Striking off is the simplest, cheapest, and cleanest way to formally close an inactive company in India. Filed under Section 248 of the Companies Act, 2013 in Form STK-2, the application now goes to the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE), which has cut closure timelines to under two months. Leaving a dormant company open only piles up filing fees, penalties, and disqualification risk. Samkhya handles your company’s strike-off end to end.
A strike-off removes a company’s name from the Register of Companies, legally dissolving it under Sections 248 to 252 of the Companies Act, 2013. It can be voluntary, the company itself applying in Form STK-2 under Section 248(2) with the approval of 75% of shareholders, or suo moto, where the Registrar removes a defunct company. A company can apply voluntarily if it has not commenced business within one year of incorporation, or has not carried on business for the two preceding financial years, and has nil liabilities, no open charges, and all dues settled. Since May 2023, all applications are processed by the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE), which has reduced timelines from over two years to under two months. A struck-off company can still be revived through the NCLT under Section 252 within twenty years.
Formally striking off brings real benefits:
A company can be struck off only if:
Strike-off involves a set of forms:
Voluntary strike-off is open to:
Voluntary strike-off is filed on the MCA V3 portal and routed to the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE). The company first clears all pending filings and liabilities and closes its bank accounts, passes a board resolution and a special resolution (75% of shareholders, filed in MGT-14), and prepares the CA-certified statement of accounts (STK-8), the indemnity bond (STK-3), and the affidavits (STK-4). It then files Form STK-2 with the Rs. 10,000 fee, certified by a practising professional. The ROC, through C-PACE, issues a public notice with a 30-day objection window, and if no valid objection is received, strikes off the company and publishes the STK-7 dissolution notice in the Official Gazette, after which the Certificate of Incorporation stands cancelled.
For the Application:
Supporting:
Striking off a company follows a clear sequence:
Closing your company with Samkhya Corporate Services is simple. Just follow these easy steps:
From there, our team handles the resolutions, forms, and C-PACE filing.
Once a company is struck off:
The government fee for Form STK-2 is Rs. 10,000, with professional fees separate, and the strike-off is not a tax. Two points are worth noting. First, the current Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme (CCFS) 2026, open until 15 July 2026, offers a 75% discount on the STK-2 fee along with a 90% waiver on the additional fees for clearing backlog filings before strike-off, a rare, time-limited saving. Second, even after strike-off, the directors remain personally liable for any past or undisclosed dues under Section 251, which is why the indemnity bond is required, and the company can be revived through the NCLT under Section 252 within twenty years. Clearing all dues before filing is therefore essential.
| Feature | Detail |
| Governing Law | Sections 248-252, Companies Act 2013. |
| Form | STK-2, filed with C-PACE. |
| Government Fee | Rs. 10,000. |
| Condition | Inactive 2 years, or never commenced. |
| Timeline | Under 2 months via C-PACE. |
| Revival | NCLT within 20 years (Section 252). |
What is striking off a company?
It is the process of removing an inactive company’s name from the Register of Companies under Section 248, legally dissolving it, filed voluntarily in Form STK-2.
When can a company be struck off?
When it has not carried on business for the two preceding financial years, or never commenced business within a year of incorporation, and has nil liabilities and no pending dues.
How long does strike-off take now?
Since C-PACE was introduced, a clean application is typically processed in under two months, down from over two years earlier.
What is the fee for STK-2?
The government fee for Form STK-2 is Rs. 10,000, with professional fees separate; the CCFS 2026 window currently offers a discount until 15 July 2026.
Are directors liable after strike-off?
Yes. Under Section 251, directors remain personally liable for any past or undisclosed dues, which is why an indemnity bond is filed.
Can a struck-off company be revived?
Yes. A struck-off company can be revived through the NCLT under Section 252 within twenty years of the strike-off.
