What If You Don’t File AOC-4? Here’s What Usually Goes Wrong

AOC-4 is one of those filings people don’t really respect.

AGM is done. Accounts are ready late. Someone says, “we’ll file it next week”.

Next week never comes.

And honestly, nothing happens immediately, so it feels harmless. No popup. No MCA warning. No call. So the thought is — maybe it’s fine for now.

That’s usually where people mess up.

So… Is AOC-4 Actually Mandatory?

Yes. No shortcut here.

If you have a company and you prepare financials, AOC-4 has to be filed.
Private company, public company, OPC, Section 8 — doesn’t matter much.

This form basically carries:

  • balance sheet
  • P&L
  • auditor report
  • director report
  • cash flow, if applicable

And the timing is simple.
30 days from AGM.

Cross that line, and the clock starts running.

What Really Happens If You Don’t File It?

Not drama.
Not immediately, at least.

Things just… pile up slowly.

Late Fees Start Quietly

The MCA portal doesn’t remind you. It doesn’t warn you either. It just calculates late fees in the background.

You open the form after some time and suddenly the amount looks bigger than expected. That’s usually the first shock.

Company Looks Non-Compliant

Once AOC-4 is pending, it reflects in records. This part hurts later, not now.

It comes up during:

  • bank discussions
  • investor checks
  • compliance reviews
  • sometimes even audits

Explaining “we forgot” doesn’t really help at that point.

Other Filings Become Annoying

MGT-7/MGT-7A, annual filings, certifications — everything starts depending on each other. One missed form creates more work later. Happens all the time.

Penalty Side (Section 137 Stuff)

The law is pretty direct here, even if people ignore it.

For the company:

  • ₹100 per day
  • capped at ₹2,00,000

For directors / officers:

  • ₹100 per day
  • capped at ₹50,000 each

So yes, there’s a cap. But delays still cost money. And energy.

Will MCA Send a Notice?

Sometimes yes.
Sometimes nothing for months.

That’s the confusing part.

MCA notices usually come late. By the time they arrive, the late fee is already locked in. So waiting for a notice is not really a strategy.

Also — no notice doesn’t mean no problem. It just means the system hasn’t poked you yet.

Director Disqualification — Should You Worry?

People panic about this. Fair enough.

Missing AOC-4 once won’t disqualify anyone. That doesn’t happen like that.

But repeated non-filing, year after year, that’s where trouble starts. Patterns matter more than one mistake.

So if it’s a one-time slip, fix it.
If it’s happening every year, that’s risky.

Missed AOC-4? How to Fix It

Luckily, this part is boring and simple.

In most cases:

  1. Prepare the form
  2. Upload correct attachments
  3. Pay the late fee
  4. File it

No special approval. No court drama.

Just one thing — when filing late, be careful with attachments. A rejection wastes more time and adds frustration. Seen this many times.

Final Thought (Nothing Fancy)

AOC-4 isn’t hard. It’s just ignored.
Late fees aren’t scary. Notices are.
 And last-minute filing panic is worse than filing on time.
If it’s pending, file it.
 If AGM just happened, don’t push it.

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