Company Registration Fees in India (2026 Cost Guide)

One of the first questions founders ask before incorporating is simply, “What will it cost?” The honest answer is that the total is made up of several distinct components, and a few of them vary meaningfully by state and by the authorised capital you choose. This guide breaks down each element of the cost of registering a private limited company in India as of 2026, along with indicative figures for other common structures, so you can budget with realistic expectations.

The building blocks of company registration cost

The amount you pay to register a company is not a single fee. It is a bundle of statutory charges collected by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), a state-levied stamp duty, one-time digital certificate and identification costs, and the professional fee charged by the firm that files on your behalf. Understanding each block separately helps you see where the money goes and why two founders in different states can pay quite different totals for an otherwise identical company.

• MCA / SPICe+ government filing fees
• Stamp duty on incorporation documents (state and capital dependent)
• Name reservation charges
• Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) for directors
• Director Identification Number (DIN) allotment
• PAN and TAN issuance
• Professional and drafting charges

MCA / SPICe+ government fees

Companies in India are incorporated through the SPICe+ (Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company Electronically Plus) form on the MCA portal. A significant relief for small businesses is that the MCA charges no form filing fee on incorporation where the authorised share capital does not exceed a prescribed threshold, currently Rs 15 lakh. In practice this means that for most early-stage private limited companies, the core MCA incorporation fee itself is nil, and government charges above this arise only where authorised capital is higher.

Where authorised capital exceeds the exemption threshold, a graduated fee applies based on the capital slab. This is why a founder who sets a very high authorised capital at the outset will see the government component rise, even though the number of shares actually issued may be modest.

Stamp duty — the biggest variable

Stamp duty is charged on the incorporation documents, principally the Memorandum of Association (MoA) and Articles of Association (AoA), and it is levied by the state in which the registered office is located. Because it is a state subject, the rate and structure differ across India, and it is usually the single largest source of variation in the final bill.

As an illustration only, stamp duty for a company with modest capital can be a few hundred rupees in some states and several thousand rupees in others, and certain states levy it as a percentage of authorised capital, which pushes the figure up as capital increases. Because these rates are periodically revised, the exact amount should always be confirmed for your specific state and capital before you finalise a budget.

DSC, DIN, name reservation, PAN and TAN

Beyond the MCA and stamp duty charges, a few one-time items complete the picture:

• Digital Signature Certificate (DSC): Every proposed director must sign the forms electronically, which requires a Class 3 DSC. This typically costs in the region of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per director for a two-year validity, depending on the certifying authority and provider.
• Director Identification Number (DIN): DIN is allotted through the SPICe+ form itself, at no separate cost, for up to three directors at the time of incorporation. Additional or later DIN applications carry a nominal government fee.
• Name reservation: You may reserve a company name through the RUN facility or directly within SPICe+. A name reservation application carries a government fee of Rs 1,000; reserving the name inside the SPICe+ filing itself avoids a separate charge.
• PAN and TAN: These are issued automatically as part of the SPICe+ process, with only a small statutory charge, and no separate application is needed.

Professional and drafting charges

The final component is the fee charged by the chartered accountant, company secretary or consulting firm that manages the process. This covers drafting the MoA and AoA, preparing declarations and consents, verifying documents, filing SPICe+ and the associated forms, and liaising with the MCA on queries. Professional fees vary with the complexity of the structure, the number of directors, and the level of advisory support, and typically fall within a broad range of a few thousand to around Rs 15,000 for a straightforward private limited company. Packages quoted at very low headline prices often exclude stamp duty, DSC or higher-capital government fees, so it is worth confirming exactly what is included.

Indicative total cost by structure

Putting the components together, the figures below are indicative all-in ranges for 2026 and will shift with your state, authorised capital, number of directors and the service package you choose. They should be treated as planning estimates, not fixed quotes.

• Private limited company: broadly Rs 7,000 to Rs 25,000, with stamp duty and capital the main swing factors.
• One Person Company (OPC): broadly Rs 9,000 to Rs 23,000, structurally similar to a private limited company but with a single member.
• Limited Liability Partnership (LLP): broadly Rs 9,000 to Rs 23,000, with government fees keyed to the contribution amount rather than share capital.

Unregistered or lightly registered structures such as a sole proprietorship or a general partnership firm generally cost less to set up, since they do not go through the SPICe+ incorporation route, though they carry different liability and compliance implications that should be weighed against the lower upfront cost.

Why two founders pay different amounts

Because the government form fee can be nil at modest capital, the visible differences between quotes usually come down to three things: the state of the registered office (stamp duty), the authorised capital chosen, and the number of directors requiring a DSC. A realistic budget starts by fixing these three variables and then confirming the applicable stamp duty rate for that state and capital, rather than relying on a single headline figure seen in an advertisement.

Frequently asked questions

Is there really no MCA fee for a small company?

The MCA does not levy a form filing fee on incorporation where authorised capital is within the prescribed threshold, currently Rs 15 lakh. However, you will still incur stamp duty, DSC costs and professional charges, so the total is never zero even when the core government form fee is nil.

Why does stamp duty differ so much between states?

Stamp duty is levied by each state government, so both the rate and the method of calculation differ across India. Some states charge a flat or slab-based amount while others charge a percentage of authorised capital, which is why the same company can cost noticeably more to register in one state than another.

Do I pay separately for DIN and PAN?

For up to three directors, DIN is allotted within the SPICe+ form at no separate cost, and PAN and TAN are issued automatically with only a small statutory charge. Separate applications and fees generally arise only for additional directors or later changes.

Can I lower my registration cost by keeping authorised capital low?

Keeping authorised capital within the exemption threshold helps avoid higher government fees and, in percentage-based states, lower stamp duty. That said, authorised capital should reflect your genuine funding plans, as increasing it later involves its own procedure and cost.

Are the total figures quoted here guaranteed?

No. The ranges are indicative for 2026 and depend on your state, capital, director count and chosen service package. The precise amount should always be confirmed for your specific circumstances before you commit.

If you would prefer a clear, single quote tailored to your state and capital, TAXAJ handles private limited company registration and other structures end to end — from name reservation and documentation to SPICe+ filing and post-incorporation compliance. Reach out to our team for a transparent cost estimate for your business.