Cost Audit › CRA-4

CRA-4 Filing: Getting Your Cost Audit Report to the MCA

CRA-4 is the final step — filing your cost audit report with the MCA in XBRL format through the V3 portal, within 30 days of receiving it. Miss this window and the daily fees start immediately.

Form CRA-4 · XBRL
CRA-4 filed
MCA V3 portal, acknowledged

Overview

What Is CRA-4 Filing?

Form CRA-4 is the e-form used to file the cost audit report — along with the company's explanations for any auditor qualifications — with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It must be filed within 30 days of the company receiving the CRA-3 report from its cost auditor, and is filed in XBRL format through the MCA's V3 portal.

Who Needs This

Who Needs to File CRA-4

Companies under cost audit
Just received a CRA-3 report
Foreign companies under audit
Multi-plant manufacturers

Filing Mechanics

How and When CRA-4 Must Be Filed

30-Day Deadline

Counted from the date the company receives the CRA-3 report

30 days from CRA-3 receipt
A tighter window than most annual MCA filings
XBRL via V3 Portal

CRA-4 must be filed in XBRL format through the MCA's V3 portal

XBRL filing format
In effect since the V3 rollout for cost audit filings from 14 July 2025
Late filing gets expensive fast

Delayed CRA-4 filing attracts an additional fee that accrues per day of delay with no upper cap, on top of potential scrutiny under Sections 148 and 450 of the Companies Act.

Why It Matters

Why Timely, Accurate CRA-4 Filing Matters

Avoid uncapped late fees

The daily additional fee for delayed CRA-4 has no ceiling — timing matters.

XBRL done right

Correct XBRL tagging avoids rejection and re-filing delays.

Clean compliance trail

On-time filing closes out the cost audit cycle cleanly for the year.

Qualification disclosure handled

Any auditor qualifications are disclosed correctly alongside the filing.

MCA-ready records

Acknowledged filings are kept on hand for future inspections or diligence.

Foreign entity filings

Cross-border reporting structures are accounted for in the filing.

How It Works

How We Handle Your CRA-4 Filing

From receiving your CRA-3 report to a filed, acknowledged CRA-4.

Start My CRA-4 Filing
CRA-3 report received

We confirm the date of receipt, which starts the 30-day filing clock.

2
XBRL conversion

The cost audit report is converted and tagged in the required XBRL format.

3
Qualification disclosures

Any auditor qualifications and management responses are prepared for filing.

4
Filing on the MCA V3 portal

CRA-4 is submitted through the Ministry's V3 filing system.

5
Acknowledgment & records

You receive the filed acknowledgment for your statutory records.

Before You Start

Documents Needed for CRA-4 Filing

CRA-3 cost audit report
Company CIN and DIN details
Board resolution reference
Auditor qualification remarks, if any

Sector Coverage

Industries We Serve

Electronics
Pharmaceutical
Chemicals
Engineering
Auto Components
Semiconductor
Manufacturing
Foreign Companies

Why SSCOIndia

Why Choose SSCOIndia for CRA-4 Filing

ICMAI Cost Accountants
Written compliance position
Fast, no-obligation review
PAN India, foreign entities too

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Form CRA-4 is the e-form used to file the cost audit report, along with explanations for any auditor qualifications, with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

CRA-4 must be filed within 30 days of the company receiving the CRA-3 report from its cost auditor.

CRA-4 is filed in XBRL format, submitted through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' V3 portal.

Late filing attracts an additional fee that increases with the length of delay and has no upper cap, alongside possible scrutiny under Sections 148 and 450 of the Companies Act.

Yes, any qualifications, reservations or adverse remarks from the CRA-3 report, along with the company's response, must be disclosed as part of the CRA-4 filing.

The company is responsible for filing CRA-4, generally coordinated by the finance team or company secretary once the CRA-3 report is received.

No, CRA-3 is the report itself. CRA-4 is the separate e-form used to formally file that report with the MCA.

CRA-4 filings have moved to XBRL format through the MCA's V3 portal, applicable to cost audit filings from 14 July 2025 onward.

A revised filing would generally be needed if a material error is found in the original report or filing, following the applicable MCA process for revision.

Yes, we handle XBRL conversion, qualification disclosures and submission through the MCA V3 portal, keeping filing well within the 30-day window.

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