MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026: A Big Relief for Companies with Pending ROC Filings
A simple, practical and benefit-focused guide for company owners who want to reduce ROC late fees, regularise pending filings, choose dormant status, or close an inactive company properly.
Read Full GuideIf your company has missed ROC filings, delayed annual returns, or pending financial statements, the MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 can be a major relief. Many company owners avoid ROC compliance because the late fees become too high, especially when filings are pending for more than one year. The problem slowly becomes bigger: more fees, more stress, more notices, and more difficulty in using the company for loans, tenders, funding, or business expansion.
The good news is that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has introduced a special relief window in 2026. This scheme is commonly called the MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026, but its official name is the Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme, 2026, also known as CCFS-2026.
The scheme gives eligible companies a chance to clear pending ROC filings by paying only a reduced portion of additional fees. It is especially useful for private limited companies, OPCs, MSMEs, startups, inactive companies, and companies planning closure.
Quick Overview of MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Official name | Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme, 2026 |
| Short name | CCFS-2026 |
| Common SEO name | MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 |
| Circular | MCA General Circular No. 01/2026 |
| Circular date | 24 February 2026 |
| Scheme period | 15 April 2026 to 15 July 2026 |
| Main benefit | Pay only 10% of additional fees for eligible annual filings |
| Dormant company benefit | MSC-1 at 50% of normal filing fee |
| Strike-off benefit | STK-2 at 25% of applicable filing fee |
Why MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 Matters
For many companies, ROC filing delay is not intentional. It may happen because the business stopped operations, directors changed, accounts were not finalised, the auditor was not appointed, DSC expired, or the owner simply did not know that annual filing was still required.
But under company law, even a small inactive company must complete annual ROC compliance unless it is officially closed or made dormant. When forms like AOC-4 and MGT-7/MGT-7A remain pending, additional fees keep increasing.
The MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 helps such companies come back into compliance without paying the full burden of accumulated additional fees. It gives business owners a practical chance to decide what they want to do next: continue the company, make it dormant, or close it correctly.
Biggest Benefits of MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026
Pay Only 10% Additional Fees
Eligible companies can file pending annual documents by paying the normal filing fee plus only 10% of the additional fee.
Improve MCA Record
Updated ROC filings make the company record cleaner for banks, investors, clients, tenders and due diligence.
Dormant Status at Lower Fee
Inactive companies can apply for dormant status through MSC-1 at 50% of the normal filing fee.
Strike-Off at Concessional Fee
Eligible defunct companies can apply for closure through STK-2 by paying 25% of the applicable filing fee.
Biggest Benefit: Pay Only 10% Additional Fees
The most attractive benefit of MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 is the reduction in additional fees. Normally, delayed ROC annual filings may attract additional fees of Rs. 100 per day, and in many cases there is no upper limit. If a company has missed filings for multiple years, the total amount can become very high.
Under this scheme, eligible companies can file pending annual documents by paying:
This is why many professionals are calling it a major ROC late fee relief scheme. It does not remove the normal filing fee, but it gives a major reduction in additional fees.
Example: How the Saving Works
Suppose a company has pending ROC filings and the additional fee has become Rs. 80,000. Under normal rules, the company may need to pay the full Rs. 80,000 additional fee, plus normal filing fees.
Under MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026, the company may pay only 10% of the additional fee, which means Rs. 8,000, plus normal filing fees. That is a practical saving of Rs. 72,000 on additional fees.
Which Companies Should Use This Scheme?
The MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 is useful for companies that want to fix old ROC defaults and continue business with a cleaner compliance record.
- Private limited companies with pending AOC-4 or MGT-7.
- OPCs with pending annual filings.
- MSMEs that missed ROC compliance due to low activity.
- Startups that delayed filings because business operations were slow.
- Inactive companies that want dormant status.
- Defunct companies that want strike-off.
- Companies preparing for loan, tender, funding, sale, or due diligence.
- Directors who want to avoid future compliance stress.
Forms Commonly Covered Under MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026
The scheme covers several pending annual and related filings. Before filing, the company should check the exact pending forms on the MCA portal and confirm eligibility.
| Form | Purpose |
|---|---|
| AOC-4 | Filing of financial statements |
| AOC-4 CFS | Filing consolidated financial statements |
| AOC-4 XBRL | XBRL-based financial statement filing |
| MGT-7 | Annual return filing for companies |
| MGT-7A | Annual return filing for small companies and OPCs |
| ADT-1 | Auditor appointment filing |
| FC-3 and FC-4 | Filings for foreign companies, where applicable |
| Old Act forms | Forms such as 20B, 23AC, 23ACA, 21A and Form 66, where applicable |
Benefit for Active Companies
If your company is still active and you want to continue business, this scheme gives you a chance to clean up pending compliance. Once the pending forms are filed, your MCA record becomes more updated.
This helps when you need bank loans, startup funding, government tenders, vendor registration, investor due diligence, company sale or transfer, business expansion, and director credibility. A company with pending annual filings often looks risky to banks, investors and clients. MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 helps reduce that risk.
Benefit for Inactive Companies
Many companies are registered but not doing any business. The promoters may not want to close the company because they may use it later.
For such companies, the scheme allows eligible inactive companies to apply for dormant status by filing Form MSC-1 at 50% of the normal filing fee. Dormant status can reduce future compliance pressure. It is useful when the company is not currently active but the owner does not want to close it permanently.
Benefit for Companies Planning Closure
If a company is no longer required, keeping it alive can create unnecessary compliance cost. In such cases, the MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 gives an option to apply for strike-off.
Eligible companies can file Form STK-2 by paying only 25% of the applicable filing fee. This is useful for companies that have stopped business and do not want to continue ROC filings every year.
Penalty Relief Under the Scheme
Another important benefit is conditional relief from penalties in certain cases. For defaults related to annual returns and financial statements under sections 92 and 137, penalty relief may be available if the company completes the filing before an adjudication notice is issued, or within the permitted time after such notice.
This is why early action is important. Waiting until the last date may reduce your practical benefit if notices or other issues arise.
Who May Not Be Eligible?
Not every company can take benefit automatically. Certain companies may be excluded, depending on facts and MCA records.
- Companies already under final strike-off process.
- Companies that already applied for strike-off before the scheme.
- Companies that already applied for dormant status before the scheme.
- Amalgamated companies.
- Vanishing companies.
- Companies facing certain existing actions, depending on facts.
Documents and Preparation Required
Before filing under MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026, companies should prepare properly. Many filings fail or get delayed because DSC, audit, attachments or master data are not ready.
- Company master data check.
- Pending form list.
- Financial statements.
- Board report, where applicable.
- Audit report, where applicable.
- Auditor appointment status.
- DSC of directors.
- DIN KYC status.
- Professional certification, where required.
- UDIN, where applicable.
- Correct attachments for each e-form.
Step-by-Step Process to Use MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026
- Check the company's MCA master data.
- Identify all pending ROC forms.
- Confirm whether the company is eligible.
- Decide the best route: regular filing, dormant status, or strike-off.
- Prepare financial statements and required documents.
- Complete audit and professional certification, where required.
- Renew DSC and complete DIN KYC if pending.
- File forms during the scheme period.
- Pay normal filing fee plus reduced additional fee.
- Save challans and acknowledgements for records.
Why You Should Not Wait Until July 2026
The last date of the scheme is 15 July 2026. But waiting until the last few days is risky. You may face MCA portal load, DSC expiry, DIN KYC issues, auditor delay, wrong form attachments, UDIN delay, form resubmission, payment failure, or professional certification delay.
If your company has multiple years pending, start early. Early filing gives time to correct errors and actually use the benefit before the scheme closes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Filing without checking all pending forms.
- Assuming all companies are automatically eligible.
- Ignoring auditor appointment issues.
- Waiting until the last week.
- Filing wrong financial year forms.
- Uploading incorrect attachments.
- Not checking director DSC validity.
- Not saving challans and acknowledgements.
- Treating dormant status and strike-off as the same thing.
- Ignoring professional advice for old defaults.
Need Help Checking Your MCA Amnesty Scheme Benefit?
CompanyJi can check your pending ROC filings, calculate possible additional fee relief, and guide whether regular filing, dormant status or strike-off is better for your company.
Talk to CompanyJiMCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 FAQs
1. Is MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 the official name?
No. The official name is Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme, 2026. MCA Amnesty Scheme 2026 is a common name used because the scheme gives relief to defaulting companies.
2. What is the last date?
The scheme is available until 15 July 2026.
3. What is the main benefit?
The main benefit is that eligible companies can file pending annual forms by paying only 10% of the additional fees.
4. Does it waive normal filing fees?
No. Normal filing fees are still payable. The scheme mainly reduces additional fees for eligible filings.
5. Can a private limited company use this scheme?
Yes, eligible private limited companies can use the scheme.
6. Can an inactive company use this scheme?
Yes. Eligible inactive companies may apply for dormant status or strike-off.
7. Is STK-2 available at reduced fee?
Yes, eligible companies can file STK-2 at 25% of the applicable filing fee during the scheme period.
8. Is MSC-1 available at reduced fee?
Yes, eligible inactive companies can file MSC-1 at 50% of the normal filing fee.
9. Does the scheme give penalty immunity?
It gives conditional relief in certain cases, especially if filings are completed before notice or within the permitted time.
10. Should I file early?
Yes. Early filing reduces the risk of technical, documentation and portal-related delays.