Statutory Registers Every Indian MSME Must Maintain

Last updated: 27 June 2026 · Covers registers under company, GST, labour and tax law. Requirements vary by entity and state; confirm on the relevant portal.

Statutory registers are official records a business is legally required to keep — under the Companies Act (for companies), the GST law, the Labour Codes, EPF/ESI rules and the Income Tax Act. What you must maintain depends on your entity type and whether you employ staff: a private limited company keeps the most (members, directors, charges), while every employer must keep wage, attendance and leave registers under the Labour Codes.

Key takeaways

Companies must keep registers of members, directors, charges, and loans/investments under the Companies Act, 2013.
GST-registered businesses must maintain accounts and records of production, stock, ITC and output tax — kept for 6 years (72 months).
Employers must keep registers of wages, attendance/muster roll, leave, and fines/deductions under the Labour Codes (in force since 21 November 2025).
EPF/ESI require contribution and wage records tied to monthly ECR/contribution filings.
The Labour Codes allow registers to be kept in electronic form, easing the burden for small firms.
Retention periods differ — GST records 6 years; company registers are largely permanent.

Fact box. Under GST, a registered business must maintain its accounts and records for six years (72 months) from the due date of the annual return for the relevant year — covering production, stock, input tax credit and output tax.

Which registers must a company maintain?

Private limited companies carry the heaviest register obligations under the Companies Act, 2013. These are usually kept at the registered office.

Register	What it records	Statute
Register of Members (MGT-1)	Shareholders and their holdings	Section 88
Register of Directors & KMP	Directors, key managerial personnel and their shareholding	Section 170
Register of Charges (CHG-7)	Charges created on company assets	Section 85
Register of Loans & Investments	Loans, guarantees and investments	Section 186
Register of Contracts	Related-party and interested contracts	Section 189
Minutes books	Board and general-meeting minutes	Section 118

Most company registers must be kept permanently at the registered office and are open to inspection by members. LLPs keep fewer — primarily proper books of account and records of partners.

Which records must a GST-registered business keep?

GST law requires detailed accounts at each place of business, retained for six years.

Records of: production/manufacture of goods, inward and outward supplies, stock, input tax credit availed, output tax payable and paid, and details of suppliers and customers.
Retention: keep all records for 6 years (72 months) from the due date of the annual return for that year.
Where: maintained at the principal place of business; if kept electronically, they must be accessible.

Fact box. Every employer must maintain registers of wages, attendance (muster roll), leave, and fines/deductions under the Labour Codes — and the Codes permit these to be kept in electronic form, which is what makes a single payroll spreadsheet acceptable for a small firm.

Which registers must an employer maintain?

The four Labour Codes (in force since 21 November 2025) consolidated many older registers into a smaller, standardised set. Every employer keeps these regardless of company or proprietor status.

Register	What it records
Register of Wages	Wages paid, components, deductions (basic + DA must be ≥ 50% of CTC)
Attendance / Muster Roll	Daily attendance and hours worked
Register of Leave	Leave earned, taken and balance
Register of Fines & Deductions	Any fines or deductions from wages
Wage slips	Issued to each employee each wage period

EPF: wage and contribution records supporting the monthly ECR (filed by the 15th).
ESI: wage records and contribution registers supporting the monthly contribution (by the 15th) and half-yearly returns.

What records does the Income Tax Act require?

Beyond registers, the Income Tax Act requires businesses to keep books of account where turnover or income crosses prescribed limits.

Books of account (cash book, ledger, journal, bills and vouchers) where business turnover or professional receipts exceed the prescribed thresholds.
TDS records: challans, deduction details and certificates (Form 16 for salary, Form 16A for non-salary).
Retention: generally 6 years from the end of the relevant assessment year — the exact period can be longer where assessments are reopened, so confirm for your case.

How Ankeshan helps: Ankeshan keeps your wage, attendance, leave and GST registers as live Excel sheets that update from your transactions — so the registers are a by-product of your daily work, not a year-end scramble. (Launching soon — join the waitlist.)

Frequently asked questions

What are statutory registers? They are official records a business is legally required to maintain — for example registers of members and directors (companies), wages and attendance (employers), and GST accounts of stock and tax.

How long must GST records be kept? For six years (72 months) from the due date of the annual return for the relevant year, covering production, stock, input tax credit and output tax.

Which registers must every employer keep? Under the Labour Codes, every employer keeps registers of wages, attendance (muster roll), leave, and fines/deductions, and issues wage slips each pay period. These may be kept electronically.

Do proprietors and LLPs need statutory registers? Employers of any type must keep the labour-law registers and applicable GST/tax records. Company-specific registers (members, directors, charges) apply to companies; LLPs keep books of account and partner records.

Can statutory registers be maintained in Excel? Yes. The Labour Codes permit registers in electronic form, and GST and tax records may be kept electronically provided they are accurate, complete and accessible for inspection.

Sources

Companies Act, 2013 — Sections 85, 88, 118, 170, 186, 189 (registers) — mca.gov.in.
GST record-keeping and 6-year retention — cbic-gst.gov.in, gst.gov.in.
Labour Codes — wage, attendance, leave registers (effective 21 November 2025) — labour.gov.in.
EPF — epfindia.gov.in · ESI — esic.gov.in · Income Tax record-keeping — incometax.gov.in.

General information, not professional advice. Verify each requirement on the official portal for your specific case. Reviewed by a Chartered Accountant; last updated 27 June 2026.