Saturday, 18 July 2015

Privileges & Exemptions available to Pvt Ltd Companies

Exemptions for
Private Limited Companies
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Although a couple of privileges enjoyed by the private companies under the Companies act 1956 have been withdrawn the following privileges are still available for private companies.


Section
Particulars
3
Number of Members:

Minimum – 2
Oval Callout: Does this mean 1 person 2 votes?Maximum 200
43

Share capital of a company can be of any kind if the memorandum or articles of association of the private company so provides.

47

The voting right of the shareholders need not be as per the act if the memorandum or articles of association of the company so provides.

62 (1)(a) and 62(2)

For further issue of shares capital a letter of offer shall be sent to the members specifying the number of shares offered and limiting a time not being less than seven days not exceeding fifteen days from the date of offer within which the offer if not accepted shall be deemed to have been declined.

62 (1) (b)
On passing an ordinary resolution instead of special resolution, shares can be issued to employees under a scheme of employees’ stock option.

Sec 67
There is no restriction for a private company to purchase its own shares if:

-          No other body corporate has invested any money in that share capital
-          If borrowings from banks or financial institution or body corporate is less than twice its paid up share capital or fifty crore rupees which ever is lower and
-          Such company is not in default in repayment of such borrowings subsisting at the time of making transactions under this section
73 (2)
Restriction on acceptance of deposits from members shall not apply to a private company having 50 or less members if moneys accepted from members is:

 not exceeding 25% of aggregate paid up capital and free reserves

 or

 100 % of paid up capital which ever is more

101 to 107 and 109

the following sections shall not apply to a private company if the articles otherwise specify:

101 – 107  Notice and explanatory statement for the general meeting, quorum for the meeting, chairman of the meeting, proxies, restriction on voting rights, voting by show of hands

109 – demand for poll

103
Quorum for the meeting: 2 members personally present

117 (3)(g)

Resolutions passed under section 179(3) need not be filed with the MCA by a private company.

Section 179 (3): certain powers to be exercised by the board only at the board meeting

131
Board’s report:

The private company  is exempted from providing the following information in the board’s report:

-      Declaration from independent directors on annual basis
-      Composition of audit committee
-      Report details of establishment of vigil mechanism
-      Directors’ Responsibility Statement:
o   Declaration by the directors on the adoption and functioning of adequate internal financial controls by the company
-       
-      Annual Return
o   Secretarial Audit Report
o   Statement on the annual evaluation by the board of its performance and that of its committees and its directors
o   Cost audit report
o   Ratio of remuneration to each director
o   A report on corporate governance

141 (3)(g)
The restriction of the number of companies in which a person or partner who is full time employment elsewhere or a person or a partner of a firm holding appointment as its auditor, shall not be appointed or reappointed  in more than 20 companies shall not apply to a private company

160
The restriction on the retiring director standing for directorship is not applicable to a private company

162
A single resolution shall be passed for the appointment of two or more persons as directors at the general meeting

180
Restriction on the powers of the board to carry on the following transactions shall not apply to a private company whose:

-      borrowings from banks or financial institutions is not more than twice of their paid up capital or Rs. 50 crore whichever is lower

                              And

-      In whose share capital no other body corporate has invested money

Transactions
(a)   to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the whole or substantially the whole ofthe undertaking of the company
(b)   to invest otherwise in trust securities the amount of compensation receivedby it as a result of any merger or amalgamation;
(c)    to borrow money, where the money to be borrowed, together with the moneyalready borrowed by the company will exceed aggregate of its paid-up share capitaland free reserves, apart from temporary loans obtained from the company’s bankers inthe ordinary course of business
(d)    to remit, or give time for the repayment of, any debt due from a director

188
The restriction in carrying on a transaction between the related parties is not applicable to a private limited company

196 (4) and (5)
The approval of the terms and conditions of appointment of MD/ WTD by the shareholders and the activities done by them before the appointment in the general meeting shall not apply to a private company

203 (3)
There is no restriction on a whole-time key managerial personnel holding office in more than oneCompany.

204
Secretarial Audit is not applicable to a private limited company





Sanka Indrani, Company Secretary

Achuthan R, Company Secretary

Saturday, 6 June 2015

Place of Keeping Books of Accounts : What you need to know...

PLACE OF KEEPING BOOKS OF ACCOUNT, OTHER RELEVANT BOOKS & PAPERS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION


As per Section 128 of the Companies Act, 2013, every company shall prepare and keep at its registered office books of account and other relevant books and papers and financial statement for every financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the company, including that of its branch office or offices, if any, and explain the transactions effected both at the registered office and its branches and such books shall be kept on accrual basis and according to the double entry system of accounting.


Books of Accounts include the following

ü  Records maintained in respect of all sums of money received and expended by a company and matters in relation to which the receipts and expenditure take place.
ü  Records maintained in respect of all sales and purchases of goods and services by the company.
ü  Records maintained in respect of the assets and liabilities of the company.
ü  Records maintained in respect of the items of cost as may be prescribed under section 148 in the case of a company which belongs to any class of companies specified under that section.

Note:
Books of accounts also include the Cost Records maintained by the Company.


 Relevant books and papers include the following
      
Books of account, deeds, vouchers, writings, documents, minutes and registers maintained on paper or in electronic form.

Branch Office includes the following

Any establishment described as Branch Office by the company.

In case of Foreign Company
It is required to keep at its principal place of business in India, the books of account, with respect to monies received and spent, sales and purchases made, and assets and liabilities, in the course of or in relation to its business in India.   


ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE FOR THE COMPANY

A Company can keep all its books of account and other relevant books and papers and financial statement for every financial year including its branch office or office.

          Option – 1

At the registered office of the Company.

Option – 2

At such other place in India as the Board of Directors may decide.
         
PROCEDURAL ASPECTS INVOLVED FOR KEEPING BOOKS OF ACCOUNTS IN A PLACE OTHER THAN THE REGISTERED OFFICE OF THE COMPANY

The Following are the procedure involved in keeping books of account and other relevant books and papers and financial statement for every financial year including its branch office or offices in the place other than the Registered Office of the Company:

Step: 1
To Obtain Board Consent either through Physical Board Meeting or Board Meeting through video conferencing or through circular resolution.

Step: 2
To file notice with Registrar of Companies in E-form AOC – 5 within seven days from the date of decision taken by Board by specifying the full address of the place where the books of accounts, records etc are to be kept including the details pertaining to police station under whose jurisdiction the place of the address at which the books of account are to be maintained falls.

Note:

A company having a branch office in India or outside India can keep their book of accounts, records etc relating to the transactions effected at the branch office at that office and proper summarised returns shall be periodically sent by the branch office to the company to its registered office or other place where the books of accounts or records are kept.


Period of Keeping Books of Accounts:

Books of account of the company relating to a period of not less than eight financial years immediately preceding a financial year, or where the company had been in existence for a period less than eight years, in respect of all the preceding years together with the vouchers relevant to any entry in such books of account shall be kept in good order.

However, in case of any investigation has been ordered in respect of the company under Chapter XIV, the Central Government may direct that the books of account may be kept for such longer period as it may deem fit.

Penalty For Non – Compliance:

Managing director, the whole-time director in charge of finance, the Chief Financial Officer, person of a company charged by the Board shall be

Punishable with a imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.

Comparison of Provisions in Companies Act, 1956 and 2013:

Particulars
Section 163 of Companies Act, 1956
Section 128 of Companies Act, 2013
Register and Returns – Place of Keeping             
Within the city, town or village in which the registered is situated by passing a Special Resolution in General Meeting.
At any place in India by Boards Approval.
Books of Accounts – Place of Keeping
At any place in India by Boards approval.
At any place in India by Boards Approval.

FLAWS IN COMPANIES ACT, 2013

Under the New Companies Act, 2013, the Corporate are provided with the freedom of fixing the place at which the Books of accounts, records, registers of the Company to be kept at any place in India without obtaining any prior approval from the shareholders of the Company and we feel that it shall indirectly effect the interest of the shareholders at large in case of a Listed entity whose shares are listed in the recognised stock exchange.

Further we feel that it may not be practically possible for a shareholder to visit the place other than the registered office of the Company to access the register and records of the Company.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.      Whether the Minutes, Statutory Registers and Records of the Company are required to be maintained for more than 8 (Eight) Years?

As per sub section 5 of section 128 of the Companies Act, 2013, the books of accounts of every company relating to a period of not less than 8 (Eight) financial years immediately preceding a financial year shall be maintained.

However with regard to minutes and statutory registers and records it shall be maintained by the company since inception, since the minutes and statutory records are the principal documents of the company that needs to be maintained and preserved.

2.      Can a Company keep its part of Books of Accounts and other papers in some other place in India other than the registered office of the Company?

Yes, the Company has the option to prepare, preserve and maintain the Books of Accounts and other papers in any place in India other than the Registered Office of the Company after obtaining the Board’s Approval. Provided the Board Resolution shall clearly specify that such part of the books and papers shall be kept at those places respectively.


3.      Can a Company keep its Books of Accounts and other papers in multiple places in India?

Yes, there is no such restriction under the provisions of Section 128 of CA, 2013 and rules framed thereunder, for keeping the Books of Accounts and other papers in multiple places in India.


However the Board Resolution shall clearly specify that such part of the books and papers shall be kept at those places respectively.

REAL TIME CASE STUDY

        What would be the remedy available for a listed/limited company, when a shareholder of the company walks in to the registered office of the company for inspection of statutory registers and records, when the company had kept its statutory registers and records in any other place other than the registered office?
As per the provisions of section 171 of the CA, 2013, every shareholder of the company has the right to inspect the statutory registers and records of the company during the business hours and is entitled to take extracts there from and copies thereof of the registers.
In such a case where the shareholder has visited the registered office of the company where the records are kept at such place other than registered office, the company shall explain the shareholder that the registers and records are being maintained in such place other than the registered office and shall guide the shareholder to go to such place and inspect the registers and records.
BY
CS K VINOTH
CS D HEM SENTHIL RAJ