Ask Veda
Consultancies, agencies and professional practices need few licences, but the structure, GST position and presumptive-tax choice matter.
What each registration is, who issues it and when it applies to a professional firm. Rules vary by state and by size — treat this as the map, and ask us about your exact case.
Mandatory for an office · State labour dept
Registers a shop, office, restaurant or other commercial establishment under the state's Shops and Establishments Act. Who must register, and the exemptions, differ from state to state.
Every year · CBDT
The annual income tax return — for a business or profession it is also the record banks and visa offices ask for.
Services above ₹20 lakh · 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.
In states that levy it
A state tax on professions, trades and employment, levied in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. Employers register and deduct it from salaries.
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.
Recommended · limited liability
A limited liability partnership: partners' liability is limited, compliance is lighter than a company, but it cannot issue shares to investors.
Recommended · firm name and logo
Protects your brand name and logo across India, and is what marketplace brand-registry programmes ask for. Filing early fixes your date of priority.
Recommended · benefits & credit
A free, Aadhaar-based registration that classifies you as a micro, small or medium enterprise — used for priority-sector credit, protection against delayed payments and preferences in government tenders.
Some registrations need another one first — this is the sequence that avoids rework.
After the registrations come the returns and filings that keep you compliant.
GST returns, bookkeeping, TDS and annual filings — everything a business like yours has to keep doing, in one place.
See the compliance pack →City guides with the local authorities, fees and timelines.
What people starting a professional firm ask us most.
Once turnover crosses ₹20 lakh — fees from clients abroad count towards it. Legal services by advocates to business entities are taxed under reverse charge, paid by the client.
An LLP limits each partner's liability and is a separate entity; a partnership is cheaper to run but the partners are personally liable.
Specified professionals with gross receipts up to ₹50 lakh (₹75 lakh if cash receipts are 5% or less) can declare 50% of receipts as income and skip detailed books.
Every sector, with its own checklist.
A CA or CS confirms which of these apply to you, in your state, and handles the ones we cover.