What is meant by a Guarantee Company? State the similarities and dissimilarities between a Guarantee Company and a Company having Share Capital.\nOR\nWhat is the main difference between a Guarantee Company and a Company having Share Capital?

Company limited by guarantee: Section 2(21) of the Companies Act, 2013 defines it as the company having the liability of its members limited by the memorandum to such amount as the members may respectively undertake by the memorandum to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up. Thus, the liability of the member of a guarantee company is limited upto a stipulated sum mentioned in the memorandum. Members cannot be called upon to contribute beyond that stipulated sum.\nSimilarities and dis-similarities between the Guarantee Company and the Company having share capital:\nThe common features between a ‘guarantee company’ and ‘share company’ are legal personality and limited liability. In the latter case, the member’s liability is limited by the amount remaining unpaid on the share, which each member holds. Both of them have to state in their memorandum that the members’ liability is limited.\nHowever, the point of distinction between these two types of companies is that in the former case the members may be called upon to discharge their liability only after commencement of the winding up and only subject to certain conditions; but in the latter case, they may be called upon to do so at any time, either during the company’s life-time or during its winding up.\nOR\nDifference between Guarantee Company [Section 2(21) of the Companies Act, 2013] and a Company having share capital [Section 2(22)].\nIn case of guarantee company, the members may be called upon to discharge their liability only after commencement of the winding up and only subject to certain conditions; whereas in the case of company having share capital, members may be called upon to discharge their liability at any time, either during the company’s life-time or during its winding up.