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Practical compliance for small legal teams.
No fluff, no fake cases. Guides to the filings, deadlines and workflows an in-house legal team actually owns, US first, then the rest of the world.
Compliance · US
Form D (Reg D) filing: what a startup's legal team has to file and when
Of every filing a startup's in-house legal team touches, the SEC Form D is the one you are most likely to own yourself. No accountant, no registered agent, no licensed intermediary. Just you, your…
August 14, 2026 · 9 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleCompliance · India
GSTR-9 annual return: who files it, when, and how to reconcile
GSTR-9 is the one GST return nobody wants to do: a full-year reconciliation of every invoice, credit, and payment you reported monthly. It is due December 31 every year, and getting it wrong is what…
August 11, 2026 · 8 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleCompliance · US
Form 144: how insiders file notice of selling restricted stock
When an insider sells restricted securities, the SEC needs a heads up, and that notice is Form 144. It is an EDGAR filing, it is free, and for most startup teams it is the second SEC form they ever…
August 8, 2026 · 8 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleCompliance · US
Delaware franchise tax: due date, amount, and who files it
If you are incorporated in Delaware, you owe franchise tax every year by March 1, and the annual report rides along with it. It is one of the most common filings a legal team hands off, so here is…
August 5, 2026 · 8 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleIP · US
Trademark renewal: Section 8/15 declarations and Section 9 renewals explained
A registered trademark lasts ten years, but only if you file the maintenance documents on time. Two declarations, two ten-year cycles, and a surprising number of registrations die because nobody…
July 30, 2026 · 9 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleCompliance · India
AOC-4 and MGT-7: the two annual filings every Indian company files
Once a year, every Indian company files its financial statements on AOC-4 and its annual return on MGT-7 through the MCA portal. They look like two forms. They are really one annual compliance event,…
July 24, 2026 · 9 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleBusiness · US
Delaware registered agent: what they do, why you need one, and how to change them
Your Delaware registered agent is the one address the state is legally allowed to use to reach your company. Miss the concept and you will still pay them, but you may not understand what they are…
July 18, 2026 · 8 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleVendors · US
W-9 collection and vendor onboarding: what legal needs to enforce
Every vendor you pay must give you a W-9 before you pay them. It is a one page form, but it is the foundation of your 1099 reporting, your backup withholding, and your vendor file. Legal teams that…
July 12, 2026 · 8 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleCompliance · India
TDS returns in India: Forms 24Q, 26Q and 27Q, deadlines and certificates
If your company pays salaries, rent, professional fees, or any interest to residents, you are in the TDS business. Deducting is the easy part. Filing the right quarterly return on time, and issuing…
July 6, 2026 · 9 min read · By the LawDep team
Read articleBusiness · US
S corporation election (Form 2553): deadline, eligibility, and who should file
Form 2553 is the one-page IRS form that turns a corporation or an LLC into an S corporation, letting owners pay tax once instead of twice. It is also one of the most commonly missed filings, because…
June 30, 2026 · 9 min read · By the LawDep team
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