The safest way to verify outsourced compliance is to build a government-proof register. For every GST, TDS, income-tax and ROC obligation, record the form, period, filing date and official acknowledgement—ARN for GST, SRN for MCA forms, TDS statement/challan evidence, and ITR acknowledgement plus e-verification status. A service invoice or “done” message is not filing evidence.
What this means for you
Compliance ownership stays with the business even when execution is outsourced.
Who this applies to
Founders, finance teams and individuals using one or several external compliance providers.
Why this problem happens
Different laws use different portals and acknowledgement types; without a standard register, incomplete work is easy to miss.
What should be checked immediately
Use an indexed checklist rather than scattered messages. The exact documents vary by issue, but the records below should be under business control before any filing, correction or response.
| Area | Proof to retain | Independent check |
|---|---|---|
| GST | ARN + filed PDF | GST Portal |
| TDS | Challan + statement ack | Income Tax/TRACES |
| ITR | Acknowledgement + e-verified status | Income Tax portal |
| ROC | SRN + filed form | MCA portal |
| Notice | Response acknowledgement/order | Relevant portal |
What to do now
Create a single register with filters for overdue, filed-with-proof, filed-but-unreconciled and pending-notice items.
Practical hypothetical example
A founder’s register shows all GST ARNs but no TDS Q2 acknowledgement and no MGT-7 SRN. The missing evidence becomes visible without waiting for year-end.
What happens if this is ignored
Gaps often surface only during notices, funding, bank diligence or a provider change.
What TargoLegal checks before filing or responding
TargoLegal uses the same evidence register as the opening handover checklist before taking over compliance.
What the customer should approve and receive
Before filing or response
Receive the issue summary, pending-document list, proposed figures/treatment, deadline and payment impact. Material assumptions should be visible.
After submission
Receive the filed return/form or response, government acknowledgement, payment proof and a short open-items list.
Do not make the handover or correction harder
Statutory deadlines continue.
Keep portal access under business control.
Rebuild from source records and prior filings.
Every completed filing should leave an official trail.
What to send for a first review
Use our compliance handover checklist before changing providers. Send the entity type and registrations to map the proof register.
Related questions
How do I know the filing or response is actually complete?
Look for the official acknowledgement/status on the relevant government portal and retain the filed copy. A payment receipt or provider message is not enough.
Should I share my portal password with a new provider?
Prefer official authorisation, secure reset and business-controlled access. Do not send passwords or OTPs through uncontrolled chats.
Can I blame the previous adviser in the government response?
A statutory response should focus on facts, law and evidence. Private responsibility with a provider is a separate issue unless legally relevant.
What should I approve before filing?
You should receive a concise summary of figures, differences, payment/correction proposed and unresolved risks before submission.
What should I keep afterwards?
Keep the filed form/return, acknowledgement, payment proof, reconciliation and any response/order in a business-controlled archive.
Official sources used
Legal and portal claims were anchored to the official references below. Forums and customer complaints were used only to understand real-world confusion, never as legal authority.
TargoLegal Research and Editorial Desk · Last legally reviewed: 18 August 2026. Recheck live forms, notifications, portal workflows and response dates immediately before acting.
