Other Structures

Proprietorship, HUF, Society or Trust

The structures beyond a Private Limited or an LLP. Some you run for profit, others exist for a purpose rather than a profit, and each is registered in its own way.

Fees from ₹499 + taxes Seven structures compared Timeline varies by state

Not sure this is the right structure? Compare it with Private Limited, LLP and Partnership

what they are

Which group are you in?

first group

Run for profit

Trading to make money, mostly without outside investment. A One Person Company is the exception — it converts to a private limited company as it grows.

Sole Proprietorship

One person trading in their own name or a business name. Nothing to incorporate — you establish it through the registrations you actually need, and you and the business stay the same person for tax and for liability.

Our fee from ₹999 + taxes

One Person Company

A company with a single member, incorporated with the MCA. Limited liability without a second shareholder. A nominee is named at incorporation, and it converts to a private limited company once it outgrows the OPC thresholds.

Our fee from ₹499 + taxes

Hindu Undivided Family

A family entity recognised under the Income Tax Act, run by the senior-most member as Karta. It gets its own PAN and files its own return, which is where the benefit sits. For family-held business and assets.

Our fee from ₹499 + taxes

Unregistered Partnership

Two or more people trading under a deed not filed with the Registrar of Firms. Legal to run and cheaper to start, but the firm cannot sue to enforce a contract and the partners cannot sue each other.

Our fee from ₹1,499 + taxes

second group

Not for profit

Set up for a purpose rather than a profit. Income is applied to the object, not distributed to the members who run it.

Society

Registered with the state Registrar under the Societies Registration Act by a governing body of members, with a memorandum and its own rules. For schools, clubs, and cultural and welfare bodies. The minimum number of members differs by state.

Our fee from ₹2,499 + taxes

Trust

Created by a trust deed on stamp paper and registered with the Sub-Registrar. Public charitable trusts for temples, hospitals and education; private trusts for family arrangements. Trustees hold the property for the beneficiaries.

Our fee from ₹2,499 + taxes

Section 8 Company

A company incorporated with the MCA for a charitable object. Profits are applied to that object and cannot be distributed. Chosen over a society or trust where donors and funders want company-grade governance and annual filings.

Our fee from ₹2,499 + taxes

what we set up

What a proprietorship actually needs

1 Shops and Establishment registration. The state licence for your place of business. This is the one most people mean by “registering” a proprietorship. varies by state
2 Udyam registration (MSME). Free and online. Opens up MSME schemes, easier credit and the protection on delayed payments. 1–2 days
3 GST registration, when you need it. Turnover thresholds, selling across state lines, or selling on a marketplace. Not everyone needs it from day one. if required
4 TAN where you deduct TDS, and a current account in the business name. There is no separate PAN for a proprietorship — your own PAN is the business PAN. Banks ask for two of the registrations above before they open the account. on registration

An HUF or an unregistered partnership takes the same route — Shops and Establishment, Udyam and GST where it applies — with a deed prepared first. A society, a trust or a Section 8 company does not. Those register under their own acts with the state, and the governing body, the documents and the timeline all work differently, so we take those offline. Speak to an advisor and we will tell you which of these you actually need before you pay for any of them.

ready when you are

Tell us what you are setting up.

Most people in this group need fewer registrations than they expect. We will tell you which ones apply, and give you the cost in writing before anything is filed.

From ₹499 + taxes. Each structure has its own fee, shown on its card. Government fees at actuals.
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the questions we get asked

Common questions

Is there such a thing as registering a proprietorship?

Not in the way a company is registered. There is no register of proprietorships and no certificate of incorporation. What people mean by it is the set of registrations that let you trade and open a current account: Shops and Establishment, Udyam, and GST where it applies. We set those up together.

Can I convert to an LLP or a company later?

A proprietorship cannot convert. It has no separate legal identity, so there is nothing to convert — you incorporate the LLP or the company fresh, move the business across, and the proprietorship stops. A registered partnership firm is different: it genuinely converts, to an LLP under the LLP Act or to a company under Section 366 of the Companies Act, with the firm's assets and liabilities vesting in the new entity. Either route has its own cost and timeline, which is why the structure is worth ten minutes at the start.

Do I need GST from day one?

Not always. It depends on your turnover, whether you sell across state lines, and what you sell. Some businesses must register immediately; others are better off waiting. We check this before you register for anything.

Can we apply for Startup India DPIIT recognition?

DPIIT recognises a Private Limited Company, an LLP and a registered partnership firm. Of the structures on this page, a One Person Company qualifies, because it is a private limited company under the Companies Act. A proprietorship, an HUF, an unregistered partnership, a society or a trust does not. A Section 8 company is a company, but recognition also turns on innovation and scalability, so ask us before you count on it. If DPIIT recognition and the tax exemption matter to you, that decides your structure.

How is a society different from a trust?

A society is a membership body with a governing council, registered with the state Registrar of Societies, and is usual for schools, clubs and welfare bodies. A trust is created by a deed and registered with the Sub-Registrar, with trustees holding property for the beneficiaries, and is usual for temples, hospitals and charitable endowments. Which suits you depends on how you want it governed and who controls it, so ask us.

Is Udyam the same as MSME registration?

Yes. Udyam is the current name for it. The older Udyog Aadhaar and MSME registrations were folded into the Udyam portal, so if you were registered under the old system you need to move across. It is free and takes a day or two on your Aadhaar and PAN, and it is what lets you claim the delayed-payment protection and the MSME schemes.

Do I have to take Shops and Establishment registration?

In most states, yes, if you have a place of business - a shop, an office, or a godown. It is a state labour department registration and the rules, fees and renewal periods differ from state to state. It is also the document banks most often ask for when you open a current account in the business name, so in practice it comes first.

Can I use my savings account, or do I need a current account?

A current account in the business name. Banks are clear that a savings account is not meant for business receipts, and mixing the two makes your books and your tax return harder to defend later. Banks usually want two of the registrations above before they will open it, which is part of why we do them together.

Can a society or a trust earn income?

Yes. Not for profit means the income is applied to the object, not that there is none. A school can charge fees and a trust can hold rent-yielding property. What it cannot do is distribute a surplus to its members or trustees. Registration under Section 12A and 80G is a separate exercise, and worth doing early if you plan to raise donations.

talk to a real advisor

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