Accounting and Bookkeeping Services

Yes. Section 128 of the Companies Act 2013 requires every company to maintain proper books of accounts at its registered office. Section 44AA of the Income Tax Act requires businesses and professionals above specified thresholds to maintain books. GST Rule 56 mandates records for all registered taxpayers. Failure invites penalties under all three statutes simultaneously.

Section 44AA requires: a cash book, journal (mercantile system), ledger, carbon copies of bills/receipts (amounts above Rs.25), original bills for expenses above Rs.50, and stock registers. For professionals (doctors, lawyers, CAs, engineers, etc.), additional books like patient registers, client files, and fee registers may be needed.

Under Section 128(5) of the Companies Act, books must be preserved for at least 8 years from the end of the relevant financial year. Under the Income Tax Act, records must be maintained for 6 years from the end of the relevant assessment year. GST law requires records for 72 months (6 years) from the due date of the annual return for that year.

Section 271A of the Income Tax Act imposes a penalty of Rs.25,000 for failure to maintain prescribed books. Under Section 128 of the Companies Act 2013, the MD, whole-time director, CFO, or company secretary can face imprisonment up to 1 year or a fine of Rs.50,000 to Rs.5 lakh, or both.

Under cash basis, income and expenses are recorded only when cash changes hands. Under accrual (mercantile) basis — mandatory for companies — income is recognised when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of cash movement. The accrual basis gives a more accurate picture of financial performance and is required for GST and income tax compliance.

Bank reconciliation matches your cashbook or bank ledger against the bank statement. It identifies timing differences (uncleared cheques, outstanding deposits), bank charges, direct debits, and errors. Without monthly reconciliation, your reported cash balance is unreliable, and errors compound over time — creating serious audit risks.

Yes. E-commerce bookkeeping requires specialised handling of marketplace settlement statements, TCS deducted by the platform at 1% under Section 52 of the CGST Act, commission charges, logistics fees, returns and reimbursements. We reconcile each settlement with invoices and GST records, preparing ITC-ready books for e-commerce clients.

MIS (Management Information System) reports are financial summaries — P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and Key Ratios — that give business owners a clear picture of profitability, liquidity, and performance. Monthly MIS replaces the need for complex ERP systems and enables data-driven decisions on pricing, costs, and expansion plans.

Banks and NBFCs require audited financials, ITR copies, GST returns, bank statements, and debtor/creditor statements for credit underwriting. Businesses with clean, up-to-date books get faster approvals, higher credit limits, and better interest rates. Messy or missing records frequently result in outright loan rejections.

An in-house accountant in a metro city costs Rs.20,000-40,000/month in salary, plus PF, ESI, gratuity, leave encashment, and training — totalling Rs.25,000-50,000/month. StartupDost's outsourced bookkeeping starts at Rs.1,499/month — a saving of over 90% with CA oversight, zero attrition risk, and better quality.

We work with Tally Prime, QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, Busy, MARG, and other popular platforms. We can work with your existing software or recommend and set up the most appropriate one for your business type and transaction volume. Cloud-based tools like Zoho Books allow real-time visibility for business owners.

GST bookkeeping requires every transaction to carry the correct GST rate, HSN/SAC code, GSTINs of both parties, place of supply, and CGST/SGST/IGST split. ITC must be tracked against GSTR-2B monthly. Blocked credits under Section 17(5) must be reversed. These entries feed directly into GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, and GSTR-9 — making GST-integrated bookkeeping non-negotiable.

A Chart of Accounts (CoA) is the master list of all ledgers grouped under Assets, Liabilities, Capital, Income, and Expenses. A well-designed CoA ensures consistent recording, easy financial statement preparation, meaningful cost-centre analysis, and clean audit trails. It should be designed specifically for your business type at the time of incorporation.

Absolutely. Our books are audit-ready by design — complete ledgers, bank reconciliation statements, supporting schedules, GST reconciliation, TDS reconciliation, fixed asset register, depreciation workings, and Notes to Accounts. This significantly reduces audit duration and professional fees.

A Fixed Asset Register (FAR) records all tangible assets — purchase date, cost, location, useful life, depreciation rate, accumulated depreciation, and Written Down Value (WDV). It is required for Companies Act depreciation (Schedule II), income tax depreciation (Section 32), insurance valuations, and due diligence during funding or M&A.

Yes. TDS deducted on vendor payments (professional fees, rent, contractor payments) and TDS deducted on your income receipts are both recorded in the books. We reconcile TDS payable with challans deposited and ensure your Form 26AS / AIS matches your books — preventing mismatch notices from the Income Tax Department.

The standard monthly set includes: bank statements of all accounts, sales invoices raised, purchase bills, expense bills (travel, utilities, rent), salary registers, GST challans and returns, TDS challans, loan statements, and any other income/expense documentation. We provide a structured checklist at onboarding.

Yes. We offer backdated book regularisation — compiling historical records from bank statements, GST returns, TDS data, and available bills. This specialised service is often required before audit, ITR filing, ROC compliance, or funding due diligence. Timeline depends on the volume of historical transactions.

We sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with every client. All data is transmitted over encrypted channels, stored on secured cloud servers with role-based access controls. Financial data is never shared with third parties without explicit written consent. We comply with all applicable data protection principles under Indian law.

Click 'Choose Your Plan' or 'Talk to Expert' on our website. Share your entity type, approximate monthly transaction volume, turnover range, and current accounting setup. Our team responds within 4 business hours with a customised plan — and your books can be live within 48 hours.