CA Firm Registration: How to Register a CA Firm online and How to get Name of a CA Firm.

CA Firm Registration

CA Firm Registration: How to Register a CA Firm online and How to get Name of a CA Firm.

Chartered Accountant Firm or CA‘s firms means?

CA firm is an organization of Chartered Accountant that provides services such as Auditing, Accounting, Tax Consulting, Transaction Advisory, etc.

The functioning of a CA firm is complex. CA firms can be opened only by a qualified chartered accountant alone or in partnership. In this article, we are given complete guidance on the Registration of a Chartered Accountant Firm.

How to get a CA firm Registration online?

Members are required to fill following two forms:-
  1. Form no. 117 – for the “Name Approval” of the Firm
  2. Form no. 18- for the Constitution of the Firm.

The process to fill Form no. 117 (Name Approval)

  • First of all, a fresh applicant must create a login Id and Password.
  • To create a login Id and Password visit www.icai.org, click on the SSP (Self Service Portal) link provided on the top of the home page of the website.
  • Sign in to the SSP portal using your ID password. Get access to the Member SSP portal.
  • Click on the My Firm option flashing on the screen ➢ Select My Firm Module
  • then click on Firm Module Option and Select the Firm New Application Button
  • then select Firm Name Approval(Form 117) Folder and select the option Request for New Firm Name and fill the Required field appropriately.
  • The system will display the Type of Firm ( CA, LLP, or MCS), Select Firm Name as highlighted below
  • The system will display the Firm Association Type ( Proprietor or Partner), Select the option as Highlighted below
  • For Proprietor Firm:- Member details will be displayed and validated automatically. In this Case, Only 1 Member is a Proprietor so by default user is selected as head Incharge.
  • For Partnership Firm:-after selecting no. of partners. In the member Partner Details section, the row will be auto-populated depending on the total no. of partners and then the User will enter the partner’s Membership no. and press the validate members radio button, which will auto-populate the member details, and below screen will appear. Member needs to select the Head Incharge as highlighted.
  • After validating the member radio button and marking Head In-charge for the firms,
  • Users have to enter the Firm Name preference ( As per 190 of the Chartered Accountants Regulations) in Firms Name Details. ICAI will consider the preference in sequence while considering the Firm name approval.
  • Users have to click on validate firm name radio button to check the validity of the entered firm names and their availability, system will display the pop-up alert and display the firm name availability as below. Click on Ok.
What is Regulation 190 of the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988
(1)(i)A trade / firm name shall be restricted to the name(s) of the proprietor / partners or a name which is already in use.
(ii)A trade / firm name may include the name(s) of the member(s) as it/they may appear in the Register of Members in the following manner:
(a)The full Surname of the Member(s); or
(b)The full first name of the Member(s); or
(c)The combination of the first name, middle name the initials and / or the Surname of member(s), any expansion thereof; or
(d)The initials of the first name and full Surname of the member(s); or
(e)The initials of his/her full name; or
(f)The full name including the Surname of the member(s); or
(g)Such distinguishing part of the name(s) as is indicative of the manner in which he/they/is/are commonly known; or
(h)The combination of name and/or surnames of one or more partners of the firm; or
(i)Permitting the use as a firm /trade name a part of the name of the proprietor or one or more partners.
(j)A trade / firm name shall not be allowed where a members seeks to use a part of his surname
(k)The only suffixes to be allowed in a trade/firm name shall be “&Co.” and “&” Associates” or their equivalents. Suffixes like ” & partners” “&Fellows” & others” etc. shall not be allowed.
(l)A trade / firm name which bears the name of a God/Goddess/Deity and which has no relationship with the name of the member(s) as above, shall not be allowed.
(m)Descriptive trade firm names shall not be allowed.
(n)Trade / firm names which smack of publicity shall not be allowed.
CA Firm Name Approval
Explanation 1.(If Members want to use other Surname):-
The name or surname of the members should normally conform to the name or Surname as they appear in the Register of Members. If the member is also known by any other name of Surname, this may be allowed to be used on the production of an affidavit or other evidence to the satisfaction of the Secretary.
Explanation 2. (If members want other name of the firm):-
After various permutations and combinations under the above clause (ii) have been exhausted and the member is not able to get a firm/trade name in accordance with the same he may be permitted to adopt or coin a firm/trade name out of the name of his / her family members, provided that such name was not already registered by some other members. The term “family” for this purpose means husband, wife, father, mother, son, and daughter.
How to Approve CA firm Name
  • Enter the Address of Head Office, In the case of Proprietor, System will display the Membership address by default. Click on Generate OTP, verify the Captcha, and Submit the Form.
  • Once the Form is Submitted Following screen will be displayed to the user, where the Member needs to upload the PDF copy of Form 117 Generated from the System.
  • Now, After OTP verification (by all partners of the Firm), download Form 117 and Upload the same.
  • After Uploading Form 117, the Application will move to ICAI MSS Section for Approval. The user will receive the confirmation of approval/Rejection.
  • After approval system will display the following screen, where the status of the Application would be displayed.

The process to fill Form no. 18 (Firm Constitution)

  • The Member (For Partnership Firm > Head In-charge) needs to log in for applying for Firm Constitution (Form-18). The Member applicant after successful login into the portal with their user id and password.
  • Click on My Firms, then Click on Firm New Application Tab, then
  • Click on Firm Constitution (Form 18) Tab as Highlighted below
  • Following Screen will appear to Member, Select the Type of Firm Constitution. Proprietor/Partnership or Sole Practice.
  • now Member (Head in Charge) needs to provide temporary Registration no. of a firm that the Member has received at the time of submission of form 117.
  • Note:- In case same is not available, refer below steps for getting the temporary Registration no. of firm Click on Submitted Application-> “For Request of New Firm/Conversion to LLP, then System will display all user applications, click on the application eye button and then click on Form 117 and then Firm name approval (Form 117), System will display the following screen, Refer the Firm Registration Number as highlighted below.
  • Once, Temporary Firm Registration Number is Available with the member. Enter the details in Form 18
  • The system will display Firm Details in Following Screen, Enter Firm Constitution details. Date of Formation, Partnership Deed, partner Profit Sharing.
  • Enter Details that are applicable (Enter Paid Assistant, Head office address, branch office, Second Office, Partner/Member Engagement Details, Other Details).
  • Verify the Captcha & OTP, In the case of multiple partners, all partners need to validate OTP. Once all partners verify the OTP, then the Head Incharge has to log in and in the submitted the application.
  • Once OTP is verified by all partners, the System will generate Form 18 PDF. Head in charge will download the PDF Form 18
  • now PDF form upload in the section of document upload.
  • Once PDF (Form 18, OTP verified) has been uploaded by Head Incharge. The application will move to the Regional Office for Approval.
  • ICAI Regional office will review the application and approve the same. Once approved, members will receive confirmation of the same.
  • Head incharge can see the application status by clicking on Submitted Application-> Firm Constitution (Form 18), Action Button.
  • Once the application is approved, the Member can download the Firm Card & Certificate. Click on Firm Card/Certificate-> Firm Card or Firm Certificate.

!!!!!! Thank You !!!!!

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8 Comments on “CA Firm Registration: How to Register a CA Firm online and How to get Name of a CA Firm.”

    1. Yes, you Have to apply for Firm Registration only difference in your case is After registration your MRN is yours FRN.
      For that, you must apply for firm registration otherwise you can’t use FRN.

  1. You have to explain the reasons while you are applying Firm name other than combination of your name like in case if you are using family name you need to attach Affidavit for the same.

  2. Hi, I am a partner of an Existing CA firm. Now I want to open a Sole Proprietorship firm in my name. can it be possible? If yes then after opening of my sole proprietorship, what will be my status in partnership firm? Am I eligible to sign any audit report of the partnership firm? please confirm.

  3. I’m a sole proprietor and I have obtained firm registration for my proprietorship firm. Its been three years I have incorporated my proprietorship firm. Now I want to convert my proprietorship into partnership firm. Will my three years of practice experience continues even after creating the partnership firm? If yes what is the procedure for creating a new partnership firm?

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