Guide
Accreditation for companies, LLPs, firms and trusts
For most entities one number decides it — net worth, with no income route to fall back on. The exceptions are what this guide is for.
Checked against SEBI’s framework and the agency’s own guidance on 23 Sept 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer
For most entities, one number decides it
A company, an LLP, or a trust other than a family trust is accredited on net worth alone. There is no income route and no combined test — the balance sheet either clears the threshold or it does not.
- Body corporate — net worth
- ₹50 crore or more
- Trust, other than a family trust — net worth
- ₹50 crore or more
- Partnership firm
- each partner qualifies on the individual limits above
Net worth is everything you own minus everything you owe, not counting the home you live in.
Which entity is which
The classification decides the test
Getting this wrong means your figures are read against a threshold that was never meant for you.
Companies and LLPs
Both are bodies corporate and both file on the net-worth test. An LLP adds its LLP agreement to the document list; otherwise the two applications look the same.
Trusts
A family trust is measured on the individual thresholds. Every other trust — a private trust, an institutional one — faces the entity net-worth test. A trustee is named either way.
Partnership firms
The firm files, but the figures are each partner’s, and each partner needs their own net-worth certificate. A firm with a large number of partners is handled by our team rather than online.
Sole proprietorships
A proprietorship has no PAN of its own, so the proprietor applies as an individual, on the individual tests. The business does not appear as a separate applicant.
Evidence
Audited statements or a CA certificate — either will do
An entity proves net worth with its audited financial statements or with a Chartered Accountant’s net-worth certificate. You do not need both; you do need one that covers every financial year the certificate length depends on.
A company’s document list
An LLP’s is the same, with the LLP agreement added.
PAN card of the company
Its own PAN card.
Certificate of incorporation
Issued by the Registrar of Companies.
Letter authorising the signatory
On the letterhead, signed by a director, partner or trustee, naming the person who applies. Download the format.
PAN card of the authorised signatoryfor each person named
A clear scan of the authorised signatory’s own PAN card.
Photo ID of the authorised signatoryfor each person named
The authorised signatory’s passport, driving licence, voter ID or masked Aadhaar (the first 8 digits hidden).
Audited financial statements — last financial yeareither this or the alternative
The audited balance sheet and profit and loss account, with the auditor’s report. You can upload a CA net-worth certificate instead — the agency accepts either.
CA net-worth certificate — last financial year (of the entity)either this or the alternative
On the CA’s letterhead with a UDIN, dated within the last six months, certifying the net worth (capital and free reserves, less losses). Give your CA the format. You can upload the audited financial statements instead — the agency accepts either.
Audited financial statements — the year before3-year certificate onlyeither this or the alternative
The audited statements for the year before last. You can upload a CA net-worth certificate instead — the agency accepts either.
CA net-worth certificate — the year before (of the entity)3-year certificate onlyeither this or the alternative
On the CA’s letterhead with a UDIN, for the year before last. The CA can use the same format. You can upload the audited financial statements instead — the agency accepts either.
Signed undertaking
The agency’s declaration that what is given is true. Download the format, have it printed on the letterhead and signed by the authorised signatory, and upload it as a PDF.
Worth knowing
Four things entities get caught by
Income does not substitute for net worth
A company with large revenues and a thin balance sheet does not qualify. The body-corporate test reads net worth alone, and there is no income alternative to fall back on.
A family trust is not in this group
A family trust is measured on the individual thresholds, on the trust’s own figures. Only trusts other than family trusts face the entity net-worth test.
A firm is only as accredited as its partners
A partnership firm qualifies when every partner qualifies individually — so one partner short of a threshold ends the application, however strong the others are.
The signatory has to be authorised, on paper
A board resolution or its equivalent names the person who signs for the entity, and that person’s own PAN appears on several documents. An unnamed director signing is a query waiting to happen.
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