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Start a business · Media & Creators

Registrations to start a media or creator business

YouTube, Instagram and brand-deal income is business income: it needs a proper return, GST above the threshold and protection for the name you build.

Your checklist

What each registration is, who issues it and when it applies to a creator business. Rules vary by state and by size — treat this as the map, and ask us about your exact case.

Mandatory · Needed by every business of this kind.

ITR filingCBDT

Mandatory · CBDT

The annual income tax return — for a business or profession it is also the record banks and visa offices ask for.

We handle this See the service →

If it applies · Needed once you cross a threshold or do a particular activity.

GST registrationCBIC · GSTN

Above ₹20 lakh or brand deals · CBIC

Required once aggregate turnover crosses the threshold — ₹40 lakh for goods and ₹20 lakh for services in most states — and in some cases from the first sale, such as most inter-state supplies of goods.

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LUTCBIC

For AdSense / foreign income without IGST

A Letter of Undertaking (Form GST RFD-11) lets exporters of goods and services, and suppliers to SEZs, supply without paying IGST. It is filed for each financial year.

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Advance taxCBDT

If tax due is ₹10,000 or more

Tax paid in instalments during the year when the tax due is ₹10,000 or more; missing an instalment costs interest.

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Recommended · Not compulsory, but worth doing early.

TrademarkTrade Marks Registry

Recommended · channel and brand name

Protects your brand name and logo across India, and is what marketplace brand-registry programmes ask for. Filing early fixes your date of priority.

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CopyrightCopyright Office

Recommended · original content

Copyright exists from creation, but a registration certificate is prima facie evidence of ownership when content is copied or a platform dispute arises.

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LLPMCA

Recommended as you scale

A limited liability partnership: partners' liability is limited, compliance is lighter than a company, but it cannot issue shares to investors.

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The order to do them in

Some registrations need another one first — this is the sequence that avoids rework.

  1. File the income tax return as business income, keeping records of expenses.
  2. Register for GST as income nears ₹20 lakh; file an LUT for foreign platform income.
  3. Pay advance tax quarterly.
  4. Trademark the channel name; register copyright in key work.
  5. Move to an LLP or company once a team and contracts arrive.

Go further

After the registrations come the returns and filings that keep you compliant.

Running it, not just starting it

GST returns, bookkeeping, TDS and annual filings — everything a business like yours has to keep doing, in one place.

See the compliance pack →

Common questions

What people starting a creator business ask us most.

Is YouTube AdSense income taxable?

Yes, as business or professional income. Once GST-registered, AdSense paid from abroad can qualify as an export of services — zero-rated under an LUT.

When does a creator need GST?

Once aggregate turnover — AdSense, brand deals and everything else — crosses ₹20 lakh.

Should I trademark my channel name?

If the name is your brand, yes — it is what stops someone else registering it and claiming your handle or merchandise.

Other industries

Every sector, with its own checklist.

Starting a creator business?

Tell us what you are building. We map every registration.

A CA or CS confirms which of these apply to you, in your state, and handles the ones we cover.

Book a Consultation → Chat on WhatsApp Mon–Fri 10–6 · Sat 10–2 IST