Statutory compliance for startups and SMEs.
You started a business, not a compliance department. Value First works as an extension of your team, running payroll and keeping statutory compliance in order from your first hire onward, without slowing your growth.
Compliance challenges in startups & smes.
Moving from informal to structured
Cash salaries, verbal offers and a shared spreadsheet work for a team of five. At thirty, they become a liability. Appointment letters, registrations, payslips and records stop being optional as headcount grows. We help you formalise in stages, without a painful overnight overhaul.
Delayed PF and ESIC registrations
Many founders assume these apply 'once we're bigger'. Applicability depends on headcount, wages and state rules, and can begin earlier than expected. Late registration can mean back contributions, interest and damages. We check where you stand and fix the timing before it becomes a notice.
Multi-state expansion
A new office, a remote hire in another city or a first warehouse brings new PT rules, Shops & Establishments registrations, welfare fund contributions and wage notifications. We map the requirements before the offer letter goes out.
Lean teams, long checklists
One HR manager, or none, often owns payroll, hiring, filings and employee queries at once. Missing a monthly due date is easy when everything is urgent.
Changing labour laws
With the new Labour Codes, evolving state rules and changing thresholds, 'we did it this way last year' is no longer safe. We track changes and explain what they mean for a business your size.
Due diligence is coming
Investors, acquirers and large customers increasingly check statutory compliance. Gaps found during a funding round cost time, money and leverage.
The people we support.
Core team and early employees
Do three jobs at once, often on lower salaries, and care deeply about being treated fairly.
Interns and trainees
Need correct treatment for stipends, tax and documentation.
Remote contractors and freelancers
Support product, design, marketing and operations on flexible terms.
Sales and field staff
Earn incentives that change month to month.
Long-serving SME staff
Family members and long-tenure staff in traditional SMEs may have grown up on informal arrangements that now need structure.
Services for startups & smes.
Statutory Compliance
Labour laws, filings, registers, payments and regulatory changes get harder to keep up with as you grow. We give you a systematic, proactive way to manage every statutory requirement.
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PF & ESIC Compliance
Registration, employee records, UAN and KYC, monthly contributions, reconciliation and records for Provident Fund and Employees' State Insurance, organised so your HR and finance teams don't carry it alone.
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Payroll Processing
We run your monthly payroll from attendance and salary inputs to calculations, statutory deductions, payslips, full and final settlements and reports, so employees are paid accurately and on time.
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Establishment Compliance
Compliance support tailored to your industry, locations and workforce, from registrations and documentation to inspections and ongoing regulatory requirements.
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Compliance Audits
A structured gap assessment of your registrations, filings, registers and contractors, with a written report and a clear plan to close every gap.
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Labour Law Compliance
We make sure every central and state labour law requirement is met, so you can concentrate on your organisation's success rather than the fine print of labour law.
ExplorePayroll, PF, ESIC, PT and TDS, without the cash-flow anxiety
Startup and SME payroll is rarely tidy. Increments arrive off-cycle, bonuses depend on milestones and headcount changes every month. Each change touches a statutory obligation, and every rupee counts.
- Provident Fund (PF)
Registration, UAN and KYC, joiner and exit processing and monthly ECR filing. We help you structure salary components so you understand the cost before you make an offer.
- ESIC
Early employees on lower salaries, support and operations staff may fall within ESIC limits, and a raise can push someone over. We monitor eligibility and handle contributions and returns.
- Professional Tax (PT)
Slabs, due dates and frequencies vary by state, and some states don't levy PT. We apply the right rules to every employee, including remote hires in other states.
- TDS on salary
Monthly tax on projected income, declarations, proofs and Form 16 on time. Large bonuses and mid-year hikes are planned so nobody is surprised at year-end.
- Predictable obligations
A clear view of statutory dues and total payroll cost ahead of each cycle. Contribution dates and deadlines are tracked so penalties don't quietly drain cash.
Freelancers, agencies and early contractors: flexible, not fuzzy
Contractors help you move fast without fixed costs. But a loose arrangement can turn into a tax or labour problem at exactly the wrong moment.
- Worker classification
A 'freelancer' who works fixed hours, uses your tools and works only for you for a year may look like an employee in law. We assess each engagement, advise on the right model and document the reasoning.
- Timely, correct payments
Payment schedules tied to milestones or invoices, invoice checks, the right TDS and on-time disbursement.
- Avoiding surprise tax liabilities
Payments to freelancers, agencies and professionals carry different withholding rules, and missed deductions create disallowances and interest. We apply the right section and rate.
- Agency and vendor partners
For staffing partners and service vendors, we verify statutory compliance so their lapses don't become your liability.
HR Statutory Compliance Starter Kit for Growing Businesses in India
Statutory HR obligations switch on by headcount, and the switch is the date the threshold is crossed, not the date you notice. This starter kit covers the triggers, registrations, policies, registers and a 30-60-90 day rollout.
If payroll takes a founder's evenings, produces regular corrections or can't tell you whether you're compliant, then yes. We run a parallel cycle before go-live, so your team's payday stays on schedule.
Yes. Our pricing scales with headcount, so you pay for what you use rather than for a system built for a large corporate. There's no obligation to commit before we've reviewed where you stand.
Yes, and it's more common than most founders realise. We assess your position, work out what applies and from when, and guide you on registering and regularising in the right order. Past periods depend on your facts, so we talk you through the options before anything is filed.
Both. We help classify engagements, apply the correct TDS, process milestone-based payments and review long-running arrangements, so external talent is managed as carefully as your core team.
Yes. PF, ESIC, PT, TDS, LWF and other returns across your locations, with one tracker and one point of contact. Data is protected with role-based access, encryption, audit trails and strict confidentiality commitments.
Ready to take the weight off your shoulders?
You didn't start a company to chase challans. Let Value First handle the payroll, the filings and the compliance calendar while you build.