Strike-off — closing a Company or LLP cleanly, and for good.
Every entity has three stages: incorporation, operations, and dissolution. When a Company or LLP has outlived its utility, voluntary strike-off removes its name from the Register — ending the compliance calendar with it. Two routes, one for each entity type.
When strike-off is available at all.
Voluntary strike-off is meant for the genuinely defunct entity — not as a shortcut around pending obligations. Broadly:
Available where the company has not carried on business for the two preceding financial years (and has not sought dormant status), or never commenced business. Pending filings, charges, litigation or dues will block the application — the record is brought current first.
See the process belowAvailable where the LLP has ceased operations for a year or more, or never commenced business.
See the process belowStriking off a Company.
Seven steps through Form STK-2 under Section 248 — from the board’s first resolution to the name leaving the Register of Companies.
- i
Board meeting
The Board convenes a General Meeting with the draft resolutions — stating the reason for strike-off, granting authority to the directors to file the form and execute the affidavits, with the proposed resolution and explanatory statement.
- ii
General meeting
Shareholders pass the resolutions (with or without modification) and grant the directors authority to give effect to them.
- iii
Affidavits & indemnity bonds
Each director executes the indemnity bonds and affidavits/declarations in the prescribed formats — the personal undertakings that stand behind a voluntary closure.
- iv
Statement of assets & liabilities
Obtained as on the nearest date, certified — the financial snapshot the Registrar relies on.
- v
File the application
The application goes to the Registrar with the prescribed attachments.
Form STK-2 - vi
Public notice
Once STK-2 is approved on a prima facie basis, the Registrar issues a public notice inviting objections.
- vii
Struck off
After the notice period, if there are no public objections, the name is struck off the Register of Companies. The company ceases to exist as a corporate entity.
Struck off
the Register
Striking off an LLP.
Six steps through Form 24 — shorter than the company route, because an LLP needs no general meeting.
- i
Partners’ resolution
The partners resolve to file Form 24 and grant authority to one designated partner to give effect to the resolution.
- ii
Statement of assets & liabilities
Obtained and certified as on the nearest date.
- iii
Declarations & affidavits
Executed by the designated partners in the prescribed formats.
- iv
File the application
The strike-off application is filed with the Registrar.
Form 24 - v
Public notice
Once Form 24 is approved on a prima facie basis, the Registrar issues a public notice inviting objections.
- vi
Struck off
After the notice period, if there are no objections, the LLP’s name is struck off the Register of LLPs.
Struck off
the Register
Surrender the other registrations around the strike-off.
Striking the name off the MCA register is only half of a clean closure. Before and after, the entity’s other registrations should also be surrendered — or they linger as open obligations in other departments’ systems:
- ✓PAN — surrendered to the income tax department
- ✓GST registration — cancelled, with the final return
- ✓Professional tax registrations
- ✓Labour registrations and other state-level licences
Our corporate compliance team handles both halves — the secretarial strike-off process and the tax-side surrenders — so nothing is left open in anyone’s records.
Close, or pause? Strike-off vs dormant status.
These two services answer the same situation — an entity with no operations — in opposite ways. The right choice depends on whether the entity has a future.
End the entity cleanly
Choose this when the Company or LLP has no future use. Strike-off removes it from the register entirely — no further compliance, but also no entity left to revive without going to the NCLT. Pending filings and liabilities are cleared first.
Keep the company alive at minimum cost
Choose this when the company has a future — a planned project, an asset worth holding, a name and vintage worth preserving. Compliance shrinks to a fraction; the company stays intact and can return to active status later.
Read about dormant status →Closing one entity to start another, properly structured this time? See new Private Limited Company registration and LLP registration.
“We had engaged entrecap for strike of our LLP from mca records. Entrecap executed all documents including affidavits and got us certificate of LLP strike off. It was good professional experience.”
Swapnil karandikar Partner - Turtleneck Foods LLP
What does strike-off of a Company or LLP mean?
Strike-off means the entity’s name is removed from the Register of Companies or Register of LLPs maintained by the MCA. It ceases to function as a corporate entity. It is the standard closure route for a defunct Company (via Form STK-2 under Section 248) or LLP (via Form 24) that has outlived its utility.
Should I strike off my company, or make it dormant?
Strike-off is a closure — right when the entity has no future use. Dormant status is a pause — right when the company has a future project, holds an asset, or its name and vintage are worth keeping. We review your position and advise which fits. You can read about dormant status here.
When can a Company apply for strike-off?
Broadly, when it has not carried on business for the two preceding financial years (and has not applied for dormant status), or never commenced business. The company should have no pending filings, charges, litigation or statutory dues — these block the application, so the record is brought current before STK-2 is filed.
When can an LLP apply for strike-off?
Broadly, when it has ceased operations for a year or more, or never commenced business.
Do pending MCA filings block a strike-off?
Yes. The Registrar expects the record to be in order — pending annual filings, open charges or unresolved queries will stall or reject the application. The usual sequence is: bring the annual compliance current, then file for strike-off.
What documents are needed for a strike-off?
The core set: the board and shareholder resolutions (or partners’ resolution for an LLP), affidavits and indemnity bonds from every director or designated partner in the prescribed formats, and a certified statement of assets and liabilities as on the nearest date — all attached to Form STK-2 or Form 24.
What happens after STK-2 or Form 24 is filed?
Once the form is approved on a prima facie basis, the Registrar issues a public notice inviting objections. If no objections are received within the notice period, the name is struck off and the entity ceases to exist. Entrecap tracks the application through both stages.
How long does a strike-off take?
The timeline is driven by the Registrar’s processing and the mandatory public-notice window, so it runs over several months rather than weeks. Preparing a complete, objection-proof application at the outset is the single biggest factor in avoiding delay.
What about PAN, GST and other registrations?
They don’t close themselves. Around the strike-off, the entity’s PAN is surrendered, GST registration is cancelled with the final return, and professional tax, labour and other state registrations are wound up. Entrecap handles these surrenders as part of the engagement.
Can a struck-off company be revived?
Restoration is possible, but only through the NCLT under Section 252, within the prescribed time limits — a materially heavier process than the strike-off itself. Which is why the decision to close should be made deliberately, with the dormant alternative considered first.
Does Entrecap handle strike-offs in Mumbai?
Yes. Entrecap Business Services, based in Kandivali West, Mumbai, handles the full strike-off process — resolutions, affidavits, indemnity bonds, STK-2 and Form 24 filings, the public-notice stage, and the PAN/GST surrenders — for entities across Kandivali, Borivali and other Mumbai suburbs, and through associates in Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pune and other cities.
Can the strike-off be handled online without visiting your office?
Yes. Document drafting, notarisation coordination, approvals and MCA filings can all be managed remotely, wherever you are based. Our Kandivali West office is open if you would prefer to meet in person.