Regulation 34,53,71 of LODR
(1) The financial statement, including consolidated financial statement, if any, shall be approved by the Board of Directors before they are signed on behalf of the Board by the chairperson of the company where he is authorised by the Board or by two directors out of which one shall be managing director, if any, and the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Company Secretary of the company, wherever they are appointed, or in the case of One Person Company, only by one director, for submission to the auditor for his report thereon.
(1) The financial statement , including consolidated financial statement, if any, shall be approved by the Board of Directors before they are signed on behalf of the Board at least by the chairperson of the company where he is authorised by the Board or by two directors out of which one shall be managing director and the Chief Executive Officer , if he is a director in the company, the Chief Financial Officer and the Company Secretary of the company, wherever they are appointed, or in the case of a One Person Company , only by one director, for submission to the auditor for his report thereon.
(2) The auditors’ report shall be attached to every financial statement.
(3) There shall be attached to statements laid before a company in general meeting, a report by its Board of Directors, which shall include—
(a) the extract of the annual return as provided under sub-section (3) of section 92;
(a) the web address, if any, where annual return referred to in sub-section (3) of section 92 has been placed;
(b) number of meetings of the Board;
(c) Directors’ Responsibility Statement;
(ca) details in respect of frauds reported by auditors under sub-section (12) of section 143 other than those which are reportable to the Central Government;
(d) a statement on declaration given by independent directors under sub-section (6) of section 149;
(e) in case of a company covered under sub-section (1) of section 178, company’s policy on directors’ appointment and remuneration including criteria for determining qualifications, positive attributes, independence of a director and other matters provided under sub-section (3) of section 178;
(f) explanations or comments by the Board on every qualification, reservation or adverse remark or disclaimer made—
(i) by the auditor in his report; and
(ii) by the company secretary in practice in his secretarial audit report;
(g) particulars of loans, guarantees or investments under section 186;
(h) particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties referred to in sub-section (1) of section 188 in the prescribed form;
(i) the state of the company’s affairs;
(j) the amounts, if any, which it proposes to carry to any reserves;
(k) the amount, if any, which it recommends should be paid by way of dividend;
(l) material changes and commitments, if any, affecting the financial position of the company which have occurred between the end of the financial year of the company to which the financial statements relate and the date of the report;
(m) the conservation of energy, technology absorption, foreign exchange earnings and outgo, in such manner as may be prescribed;
(n) a statement indicating development and implementation of a risk management policy for the company including identification therein of elements of risk, if any, which in the opinion of the Board may threaten the existence of the company;
(o) the details about the policy developed and implemented by the company on corporate social responsibility initiatives taken during the year;
(p) in case of a listed company and every other public company having such paid-up share capital as may be prescribed, a statement indicating the manner in which formal annual evaluation has been made by the Board of its own performance and that of its committees and individual directors annual evaluation of the performance of the Board, its Committees and of individual directors has been made;
(q) such other matters as may be prescribed.
Provided that where disclosures referred to in this sub-section have been included in the financial statements, such disclosures shall be referred to instead of being repeated in the Board’s report:
Provided further that where the policy referred to in clause (e) or clause (o) is made available on company’s website, if any, it shall be sufficient compliance of the requirements under such clauses if the salient features of the policy and any change therein are specified in brief in the Board’s report and the web-address is indicated therein at which the complete policy is available.
Provided that in case of a Specified IFSC public company, if any information listed in this sub-section is provided in the financial statement, the company may not include such information in the report of the Board of Directors.
Provided that in case of a Specified IFSC private company, if any information listed in this sub-section is provided in the financial statement,the company may not include such information in the report of the Board of Directors.
(3A) The Central Government may prescribe an abridged Board’s report, for the purpose of compliance with this section by One Person Company or small company.
(4) The report of the Board of Directors to be attached to the financial statement under this section shall, in case of a One Person Company, mean a report containing explanations or comments by the Board on every qualification, reservation or adverse remark or disclaimer made by the auditor in his report.
(5) The Directors’ Responsibility Statement referred to in clause (c) of sub-section (3) shall state that—
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the company for that period;
(c) the directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of this Act for safeguarding the assets of the company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis; and
(e) the directors, in the case of a listed company , had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, the term “internal financial controls” means the policies and procedures adopted by the company for ensuring the orderly and efficient conduct of its business, including adherence to company’s policies, the safeguarding of its assets, the prevention and detection of frauds and errors, the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, and the timely preparation of reliable financial information;
(f) the directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
(6) The Board’s report and any annexures thereto under sub-section (3) shall be signed by its chairperson of the company if he is authorised by the Board and where he is not so authorised, shall be signed by at least two directors, one of whom shall be a managing director, or by the director where there is one director.
(7) A signed copy of every financial statement, including consolidated financial statement, if any, shall be issued, circulated or published along with a copy each of—
(a) any notes annexed to or forming part of such financial statement;
(b) the auditor’s report; and
(c) the Board’s report referred to in sub-section (3).
(8) If a company is in default in complying with the provisions of this section, the company shall be liable to a penalty of three lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable to a penalty of fifty thousand rupees.
(8) If a company contravenes the provisions of this section, the company shall be punishable with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to twenty-five lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to five lakh rupees, or with both.
(i) a balance sheet as at the end of the financial year;
(ii) a profit and loss account, or in the case of a company carrying on any activity not for profit, an income and expenditure account for the financial year;
(iii) cash flow statement for the financial year;
(iv) a statement of changes in equity, if applicable; and
(v) any explanatory note annexed to, or forming part of, any document referred to in sub-clause (i) to sub-clause (iv):
Provided that the financial statement, with respect to one person company, small company, dormant company and private company (if such private company is a start-up)may not include the cash flow statement;
Explanation. – For the purposes of this Act, the term ‘start-up’ or “start-up company” means a private company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013) or the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) and recognised as start-up in accordance with the notification issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, the power to do administrative acts of a routine nature when so authorised by the Board such as the power to affix the common seal of the company to any document or to draw and endorse any cheque on the account of the company in any bank or to draw and endorse any negotiable instrument or to sign any certificate of share or to direct registration of transfer of any share, shall not be deemed to be included within the substantial powers of management.
(i) a balance sheet as at the end of the financial year;
(ii) a profit and loss account, or in the case of a company carrying on any activity not for profit, an income and expenditure account for the financial year;
(iii) cash flow statement for the financial year;
(iv) a statement of changes in equity, if applicable; and
(v) any explanatory note annexed to, or forming part of, any document referred to in sub-clause (i) to sub-clause (iv):
Provided that the financial statement, with respect to one person company, small company, dormant company and private company (if such private company is a start-up)may not include the cash flow statement;
Explanation. – For the purposes of this Act, the term ‘start-up’ or “start-up company” means a private company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013) or the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) and recognised as start-up in accordance with the notification issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, the power to do administrative acts of a routine nature when so authorised by the Board such as the power to affix the common seal of the company to any document or to draw and endorse any cheque on the account of the company in any bank or to draw and endorse any negotiable instrument or to sign any certificate of share or to direct registration of transfer of any share, shall not be deemed to be included within the substantial powers of management.
(The exceptions, modifications and adaptations provided above shall be applicable only to those Government Companies which has not committed a default in filing its financial statements under section 137 of the said act or annual return under section 92 of the said act with the registrar, vide notification dated 13th June, 2017)
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(i) a director or his relative;
(ii) a key managerial personnel or his relative;
(iii) a firm, in which a director, manager or his relative is a partner;
(iv) a private company in which a director or manager or his relative is a member or director;
(v) a public company in which a director or manager is a director and holds along with his relatives, more than two per cent of its paid-up share capital;
(vi) any body corporate whose Board of Directors, managing director or manager is accustomed to act in accordance with the advice, directions or instructions of a director or manager;
(vii) any person on whose advice, directions or instructions a director or manager is accustomed to act:
Provided that nothing in sub-clauses (vi) and (vii) shall apply to the advice, directions or instructions given in a professional capacity;
(viii) any body corporate which is—
(A) a holding, subsidiary or an associate company of such company;
(B) a subsidiary of a holding company to which it is also a subsidiary; or
(C) an investing company or the venturer of a company;
Explanation.—For the purpose of this clause, “the investing company or the venturer of a company” means a body corporate whose investment in the company would result in the company becoming an associate company of the body corporate.
(ix) such other person as may be prescribed.
Provided that on an application made by a company or body corporate, which is a holding company or a subsidiary or associate company of a company incorporated outside India and is required to follow a different financial year for consolidation of its accounts outside India, the Tribunal may, if it is satisfied, allow any period as its financial year, whether or not that period is a year:
Provided further that a company or body corporate, existing on the commencement of this Act, shall, within a period of two years from such commencement, align its financial year as per the provisions of this clause
Provided also that in case of a Specified IFSC public company, which is a subsidiary of a foreign company, the financial year of the subsidiary may be same as the financial year of its holding company and approval of the Tribunal shall not be required.
Provided also that in case of a Specified IFSC private company, which is a subsidiary of a foreign company, the financial year of the subsidiary may be same as the financial year of its holding company and approval of the Tribunal shall not be required.
(The exceptions, modifications and adaptations provided above shall be applicable only to those Government Companies which has not committed a default in filing its financial statements under section 137 of the said act or annual return under section 92 of the said act with the registrar, vide notification dated 13th June, 2017)
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9.1.8-Companies (Accounts) Rules,2014
8. Matters to be included in Board’s report.-
(1) The Board’s Report shall be prepared based on the stand alone financial statements of the company and the report shall contain a separate section wherein a report on the performance and financial position of each of the subsidiaries, associates and joint venture companies included in the consolidated financial statement is presented.and shall report on the highlights of performance of subsidiaries, associates and joint venture companies and their contribution to the overall performance of the company during the period under report.
(2) The Report of the Board shall contain the particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties referred to in sub-section (1) of section 188 in the Form No.AOC-2.
(3) The report of the Board shall contain the following information and details, namely:-
(A) Conservation of energy–
(i) the steps taken or impact on conservation of energy;
(ii) the steps taken by the company for utilising alternate sources of energy;
(iii) the capital investment on energy conservation equipments;
(B) Technology absorption-
(i) the efforts made towards technology absorption;
(ii) the benefits derived like product improvement, cost reduction, product development or import substitution;
(iii) in case of imported technology (imported during the last three years reckoned from the beginning of the financial year)-
(a) the details of technology imported;
(b) the year of import;
(c) whether the technology been fully absorbed;
(d) if not fully absorbed, areas where absorption has not taken place, and the reasons thereof; and
(iv) the expenditure incurred on Research and Development.
(C) Foreign exchange earnings and Outgo-
The Foreign Exchange earned in terms of actual inflows during the year and the Foreign Exchange outgo during the year in terms of actual outflows.
(4) Every listed company and every other public company having a paid up share capital of twenty five crore rupees or more calculated at the end of the preceding financial year shall include, in the report by its Board of directors, a statement indicating the manner in which formal annual evaluation has been made by the Board of its own performance and that of its committees and individual directors.
(5) In addition to the information and details specified in sub-rule (4), the report of the Board shall also contain –
(i) the financial summary or highlights;
(ii) the change in the nature of business, if any;
(iii) the details of directors or key managerial personnel who were appointed or have resigned during the year;
(iiia) a statement regarding opinion of the Board with regard to integrity, expertise and experience (including the proficiency) of the independent directors appointed during the year.
Explanation:- For the purpose of this clause, the expression “proficiency” means the proficiency of the independent director as ascertained from the online proficiency self-assessment test conducted by the institute notified under sub-section (1) of section 150.
(iv) the names of companies which have become or ceased to be its Subsidiaries, joint ventures or associate companies during the year;
(v) the details relating to deposits, covered under Chapter V of the Act,-
(a) accepted during the year;
(b) remained unpaid or unclaimed as at the end of the year;
(c) whether there has been any default in repayment of deposits or payment of interest thereon during the year and if so, number of such cases and the total amount involved-
(i) at the beginning of the year;
(ii) maximum during the year;
(iii) at the end of the year;
(vi) the details of deposits which are not in compliance with the requirements of Chapter V of the Act;
(vii) the details of significant and material orders passed by the regulators or courts or tribunals impacting the going concern status and company’s operations in future;
(viii) the details in respect of adequacy of internal financial controls with reference to the Financial Statements.
(ix) a disclosure, as to whether maintenance of cost records as specified by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 148 of the Companies Act, 2013, is required by the Company and accordingly such accounts and records are made and maintained,
(x) a statement that the company has complied with provisions relating to the constitution of Internal Complaints Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 [14 of 2013]
(6) This rule shall not apply to One Person Company or Small Company.
8A. Matters to be included in Board's Report for One Person Company and Small Company.-(1) The Board’s Report of One Person Company and Small Company shall be prepared based on the stand alone financial statement of the company, which shall be in abridged form and contain the following:-
(a) the web address, if any, where annual return referred to in sub-section (3) of section 92 has been placed;
(b) number of meetings of the Board;
(c) Directors’ Responsibility Statement as referred to in sub-section (5) of section 134;
(d) details in respect of frauds reported by auditors under sub-section (12) of section 143 other than those which are reportable to the Central Government;
(e) explanations or comments by the Board on every qualification, reservation or adverse remark or disclaimer made by the auditor in his report;
(f) the state of the company’s affairs;
(g) the financial summary or highlights;
(h) material changes from the date of closure of the financial year in the nature of business and their effect on the financial position of the company;
(i) the details of directors who were appointed or have resigned during the year;
(j) the details or significant and material orders passed by the regulators or courts or tribunals impacting the going concern status and company’s operations in future.
(2) The Report of the Board shall contain the particulars of contracts or arrangements with related parties referred to in sub-section (1) of section 188 in the Form AOC-2.
Office Order to constitute a Committee to finalise Business Responsibility Reporting Format for Listed and Unlisted Companies dated 14.11.2018
Commencement Notification dated 31.07.2018
Commencement Notification under Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020 dated 21.12.2020
Companies (Accounts) Amendment Rules, 2016 [GSR 742(E)] dated 27/07/2016
Companies (Accounts) Amendment Rules, 2024 dated 24.09.2024
Companies (Accounts) Second Amendment Rules, 2015 dated 04/09/2015
Companies (Accounts) Second Amendment Rules, 2024 dated 31.12.2024
Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020 dated 28.09.2020
Enforcement Notification S.O. 1440(E) dated 29/05/2016
Enforcement Notification S.O. 902(E) dated 26/03/2014
Exemption to Govt Companies G.S.R. 463(E) dated 05/06/2015
Exemption to Specified IFSC Private company [GSR 09(E)] dated 04/01/2017
Exemption to Specified IFSC Public company [GSR 08(E)] dated 04/01/2017
Exemptions to Government Companies [Amendment to GSR 463(E)] dated 13/06/2017
Notification on Companies (Accounts) Amendment Rules, 2020 dated 30.01.2020
The Companies (Accounts) Amendment Rules, 2019 dated 22.10.2019 w.e.f., 01.12.2019
The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Effective from 03.01.2018)
The Companies (Amendment) Act,2015
Clarification on offsetting the excess CSR spent for FY 2019-20 dated 20.05.2021
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