeting of the financial year (at least one meeting per quarter required). September 30: Annual General Meeting (AGM) must be held within six months of the financial year end. October 31: Income Tax Return filing for companies. November 29: AOC-4 (filing of financial statements with MCA) — within 30 days of AGM. November 29: ADT-1 (auditor appointment intimation) within 15 days of AGM. December 29: MGT-7 / MGT-7A (annual return) — within 60 days of AGM.
Quarterly and monthly obligations
Board meetings must be held at least once every quarter, with a maximum gap of 120 days between two meetings. Minutes must be maintained within 30 days of each meeting. GST returns (GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B) are due monthly by the 11th and 20th respectively for most businesses. TDS returns are due quarterly — July 31, October 31, January 31 and May 31. TDS certificates must be issued within 15 days of the TDS return due date.
The filings most companies miss — and the penalties
DIR-3 KYC is the most commonly missed filing because it seems administrative. Penalty: ₹5,000 flat, DIN deactivated until filed. ADT-1 is missed when companies forget to intimate MCA about their auditor appointment. Penalty: ₹300 per day. MGT-7 is often filed late because companies underestimate the preparation time required. Penalty: ₹100 per day per default, with a minimum of ₹50,000 for companies. AOC-4 penalties follow the same ₹100/day structure. The cumulative penalty exposure for a company that misses all annual filings in a year can exceed ₹2–3 lakhs.
The most efficient solution: compliance management
For most Indian Pvt Ltd companies, maintaining an internal compliance calendar is impractical — especially in the early stages when the founding team is focused entirely on building. The most cost-effective solution is a monthly compliance management retainer that proactively manages your entire calendar, sends advance reminders and coordinates the actual filing. Vilot's Compliance Management service covers the complete annual MCA filing calendar for ₹4,999 per month.