MCA extends deadline for submission of cost audit report till December 31

The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) extended till December 31, the date by which cost auditors have to submit their reports for the previous fiscal to the boards of companies, in a circular on Tuesday.

The MCA had previously extended the deadline till November 30 in light of the disruptions caused due to the pandemic and ensuring lockdown.

This implied companies can file their CRA-4 form (cost audit report) with the government by the end of January next year.


Statutory cost auditors are required to submit their audit of a company’s cost records within 180 days of the closing of the financial year, which means the deadline for the FY20 report fell in September.

Normally, companies have 30 days from the time they receive the cost audit report to submit the CRA-4 form to the MCA along with the board’s comments, effectively making the usual deadline November 30.

“In view of the large scale disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and after due examination of the representations received from various stakeholders,” an additional month of relief was provided, as per the circular.

The relief was aimed at companies that are yet to hold their annual general meetings (AGMs). The MCA had extended the deadline for companies to hold virtual AGMs till December-end from September earlier.

As in the previous circular, the government also specified that the additional fees a company has to pay for filing the CRA-4 form stands waived.