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Legal

Incorporation

The legal act of registering your business with the government so it exists as its own entity. Until you incorporate, you and the business are the same thing in the eyes of the law.

Example

Filing with the MCA and receiving your Certificate of Incorporation is the moment your startup legally exists.

Related terms

Private Limited Company
The most common company structure for Indian startups. The company is legally separate from its founders, so business debts stay with the business, and it can issue shares to investors.
LLP
A business structure where partners share ownership but are not personally responsible for the business debts. Cheaper to run than a company, but you cannot issue shares to investors.
MoA / AoA
The two founding documents of a company. The MoA says what the company is allowed to do; the AoA says how it will be run internally.

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