Proprietorship Registration
A sole proprietorship is a type of unregistered business entity that is owned, managed and controlled by one person. Most businesses in India start individually without other's participation. An individual carrying out business activities is the sole proprietor and its business entity is said to be a Proprietorship Firm.Sole proprietorship's are one of the most common forms of business in India, used by most micro and small businesses operating in the unorganised sectors. Proprietorships are very easy to start and have very minimal regulatory compliance requirement for started and operating.
There is no mechanism provided by the Government of India for the registration of a Proprietorship. Therefore, the existence of a proprietorship must be established through tax registrations and other business registrations that a business is required to have as per the rules and regulations. For instance, VAT or Service Tax or GST Registration can be obtained in the name of the Proprietor to establish that the Proprietor is operating a business as a sole proprietorship. Thus, all the registrations for a proprietorship would be in the name of the Proprietor, making the Proprietor personally liable for all the liabilities of the Proprietorship.
Benefits of Proprietorship Firm Registration
Easy To Establish
It is relatively easy to establish and register the sole proprietorship business. There is no specific process to be followed to setup this business. Also the cost of sole proprietorship registration is very less compared to any other business structure. The business runs on the identity of the proprietor himself. He can run any legal business in his own name or with a different legal name as brand.
Tax Benefits
Proprietorship business is not treated separately in for income tax purpose. The tax slab as specified for an individual's income is only applicable to the income of the business. The rates of tax are lower compared to other business structure like company and partnership. The benefit of deductions is an added advantage with combined ITR for individual and the business
| Private Limited Company | One Person Company | Limited Liability Partnership | Partnership Firm | Proprietorship Firm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act | Companies Act, 2013 | Companies Act, 2013 | Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 | Indian Partnership Act, 1932 | No specified Act |
| Registration Requirement | Mandatory | Mandatory | Mandatory | Optional | no |
| Number of members | 2 – 200 | Only 1 | 2 – Unlimited | 2 – 50 | Only 1 |
| Separate Legal Entity | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Liability Protection | Limited | Limited | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Statutory Audit | Mandatory | Mandatory | Dependent | Not Mandatory | Not Mandatory |
| Ownership Transferability | Restricted | No | Yes | No | No |
| Uninterrupted Existence | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Foreign Participation | Allowed | Not Allowed | Allowed | Not Allowed | Not Allowed |
| Tax Rates | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Low |
| Statutory Compliances | High | Moderate | Moderate | Less | Less |