No hidden fees, no surprise invoices. Here's exactly how company secretary work is scoped and priced, so you always know what you're paying for before any work begins.
Honest pricing beats a misleading number
Two companies rarely need the same work. A single-director startup filing its first annual return and a funded company running a rights issue with foreign investors are worlds apart in effort, risk and turnaround. Publishing one "price" for either would be misleading.
Instead, every engagement is priced against a clear scope you approve up front. Below is exactly how that works, the three ways work is billed, how each type of task maps to them, and what moves a quote up or down. You'll get a firm number before anything starts.
Most engagements use one of these, or a simple combination
A one-off, clearly defined deliverable, a single ROC form, one event-based filing, a resolution, a KYC. You pay a fixed fee for that specific task and nothing more. Best when you need one thing done, correctly and on time.
Fixed fee per item
A defined outcome with several moving parts, incorporation, a secretarial audit, a fundraising round, or a corporate action such as a rights issue or buy-back. Scoped once, quoted as a single fixed project fee covering all the filings and drafting inside it.
Fixed fee per project
Ongoing compliance handled for you, deadline tracking, routine filings, board and AGM support, and a standing point of contact. A predictable recurring fee that usually works out lower per-task than piecemeal billing. Best once compliance is continuous.
Recurring fee
A quick map of common tasks to the model that usually fits
Government, ROC and stamp-duty fees, where they apply, are statutory and charged at actuals, separate from and on top of professional fees.
The same task can be simple or involved, these are the factors that move a number
A newly incorporated startup, a funded growth company and a mature group each carry different filing loads and risk.
Holding structures, subsidiaries and group companies multiply the filings and coordination involved.
FDI, ECB, NRI or overseas shareholders bring FEMA and RBI reporting that domestic-only companies don't face.
Catching up on missed or overdue filings takes remedial work and, often, condonation, priced separately from routine compliance.
Live rounds, cap-table changes and investor due diligence add scope beyond business-as-usual compliance.
More directors, committees and meeting frequency mean more resolutions, minutes and coordination to manage.
Clear scope, firm number, then work begins, in that order
Share where the company is, stage, structure, what you need and any deadlines. A short call or message is enough to start.
I map the exact filings and drafting involved, flag anything time-sensitive, and pick the model that costs you least for the outcome.
A written, fixed quote with the scope spelled out. You approve it before any work starts, no open-ended meters running.
The things founders usually ask before engaging
Because a single number would be wrong for most people. The right fee depends on your stage, structure, foreign-investment exposure and whether there's a backlog. A firm, written quote scoped to your actual situation is more honest, and usually cheaper, than a headline rate that quietly grows once work begins.
If you need one specific thing done, per-task is cheapest. Once filings are continuous, monthly deadlines, board meetings, ongoing changes, a retainer almost always works out lower per task than paying for each item separately, and nothing slips through the cracks. Many founders start per-task and move to a retainer as the company grows.
No. The quote you approve is the professional fee for the scope described. If something genuinely new comes up mid-way, I'll tell you and re-quote before doing it, never after. The only separate line is statutory government/ROC fees, which are set by the regulator and charged at actuals.
They're kept separate. Professional fees cover the advice, drafting and filing work; government, ROC and stamp-duty charges are statutory, vary by authorised capital and form, and are billed at actuals so you can see exactly what went to the regulator versus to me.
The initial consultation to understand your needs and scope the work is free. You'll leave it knowing what's involved and roughly which model fits, with a written quote to follow.
Yes, and most established companies do. A retainer covers day-to-day compliance while one-off corporate actions or a fundraising round are quoted as separate projects on top. You only pay project fees when those events actually happen.
Tell me what you need and I'll scope it into a clear, fixed quote, free 30-minute consultation, no obligation.
