Trade License
A place of business within a State, Corporation or Municipality will require a trade license from the concerned State Government or Corporation or Municipality for operating. Rules and regulations pertaining to trade license varies from state to state. Hence, to obtain trade license, the applicant must first understand the jurisdiction under which he/she is operating the business and the applicable Act.
In most states, the application for grant or renewal of license will be made to a Commissioner in the Corporation. The application must be made within 30 days of starting to operate a business. On applying with the required information and documents, the concerned Officer will ensure that the business is suitable for the purpose used, there is no possibility of danger or nuisance for any person around and issue the license. Trade license would normally be issued within a period of 7-15 days on submission of application.
| 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 |