Skip to main content

One Person Company (OPC) Registration

One Person Company (OPC) Registration
The concept of One Person Company in India was introduced through the Companies Act, 2013 to support entrepreneurs who on their own are capable of starting a venture by allowing them to create a single person economic entity. One of the biggest advantages of a One Person Company (OPC) is that there can be only one member in an OPC, while a minimum of two members are required for incorporating and maintaining a Private Limited Company or a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). Similar to a Private Limited Company, a One Person Company is a separate legal entity from its promoter, offering limited liability protection to its sole shareholder, while having continuity of business and being easy to incorporate.

Though a One Person Company allows a lone Entrepreneur to operate a corporate entity with limited liability protection, an OPC does have a few limitations. For instance, every One Person Company (OPC) must nominate a nominee Director in the MOA and AOA of the Company - who will become the owner of the OPC in case the sole Director is disabled. Also, a One Person Company must be converted into a Private Limited Company if it crosses an annual turnover of Rs.2 crores and must file audited financial statements with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at the end of each Financial Year like all types of Companies. Therefore, it is essential for the Entrepreneur to carefully consider the features of a One Person Company before incorporation.

OPC in India
The concept of One Person Company in India was introduced by Dr. Jamshed J. Irani in his Report on Company Law dated 31st May, 2oo5 . As per the report, Dr. Irani recommended that with the increasing use of information technology and emergence of a strong service sector in India, it was time for the Government to empower entrepreneurs who on their own are capable of developing ideas and participating in the marketplace. He suggested that entrepreneurs who on their own are capable of starting a venture should not be made to do it through an association of persons, and should be able to create a single person economic entity in the form of ‘One Person Company’. Further, it was also suggested that such an entity may be provided with a simpler regime through exemptions so that the single entrepreneur is not compelled to fritter away his time, energy and resources on procedural matters.

This led to the introduction of “One Person Company” in the Companies Bill 2013, which got its assent in the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2012 and in the Rajya Sabha on 8 August 2013. After obtaining the assent of the President of India on 29 August 2013, it has become the Companies Act, 2013.

Benefits of One Person Company
Till the introduction of One Person Company in India, the Limited Liability and Continuous Existence feature was only available to an association of persons such as a Private Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership or a Limited Company. With the introduction of One Person Company, the limited liability and continuous existence feature is now also available for One Person Company, which is an entity with just one member. As One Person Company has just one member, it is necessitated by the law for the single member of the Company to designate another person in the Memorandum of Association, who on the event of subscriber’s death or incapacity shall become the person to contract. This mechanism provides an adequate safeguard to ensure continuous existence of the entity even in case of incapacitation of the single member.

All companies in India are required to hold an annual general meeting each year, in addition to any other meetings and not more than fifteen months should elapse between the dates of subsequent annual general meetings. One Person Company is exempt from holding an annual general meeting or extraordinary general meetings. The resolution signed by the single Director and entered into the minutes book is sufficient, in lieu of a General / Extraordinary General Meeting.

Every company in India is required to prepare and file financial statements that includes balance sheet, profit and loss account, cash flow statement, statement of changes in equity and explanatory notes. In case of One Person Company, cash flow statement is not required.

OPC Registration Process
Before exploring the concept of a one person company, let us have a brief understanding of the various types of companies that can be formed. A company can be established for a lawful purpose by the following number of persons:

Seven or more persons, in case of a public limited company.
Two or more persons, in case of a private limited company.
One person, in case of a one-person company.
OPC Requirements
Unlike a private limited company, a one person company has certain restrictions associated with its incorporation. Hence, before starting an OPC registration, its essential to understand the constraints and ensure the promoter is eligible as per the Companies Act to register a OPC.

Only a natural person who is Indian Citizen and resident in India can incorporate OPC.
Resident in India means a person who had resided in India for a period not lesser than 182 days in the prior calendar year.
Legal entities like Company or LLP cannot incorporate a OPC.
The minimum authorised capital is Rs 1,00,000.
A nominee must be appointed by the promoter during incorporation.
Businesses involved in financial activities cannot be incorporated as a OPC.
OPC must be converted to a private limited company when paid-up share capital exceeds Rs.50 lakhs or turnover crosses Rs.2 crores.
Thus, a one-person company can be formed by an Indian citizen who has his/her presence in India for at least 182 days during the immediately preceding calendar year. A person can incorporate not more than one OPC. Finally, an OPC is prohibited from having a minor as its member.

Nominee in One Person Company
The rules for incorporation of one person company requires that the sole member of a One Person Company should include the name of a nominee in the Companies MOA, who will undertake the entity after the expiry or incapacity of the former. Moreover, the document must contain the written consent of the nominee, which must also be filed with the Registrar during incorporation along with the MOA and AOA.

Withdrawal of Consent
The nominee is entitled to withdraw his/her consent, in which case the sole member is required to nominate another member as a legal heir within 15 days of the notice of withdrawal. The nomination of new personnel must be intimated to the Company through a written consent in Form INC-3. The Company, in turn, is required to file the notice of withdrawal of consent along with the intimation of the new nominee with the Registrar in Form INC 4.

Change of Nominee
The sole member of a 'One Person Company' is empowered to change the nominee of the Company for any reason whatsoever, by providing notice in writing to the Company. Again, the new nominee must consent to the nomination in Form INC 3, and the Company must file the notice of change and consent of the nominee with the Registrar along with the applicable fee, within 30 days of receiving the intimation of change.

Nominee Appointment
If a nominee becomes in-charge of the one person company due to the cessation of the original member's term owing to the death or incapacity of the latter, the new member must appoint a nominee as a replacement.

Penalty
If a One Person Company or an officer of such Company is not compliant with the specified regulations, the entity or the officer will incur penalties which could be as high as Rs 10,000. Further, the penalty will be increased by a fine of Rs 1,000 for each day of default.

Incorporation Process
The process for incorporation of a One Person Company can be divided into four steps as under:

Obtaining Digital Signature
Obtaining Name Approval
Incorporation Filing
Commencement of Business
Obtaining Digital Signature
Digital signature certificate must be obtained for the sole promoter and the nominee for processing the incorporation. Application for DSC would require passport size photos of the applicant, identity proof and address proof.

Name Availability
In parallel to the Digital Signature applicaiton, the application for name reservation can be submitted to the MCA. Name approval applications are processed by the MCA in 24-72 hours. The name suggested must conform to the naming standards, and the name of the OPC must end or include the words (OPC).

Check company name availability.

Incorporation
After obtaining name approval, incorporation application can be filed to the MCA with signed Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Articles of Association (AOA). Further, the identity proof, address proof and residence proof of the member and nominee would be required. In addition to the MOA, AOA, identity proof, address proof, other incorporation documents like affidavits and declaration of the sole promoter must be submitted. Further, the consent of the nominee director must also be attached in Form INC-3.

On filing for incorporation, approval is granted by the Registrar of Companies (ROC). In case there are any issues with the documents submitted, the application for incorporation can be resubmitted.

Commencement of Business
Once the incorporation certificate is obtained, the OPC would initiate the process for bank account opening. IndiaFilings can help you open a bank current account. Once the bank account is opened, the promoter must deposit the amount mentioned in the MOA of the Company.

Once, the equity capital is infused into the Bank's current account; the Company can file for the commencement of business with the MCA. Commence of Business certificate must be obtained with 180 days of incorporation to avoid a penalty.

Finally, In case notice of the situation related to registered office was not filed during incorporation, it must be filed after incorporation within 30 days. Documents required for filing INC-22 are:

Lease deed or Rent agreement together with rent receipts.
Copies of utility bills as described above that are not older than 2 months
A proof that the Company is allowed to use the address as the registered office of the Company if the same is owned by any other entity or Person and is not taken on lease by Company
Labels:

Comments

  1. vajith5 November 2020 at 21:12

    the information you have updated is very good and useful,please update further.
    if you require any info regarding TAX & GSTR please visit

    Company registration in Bangalore
    Company name registration in Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bryant16 March 2021 at 05:28

    This information is helpful for newly registered companies.
    This is very helpful for newly startup companies.
    If you want to know more about the One Person company,visit here:
    one person company registration in bangalore
    opc company registration fees in bangalore
    one person company compliance in bangalore
    opc compliance checklist in bangalore
    opc annual compliance online in bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bryant29 March 2021 at 00:51

    Wow..Amazing blog.. This blog is very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing this information with us.If you know more about one person company registration in bangalore and opc company registration fees in bangalore please click on it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POONAM VERMA VS. ASHWIN PATEL & ORS (10 MAY, 1996)

     POONAM VERMA VS. ASHWIN PATEL & ORS (10 MAY, 1996) INTRODUCTION The medical profession is perhaps the noblest profession among any remaining professions in India. For a patient, the specialist resembles God. What's more, God is trustworthy. In any case, that is the patient's opinion. As a general rule, doctors are individuals. Furthermore, to fail is human. Doctors might submit a slip-up. Doctors might be careless. The care staff might be imprudent. Two demonstrations of carelessness might bring about a lot more pressing issue. It very well might be because of gross carelessness. The sky is the limit. In such a situation, it is basic to figure out who was careless, and under what conditions. For this situation, the Supreme Court separated carelessness, impulsiveness, and foolishness. An individual is supposed to be a careless individual when he/she unintentionally submits a demonstration of exclusion and disregards a positive obligation that he/she ought to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Case Laws related to Defamation in favour of ClaimantCase Laws related to Defamation in favour of Claimant. TOLLEY Vs, J.S FRY & SONS LTD – (1931) Facts The defendants were owners of chocolate manufacturing company. They advertised their products with a caricature of the claimant, who was a prominent amateur golfer, showing him with the defendants’ chocolate in his pocket while playing golf. The advertisement compared the excellence of the chocolate to the excellence of the claimant’s drive. The claimant did not consent to or knew about the advertisement. Issue The claimant alleged that the advertisement suggested that he agreed to his portrait being used for commercial purposes and for financial gain. He further claimed that the use of his image made him look like someone who prostituted his reputation for advertising purposes and was thus unworthy of his status. At trial, several golfers gave evidence to the effect that if an amateur sold himself for advertisement, he no longer maintained his amateur status and might be asked to resign from his respective club. Furthermore, there was evidence that the possible adverse effects of the caricature on the claimant’s reputation were brought to the defendants’ attention. The trial judge found that the caricature could have a defamatory meaning. The jury then found in favor of the claimant. Held The House of Lords held that in the circumstances of this case – as explained by the facts – the caricature was capable of constituting defamation. In other words, the publication could have the meaning alleged by the claimant. The Lords also ordered a new trial limited to the assessment of damages. NEWSTEAD V LANDON EXPRESS NEWSPAPER LTD, (1939) Facts: A newspaper published a defamatory article about Harold Newstead. However, another person with this name brought an action in libel. He claimed that the article had been misunderstood as leading to him. The defendant newspaper recognised that they published the article. Also, they denied that they had the intention of being defamatory of him. Consequently, the claimant argued that the newspaper was under a duty. The duty was to give a clear and complete description of the correct person. Moreover, the claimant argued that the defendants were in breach of the duty. Issues: The issue in Newstead v London Express Newspaper, was if the reasonable persons would have understood the words complained of to refer to the plaintiff. Held: The Court of Appeal stated that in accordance with the current law on libel, liability for libel does not depend on the intention of the defamer; but on the fact of the defamation. Accordingly, a reasonable man, in this case a newspaper publisher, must be aware of the possibility of individuals with the same name and must assume that the words published will be read by a reasonable man with reasonable care.

  Case Laws related to Defamation in favour of Claimant.  TOLLEY  Vs,  J.S FRY & SONS LTD – (1931) Facts The defendants were owners of chocolate manufacturing company. They advertised their products with a caricature of the claimant, who was a prominent amateur golfer, showing him with the defendants’ chocolate in his pocket while playing golf. The advertisement compared the excellence of the chocolate to the excellence of the claimant’s drive. The claimant did not consent to or knew about the advertisement.   Issue The claimant alleged that the advertisement suggested that he agreed to his portrait being used for commercial purposes and for financial gain. He further claimed that the use of his image made him look like someone who prostituted his reputation for advertising purposes and was thus unworthy of his status. At trial, several golfers gave evidence to the effect that if an amateur sold himself for advertisement, he no longer maintained his amateur ...
1 comment
Read more

Effects of Non-Registration

 Effects of Non-Registration The Companies Act, 2013 evidently highlights that the main essential for any organization to turn into a company is to get itself registered. A company cannot come into existence until it gets registered. But no such obligation has been imposed for firms by the Indian Partnership Act, 1932. If a firm is not registered it does not cease to be called as a firm, it still exists in the eyes law. Certainly, such a big advantage is not absolute but is subjected to a lot of limitations which we will study further. Non-registration of a firm simply means that the business skips the formalities of incorporation and ceases to exist in the eyes of the law. section 58 of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 deals with the procedure of incorporation. Likewise, the meaning of non-registration is the exact opposite of registration, meaning when a firm does not go through the procedure of incorporation or start carrying on activities without getting registered. Effects of ...
Post a Comment
Read more