INC-22A ACTIVE Filing — Company Verification
Form INC-22A, called ACTIVE, is a one-time verification of a company and its registered office. Every company incorporated on or before 31 December 2017 had to file it. If yours did not, the MCA marks it “ACTIVE-non-compliant” and blocks key forms until you file with a ₹10,000 fee.
What it is
INC-22A ACTIVE (Active Company Tagging Identities and Verification) is the MCA’s way of confirming that an older company really exists at the address it has declared. The company reports its registered office with latitude and longitude, uploads office photographs and confirms who its directors and auditors are.
The requirement comes from Rule 25A of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014. It applies only to companies incorporated on or before 31 December 2017. The last date, after extension, was 15 June 2019. From 14 July 2025, under G.S.R. 426(E) dated 27 June 2025, the form is filed as a web form on the MCA V3 portal. Who must file did not change.
INC-22A filing is often needed only after a rejection. A Faridabad engineering company, incorporated in 2012, brings in an investor in 2026. The board approves the allotment, and the PAS-3 is rejected on the portal because ACTIVE was never filed back in 2019. Nobody had checked the master data in years.
Who it applies to
Companies registered on or before 31 December 2017
Private, public and one person companies alike, if they never filed ACTIVE when it was first due.
Companies tagged ACTIVE-non-compliant
If your company’s master data on the MCA portal shows this status, the form is still pending.
Not for these companies
Companies struck off or under strike-off, under liquidation, amalgamated or dissolved do not file ACTIVE. Companies incorporated after 31 December 2017 do not either.
Why it matters
It unblocks capital changes
An ACTIVE-non-compliant company cannot file SH-7 to increase authorised capital or PAS-3 to report a share allotment. Fundraising stops at the ROC.
It unblocks board changes
DIR-12 for appointing a director is not accepted, apart from limited exceptions such as cessation or court-ordered appointments.
It frees office shifts and mergers
INC-22 for a change of registered office is blocked, so a company moving its office from Sector 37 to NIT Faridabad cannot report the move. INC-28 for amalgamation or demerger orders is blocked too.
Documents required
About the office
- Full registered office address with latitude and longitude
- Geo-tagged photo of the outside of the office building
- Geo-tagged photo of the inside, with a director or KMP present
About the people
- DINs of all directors, each in “approved” status
- Details of statutory auditor and cost auditor, if any
- CS and CFO details, where the company must have them
From the company
- SRNs of the filed AOC-4 and MGT-7
- Official email ID, verified by OTP
- Valid DSC of the signing director or KMP
Before you file: the checks that block ACTIVE
| Check | Why it matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| AOC-4 and MGT-7 on record | The form asks for their SRNs | File pending annual returns first |
| Every director’s DIN approved | A deactivated DIN stops the filing | File DIR-3 KYC Web for that director |
| Auditor details current | Auditor details are verified in the form | File ADT-1 if an appointment was missed |
| Office actually functioning | Photos must show the real premises | Fix signage or update the address first |
In practice, most delays come from the first two rows. One director with lapsed KYC, or one unfiled year, stops the form long before anyone looks at the photographs.
How it works
Read the MCA master data
We read your MCA master data, confirm the incorporation date and see whether the ACTIVE-non-compliant tag is showing.
Clear pending returns and KYC
Before INC-22A filing, we file any pending annual ROC filings and DIR-3 KYC for directors whose DINs are not approved.
Take the office photographs
One photo of the outside of the building, and one inside with a director or KMP who signs the form. Both must be geo-tagged.
Prepare the web form for certification
We fill the ACTIVE web form and verify the official email by OTP. A practising professional certifies it, and the director signs with a DSC.
Pay the fee and confirm the status
After the ₹10,000 fee is paid, the company is marked “ACTIVE Compliant”. We then file whatever form was waiting.
Timelines
Deadline passed on 15 June 2019
25 April 2019, later extended to 15 June 2019. Any company filing on or after 16 June 2019 pays ₹10,000.
File it once, never again
ACTIVE is filed once. It is not an annual return, and there is no repeat filing each year.
Use the web form from 14 July 2025
Filings after this date use the revised web form notified by G.S.R. 426(E) on 27 June 2025.
What happens if you miss it
You stay ACTIVE-non-compliant
The tag shows on your master data, which banks and investors check during due diligence.
Your event forms get rejected
SH-7, PAS-3, DIR-12 (other than the exceptions), INC-22 and INC-28 are not accepted until ACTIVE is filed.
Waiting saves nothing
The fee is a flat ₹10,000 whenever you file. Delay only holds up the forms you need.
Frequently asked questions
Which companies have to file INC-22A ACTIVE?
Only companies incorporated on or before 31 December 2017. Rule 25A of the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 limits the requirement to them, and the 2025 amendment did not widen it. Companies incorporated from 1 January 2018 onwards do not file ACTIVE. Struck-off, liquidated, amalgamated and dissolved companies are also outside it. Formed in 2018 or later? You can ignore this form.
What is the fee for filing INC-22A now?
The fee is ₹10,000. Under Rule 25A(2), a company filing ACTIVE on or after 16 June 2019 is marked “ACTIVE Compliant” only on payment of this fee. The amount is flat; it does not depend on capital or on how many days late you are. Once paid, the tag changes and the blocked forms can be filed straight away.
Which forms are blocked for an ACTIVE-non-compliant company?
Five forms are blocked: SH-7 for changes in authorised capital, PAS-3 for allotments, DIR-12, INC-22 for a change of registered office, and INC-28 for amalgamation or demerger orders. DIR-12 is still allowed for a director’s cessation, for appointments where disqualified or deactivated DINs leave the board short, and for court-ordered appointments. Filing ACTIVE removes every restriction at once.
What photographs does the form need?
Two geo-tagged photographs of the registered office. One shows the outside of the building. The other shows the inside of the office with at least one director or KMP present, and that person signs the form with their DSC. Take both on a smartphone with location turned on. A photo taken anywhere else will not match the coordinates you declare.
Can we file ACTIVE if our annual returns are pending?
No. The form asks for the SRNs of the company’s AOC-4 and MGT-7, so the financial statements and annual returns must be on record first. Each overdue AOC-4 or MGT-7 carries an additional fee of ₹100 per day. The CCFS-2026 relief scheme ended on 15 September 2026, so full fees apply. We file the pending years in order, then ACTIVE right after.
What if a director’s DIN is deactivated?
Then ACTIVE cannot go through until that DIN is approved again. The commonest reason is missed DIR-3 KYC, which is now filed once every three financial years by 30 June. Late filing or reactivation costs ₹5,000. If the director has left the company, recording the cessation in DIR-12 is another route, since cessation is allowed even for an ACTIVE-non-compliant company. We check each DIN on day one.
What changed with the new web form in 2025?
From 14 July 2025, under G.S.R. 426(E) dated 27 June 2025, ACTIVE is filed as a web form on the MCA V3 portal. It asks for fuller auditor and cost auditor details, internal and external office photographs, and certification by a practising professional. Who must file stays the same: companies incorporated on or before 31 December 2017. The ₹10,000 fee continues.
Do we need to file INC-22A every year?
No, ACTIVE is a one-time filing. Once your company is marked “ACTIVE Compliant”, the form does not repeat. Your yearly obligations are the usual ones: AOC-4, MGT-7 or MGT-7A, and DIR-3 KYC for directors every three financial years. If you later change your registered office, that goes in INC-22, not ACTIVE. File those on time and the status stays clean.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
The government fee for INC-22A filing on or after 16 June 2019 is a flat ₹10,000. Overdue AOC-4 or MGT-7 forms, if any, carry ₹100 per day each, and late DIR-3 KYC costs ₹5,000 per director.
Ready to begin?
Send us your CIN, and we will tell you within a day what stands between your company and “ACTIVE Compliant”.