Answer 4 questions. We'll tell you exactly which structure — and which ones to avoid. Real compliance costs, cited to MCA and Income Tax Act.
Takes 4 minutes · Free · No sales call
Harini
Brutally honest. No upselling. No generic disclaimers.
For directional guidance. Complex and institutional situations require a professional advisor.
The 60-second structure file
Every incorporation in India starts as a file on a registrar's desk. Here's yours — fill in the particulars and the verdict gets stamped on it. No sign-up, no jargon.
Field 1 of 4 — Particulars of the applicant
Where do the founders live?
The Entity Matrix — A → AB · 28 structures
We start with the trade-offs, not just the upsides.
Showing 16 structures
Zero paperwork. Zero protection. Zero drama.
In plain words
You ARE the business — no separation. Easiest possible start, but if the business owes money, it comes out of your pocket: savings, car, house.
A proprietorship, but with friends. And all of their liabilities.
In plain words
You and your partners run the business together — and each of you is personally on the hook for what the others do. This is why almost everyone chooses an LLP instead.
A tax-planning vehicle dressed up as a business entity.
In plain words
Not really a business — a way for a Hindu family to pool income under a separate tax identity. Think of it as an extra PAN card for the family unit.
Asset protection without the corporate audit nightmare.
In plain words
A partnership with a safety wall: the firm's debts belong to the firm, not to you personally. Cheaper to run than a company, but VCs rarely invest in one.
The compliance trap for solo founders who want to sound corporate.
In plain words
A one-person company. You get the safety wall of a company — business debts stay with the business — without needing a co-founder.
The only VC-ready structure. Also a compliance monster from Day 1.
In plain words
The standard 'real company'. It exists separately from you: it signs contracts, owns assets, and carries its own debts. This is the structure investors expect.
For when you're listing on the NSE/BSE. Not for startups.
In plain words
A company built to have many shareholders — eventually the general public via a stock exchange. Heavier rulebook, meant for large businesses on the IPO path.
A non-profit wearing a corporate suit. MCA-registered, audited, CSR-eligible.
In plain words
A company whose profits must be ploughed back into its cause — no one can take dividends out. India's most credible legal form for a serious non-profit.
A Pvt Ltd with a cooperative soul. Exclusively for primary producers.
In plain words
A company owned by the farmers or producers who use it — profits flow back to member producers, not outside investors.
A community savings pool. Not a fintech or startup vehicle.
In plain words
A members-only savings club in company form: members deposit and borrow among themselves. It is not a licence to run a fintech.
Non-profit without the MCA overhead. Faster, simpler, and state-governed.
In plain words
The oldest non-profit form: trustees hold assets to be used for a cause. Simple to create, but less transparent to donors and regulators than a Section 8 company.
The democratic non-profit. Best for membership organizations and NGOs.
In plain words
A membership-run non-profit — clubs, associations, NGOs — governed by an elected committee rather than owners or shareholders.
Member-owned, profit-sharing, and fundamentally democratic. The original startup model.
In plain words
A business owned by its own members, where every member gets one vote no matter how much money they put in. Housing societies and dairy co-ops work this way.
Not a legal entity — a strategy. Usually a Pvt Ltd with a shareholder agreement.
In plain words
A company two businesses create together for one specific project — a sealed container that keeps that venture's money and risk separate from everything else they own.
The only legal vehicle for corporate political donations after electoral bonds died.
In plain words
A special vehicle with exactly one job: passing corporate donations to political parties transparently. It is not a business structure.
An India presence for a foreign parent. Not a local founder shortcut.
In plain words
A foreign company's outpost in India — a branch, liaison, or project office. It is an arm of the foreign parent, not a new Indian company.
Not sure which structure fits?
Our CA team will ask you a few questions and give you a personalised recommendation.
Free · No commitment
Each item is reviewed by our team. Updates are sourced from MCA, Income Tax, and state notifications.
Loading latest regulatory updates...
Illustrative policy watchlist item. If a small-company audit exemption proposal is active, it would change the compliance math for early-stage Pvt Ltd entities. Verify the latest Gazette, MCA notifications, and a professional before relying on it.
OPCs are required to hold at least one board meeting per half-year calendar under Rule 3 of the Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Rules, 2014. Small companies must hold minimum 2 board meetings per year (amended from 4). Verify current rules before using in a filing decision.
SPICe+ (Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company Electronically Plus) is the current integrated incorporation workflow on the MCA portal. It bundles DIN, name reservation, PAN, TAN, GSTIN, ESIC, EPFO, and bank account opening. Actual turnaround depends on state and filing path.
Stamp duty on LLP agreements and company incorporation varies by state and can change through state notifications. Treat any percentage claim as a starting point only — verify the current state stamp duty schedule before advising a client.
Regulations change. Your structure shouldn't catch you off guard.
Get the right entity from the start — the one that fits your compliance budget.
Our transparency standard
This guide is built to behave like a good advisor: no referral fees, no fuzzy answers, and no pretending that every situation needs a complex structure. When the topic gets legally sensitive, the app points you to the source and hands off to a human expert.
No referral fees
We do not earn commissions from incorporation agents. The recommendation is meant to save you money, not sell you paperwork.
Linked sources
Key claims point back to MCA, India Code, or Income Tax references so you can verify the legal basis yourself.
Human review when needed
When the question gets complex, the app escalates to a professional instead of pretending to know everything.
Freshness visible
Every major advice block carries a last-reviewed date so you can see how current the guidance is.
Do nothing when needed
If the right move is to wait, we say wait. Not every founder needs to register a company on day one.
What we do not do
How the recommendation works
01
Stage first
We start with where you are now: pre-revenue, bootstrapped, or actively raising capital.
02
People second
Then we check whether you are solo, have co-founders, or need an institutional ownership structure.
03
Capital last
Only then do we decide whether limited liability, investor readiness, or special regulation actually matters.
Productized advisory
₹4,999
flat fee
60-minute CA call (video or phone)
Written structure recommendation — specific Act sections cited
Incorporation checklist: exact forms, fees, and sequence
1 follow-up email question within 30 days
Not included
Government fees (DSC, stamp duty, MCA — paid separately)
Filing execution (separate engagement if you want us to do it)
Razorpay · UPI / Cards / Net Banking · Call within 2 business days
The free consultation is useful for scoping. This is for when you're ready to decide — and want the answer in writing, with the Act cited, and a checklist you can hand to a lawyer or accountant.
Advice is free on this site. Execution is priced. This is the gap between the two — a structured recommendation that tells you exactly what to do and why, before you spend ₹20,000–80,000 on filing.
Who this is for
Founders who've used the tools on this site and want a CA to review their specific situation — not a generic disclaimer-heavy answer.
Already know what you want?
Book the free 20-min consult instead — use the buttons at the top of any tool. The plan is for when you want documented advice, not just a call.
Free tools
Cost estimates, tax drag, ESOP math, compliance calendars — all cited to statute, no email required.
Cost Calculator
Setup & annual compliance
Break-even Analyzer
Revenue to cover burn
Compliance Calendar
Never miss a deadline
Tax Drag Calculator
After-tax returns by structure
Structure Health Check
Is your entity still right?
ESOP Tax Visualizer
Options, vesting & tax
GST Checker
Registration & threshold
FDI Checker
Foreign investment rules
Term Sheet Decoder
Plain-English clauses
Startup India Checker
DPIIT eligibility
Cofounder Equity Split
Fair equity calculator
+ 35 more tools
Salary optimiser, NPO compare, ArchSandbox…
Entity guides
Four pillars, honest pros & cons, five statute-cited FAQs — one page per structure.
Public Limited Company
/entity/public-ltd →
Nidhi Company
/entity/nidhi →
Producer Company (FPC)
/entity/producer →
Cooperative Society
/entity/cooperative →
Hindu Undivided Family (HUF)
/entity/huf →
Registered Society
/entity/society →
DPIIT Startup Recognition
/entity/startup →
NBFC Registration
/entity/nbfc →
Partnership Firm
/entity/firm →
Limited Liability Partnership
/entity/llp →
Private Limited Company
/entity/pvt-ltd →
One Person Company
/entity/opc →
Sole Proprietorship
/entity/prop →
Trust / Section 8 Company
/entity/trust-section8 →
Why We Built This
MakeItLegit is built by a CA firm that has seen firsthand what happens when founders choose a structure based on perception rather than fit.
We don't make money when you incorporate. We make money when you need real expertise — for tax planning, audits, or complex structures. So we have every incentive to tell you to start simple.
No Affiliate Fees
We don't get paid by incorporation agents. Our advice is structurally unconflicted.
Full Transparency
Every hidden cost, every compliance deadline, every trap — in plain language.
Human When It Counts
The AI knows its limits. Complex situations get escalated to our team immediately.
Brutally Honest
We will actively talk you out of structures you don't need. That's the whole point.
Still not sure?
Free 20-minute consultation. Our CA team will tell you exactly what you need — even if the answer is 'do nothing yet.'
Book a free consultation →calendly.com/harunraaj
Sources / Verify independently
This product is a directional guide, not legal advice. Rules, thresholds, and fees can change — verify any decision against the latest MCA, India Code, and Income Tax sources.
Last reviewed: May 24, 2026