Engagement
Company secretarial retainer for private companies and LLPs
Last reviewed 07 November 2026
A company secretary on call, with every filing on its due date.
In short
A company secretarial retainer puts a practising company secretary on call for the whole year. The company's calendar is set at the start of the year, and board meetings, minutes, statutory registers and every ROC filing, from the annual AOC-4 and MGT-7 to event filings such as DIR-12, PAS-3 and MGT-14, are handled as they fall due, with reminders before each date.
Overview
Most private companies do not need a whole-time company secretary: a private company must appoint one only when its paid-up share capital is ₹10 crore or more. They still carry the full Companies Act calendar, and missed dates cost money: an annual return filed late carries an additional fee of ₹100 a day per form.
A retainer covers that calendar for one company or LLP, or for a group. The practice keeps the registers and minutes, prepares the notices and resolutions, files the annual and event-based forms, and tells the directors in advance what is due and what is needed from them.
Founders and finance teams get one point of contact for company law questions during the year, from a share transfer or a new director to a notice from the Registrar.
Key Deliverables
- A compliance calendar for the year, with reminders before each due date
- Board meetings and the AGM: notices, agendas, minutes and attendance (SS-1, SS-2)
- Statutory registers kept up to date
- Annual filings: AOC-4, MGT-7 or MGT-7A, ADT-1, DPT-3, MSME-1 and DIR-3 KYC; for LLPs, Form 11 and Form 8
- Event filings as they arise: DIR-12, PAS-3, MGT-14, SH-7, INC-22, CHG-1 and others
- Company law questions answered during the year
Documents & E-Forms
- AOC-4
- MGT-7
- ADT-1
- DPT-3
- DIR-3 KYC
- Form 11
- Form 8
When to Engage
At the start of a financial year, after incorporation, or when a business with several companies or LLPs wants one calendar for all of them.
Typical turnaround: Scoped in the engagement letter.
Frequently Asked
About this engagement