How to file Annual Returns for a registered Company?

It is very important for every Company to accurately prepare and file the annual returns at the close of each financial year. Any company failing to file the returns will have to bear hefty penalties and fines. With this article, we will provide certain simple steps to file annual returns by companies.

Having Issues with compliance filing with the MCA?...

When the tax season is on the horizon, every enterprising individual out there looks for the easiest way to file the returns and be done with them. And why wouldn't they be? The entire process of filing a return tends to be so difficult that many of these "entrepreneurs" tend to shy away from it, no matter the legal consequences of their actions. However, our team at Registrationwala believes in the firm ways of the legal system and the importance of filing returns. To that end, we are here to provide you with a way to file an annual return for your Company that is understandable and comprehensive.

Details of the Annual Compliance

All registered Companies must file their Annual Returns with the Registrar of Companies in the compliance form. The filing must be conducted within 60 days from the date of the AGM, i.e., the Annual General Meeting. A Company can file its Annual Returns with the digital signature of the appointed directors of the Company or the registered DSCs of the Chartered Accountant auditing the Company.

The filed returns must contain the information from the previous financial year, such as:

About Company:

·         Registered Office Address

·         Principal Business Activities of the incorporation

·         Particulars of its Producer Company's Holdings

·         Registered Company's Subsidiary

·         Associate Companies

About Shares:

·         Shares details

·         Debentures

·         Securities

·         Shareholding pattern of the Company

·         Company's Indebtedness details

About Membership:

·         Member details

·         Debenture holders and the requisite changes since the previous financial year's closure

About Company Personnel:

·         Promoters Details

·         Directors information

·         Key Managerial Personnel, along with the changes since the previous financial year's closure

About General Meetings:

·         Meeting Members details

·         Meeting Members classes

·         Board of Directors

·         Various Committees

·         Attendance Details of the Meeting

Remunerations:

·         Remuneration of Directors

·         Remuneration of Key Managerial Personnel

About Penalties:

·         Penalty/Imposed Punishment details

·         Sentences served by the Company's Directors/Officers

·         Offence Compounding details

·         Appeals against Penalty/Punishment

About Compliance:

·         Certification of Compliances

·         Disclosures details

About FDIs:

Share Details held by Foreign Institutional Investors, such as:

·         Names

·         Addresses

·         Countries of Company Incorporation

·         Registration

·         Percentage of FDI's shareholding

Company's Undertaking:

·         Undertaking Details signed by Directors or the Company Secretary

·         If the Company appoints no Company Secretary, then a practising Company Secretary

Steps for Annual Returns Filing for a Company with the MCA

The entire process of filing an annual return requires four comprehensive steps, and within these steps lie several precautions and necessary details that you should avail of at all times.

Step 1: Maintenance of Proper Book of Accounts

It is the very first step and the most important one. It is of penultimate importance to be in touch with the financial pulse of your Company. It is done through reports in the form of a book of accounts. This book will and should entail the following details:

Details of all the expenditures and purchases of the Company

Details of all the company assets

All the transactional and business details of the business

While maintaining these details can be quite daunting, you can checkout certain applications that exclusively cater to the tax-paying crowd. All these details must be accumulated within a comprehensive and legally understandable financial statement.

Step 2: Appointment of an Auditor

Now, to make sure that every transaction of the Company is recorded in an unbiased manner, you need to appoint an auditor. This Auditor will be independent unbiased, and not part of the corporate that runs the Company. To explain the latter, the following are the ones who cannot be the auditors:

Company Directors

Company Employee

Company Client

Individual who had been in the employment by the Company

Step 3: Auditing the Company Finances

Once the Auditor is appointed, the financial books are checked for discrepancies, which go into the Auditor's report. You can see an auditor as an inspector who checks that no fallacies or malignancies are involved with the Company's financial report. Once the auditing is done, the reports are presented to the company officials. Once the report is approved, we move on to the next step.

Step 4: Annual Submission to the MCA

This is the step where the report is filed with the Company Registrar. This filing will entail the details of all the financial and auditing reports and should be filed in the prescribed format of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of India. This report is supposed to be filed within 60 days of the auditing report.

The process of annual filing is, in fact, long and jarring. However, if you encounter any issues, you can get in touch with Registrationwala, as our team is fully dedicated to creating the best financial atmosphere so that the companies continue to grow within the legal confines of the country.

Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.