Company Strike Off (Closure)

Companies that have not commenced business within a year of incorporation, or have done no business for the two preceding financial years (and haven't sought dormant status) — with no liabilities, no pending litigation, no open bank accounts, and no recent (3-month) name change or registered-office shift out of state. Certain categories (listed, Section 8 with conditions, companies under investigation) are excluded.

Yes — overdue AOC-4 and MGT-7 up to the end of the financial year in which the company ceased operations must be filed (with late fees) before STK-2. This "regularisation" is usually the bulk of closure cost for long-abandoned companies; our assessment quotes it upfront so there are no surprises.

Government fee for STK-2 is ₹10,000. Add: late fees for any overdue filings (₹100/day per form — the variable), CA certification, notarisation of bonds/affidavits, and our professional fee. The eligibility assessment gives you the all-in number before you commit.

Document preparation and filing within 2–4 weeks (plus regularisation time if filings are pending). After STK-2, the ROC issues a public notice (30-day objection window) and then strikes the name — total commonly 3–6 months to the final Gazette notification. Your compliance obligations effectively end at a properly filed application.

STK-3: an indemnity bond from every director, personally undertaking to pay any company liability that surfaces even after strike off. STK-4: each director's affidavit confirming the company's inactive, liability-free status. Both notarised — the personal undertakings are why genuine liability cleanup matters first.

Strike off is the simple removal of a defunct, liability-free company's name — fast and cheap. Winding up/liquidation is the formal process for companies WITH assets and liabilities to distribute, involving a liquidator (and for insolvent companies, the IBC). For a clean inactive shell, strike off is almost always the right route.

For undisclosed liabilities — yes, via the indemnity bonds, and the ROC can restore the company (within 20 years on certain applications) if strike off was obtained by misstatement. Honest disclosure and real liability cleanup make these risks theoretical; cutting corners makes them personal.

Each closes on its own track: GST cancellation (with final return GSTR-10), PT/shop-licence surrender, IEC deactivation. Doing these alongside strike off prevents zombie registrations issuing notices to a dead company — covered in our Pro plan checklist and execution.