> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bumara.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PACRA overview

> What you do with PACRA in Bumara — registrations, name services, annual returns and company changes.

PACRA — the Patents and Companies Registration Agency — is where your business legally exists.
It holds your registration, your directors, your shareholding and your registered address, and it
requires an annual return to keep all of that current.

## What you handle here

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Name clearance" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/regulators/pacra/name-clearance">
    Check whether a proposed name is available and reserve it. The first step in any registration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Company registration" icon="building" href="/regulators/pacra/company-registration">
    Register a limited company — directors, shareholders, share capital, registered office.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Business name registration" icon="store" href="/regulators/pacra/business-name-registration">
    Register a trading name for a sole proprietor or partnership.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Annual returns" icon="calendar-check" href="/regulators/pacra/annual-returns">
    The yearly filing that keeps your company in good standing.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Alongside these you can request changes to an existing registration: change of directors, change
of registered address, share transfers, change of name, and restoration if your company has been
struck off.

## The obligations PACRA creates

What Bumara creates when you connect PACRA depends on your entity type:

| Entity type       | Obligation                        | Frequency                                  |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Company**       | Annual return                     | Annually, based on your financial year end |
| **Business name** | Renewal, where applicable         | Per PACRA's schedule                       |
| **Partnership**   | As applicable to the registration | Varies                                     |

This is why your entity type in [Set up your business](/start/set-up-your-business) matters. A
business name does not file annual returns; a company does, and failing to do so leads to
penalties and eventually strike-off.

## Connecting PACRA

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the PACRA workspace and choose Connect">
    From the sidebar under Regulators.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your registration number">
    As it appears on your certificate of incorporation or business name certificate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm your entity type and financial year end">
    These are taken from your organisation settings. Check them here — they drive your annual
    return due date.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Bumara creates your PACRA obligations and generates the current period's filing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your authorised representative">
    PACRA requires a named person authorised to act for your business. Bumara cannot lodge with
    PACRA without this. See [Authorised representative](/compliance/authorised-representative).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## If you are registering a new business

If your business does not exist yet, the order matters:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clear the name first">
    Nothing else can proceed until a name is approved. See
    [Name clearance](/regulators/pacra/name-clearance).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register the entity">
    [Company registration](/regulators/pacra/company-registration) or
    [business name registration](/regulators/pacra/business-name-registration), depending on
    what you are forming.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get your TPIN from ZRA">
    Once you have a PACRA certificate you can apply for a TPIN. See
    [ZRA overview](/regulators/zra/overview).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register as an employer">
    If you will have staff, register with NAPSA and NHIMA. See
    [NAPSA and NHIMA](/regulators/napsa-and-nhima).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Fees

PACRA fees vary by service and by entity type. The fee is shown before you commit, split between
the PACRA charge and Bumara's handling fee. See [Paying fees](/compliance/paying-fees).

## What happens if you fall behind

PACRA escalates, and the escalation is expensive:

| Stage                        | Consequence                                                                       |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Annual return filed late     | Penalty applied, increasing with time                                             |
| Returns unfiled for a period | Company flagged as non-compliant                                                  |
| Continued failure            | Strike-off notice issued                                                          |
| No response to the notice    | Company struck off the register                                                   |
| After strike-off             | Restoration required — considerably more expensive and slower than filing on time |

A struck-off company cannot legally trade, hold contracts, or operate its bank accounts. If you
have received a strike-off notice, treat it as the most urgent thing in your account.

<Warning>
  If you are unsure whether your PACRA position is clean — particularly if you inherited the
  business or have not filed for some years — run a
  [compliance health check](/start/compliance-health-check) before doing anything else. It will
  tell you exactly where you stand, including any strike-off exposure.
</Warning>

## Your PACRA workspace

| Page                 | Use it for                                             |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Overview**         | Your PACRA position at a glance                        |
| **Obligations**      | Your annual return and any other recurring requirement |
| **Filings**          | Each year's return, past and present                   |
| **Service requests** | Registrations, changes, restorations                   |
| **Tasks**            | Everything outstanding with PACRA                      |
| **Documents**        | Your certificate, returns, acknowledgements            |
| **Timeline**         | Everything that has happened                           |
| **Authorisation**    | Your named representative                              |