Start, control, and manage your own business with a Sole Proprietorship registration!
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. The identity of an individual and the business are not different from each other. But due to the lower tax rate, flexibility and multiple advantages people prefer this structure for the early stage of business.
With the inclusion of partners, the control over operation reduces. Hence, these proprietors choose to run the business single-handedly and land upon sole proprietorship firm registration. Although there is no specific Act to regulate this organization, there are many ways to register a Sole Proprietorship firm. Small businesses aiming to take lower risks prefer this structure.
In a sole proprietorship, the proprietor has all the rights to decide what to do and how to operate. A proprietor neither needs to report someone nor take orders from anyone else. There is no interference from a third party. Unlike a corporate firm, there are minimal compliances or disclosure requirements during the whole financial year. Hence, Government interference is also very less.
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.
The proprietor is only owner of the business and therefore he owns the whole share of the business profit. Also, the business assets are treated as assets of the proprietor and vice-versa. He can decide when to withdraw profit or to reserve.
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.
Proprietorship can be recognised with individual name, but business name is preferable that it help building Brand Name
Sole Proprietorship is an unorganized business structure and there is no specific law enforced for the said registration. arjlegal.in provides services for Sole Proprietorship registration under MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Establishments) Development Act, 2006 of Central Government. The business entity must fulfill the registration requirement.
One can start a Sole Proprietorship Firm with any amount of Capital. An amount sufficient to commence the business should be introduced. As there is no restriction on infusion or withdrawal of amount, the proprietor can change capital anytime. Introducing the capital in Business is the sole decision of an owner of the firm i.e. the Proprietor.
To open the bank account in the name of Sole Proprietorship Firm, Reserve Bank of India mandates that the proprietor need to provide two forms of registration for the Proprietorship along with the PAN Card, identity proof and address proof of the Proprietor.
The two forms of registration can be any two of the following: MSME registration, GST registration, Registration under Shop & Establishment Act, Professional license, Chartered Accountant certificate or others as provided in the RBI’s Know Your Customer norms or the requirement of the respective Banks.
There is no registry or regulation for registering the name of a Sole Proprietorship Firm. Therefore, the name of a sole proprietorship company can adopt any name based on its availability such that it does not infringe on registered trademarks. Since there is no registry or regulation for registering the name of a Proprietorship, the only way to ensure the exclusive use of the business name is to obtain a Trademark Registration of a business name.
There is no separate identity of a proprietor or its business even after the sole proprietorship firm is registered. Hence, the PAN card of the firm and the Proprietor is the same. The assets and liabilities for the proprietor and the proprietorship also remain the same.
The registered entity under MSMED Act can avail subsidies, incentives, and schemes launched by the Central Government with respect to the specific Business on the basis of a registration certificate.
Any business entity can apply for this registration. However, recently, the Central Government has excluded the activities of Trading to be registered under this Act. The business with Trading Activities can apply for registration under Shop & Establishments Act.
Characteristics of a Sole Proprietorship Firms is such that it cannot have any other Business Partner as it is owned and controlled by one person itself. If your Business requires the involvement of Partners, you may opt for a Partnership Firm, Private Limited Details, or Limited Liability Partnership, as the case may be.
Sole Proprietorship Business entity is owned, managed and controlled by one person. So, Proprietorship firms cannot issue shares nor have investors.
Proprietorship will have to file their annual tax return with the Income Tax Department. Other tax filings such as GST returns filing may also be necessary from time to time, based on the business activities performed and registrations opted. However, one needs to file the annual report or accounts with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, which is required for Limited Liability Proprietorships and Companies.
A proprietorship can be taken over by the company or LLP. However, the procedures for same are cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, it is wise for many entrepreneurs to consider starting the LLP or Details instead of a Proprietorship after consultation with experts.
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