The tax and business paperwork we can take off your hands

Whether you earn a salary, draw a pension, freelance, run a shop or a business, sold shares or property this year, or live abroad with income in India — we’ll work out your return with you and file it. Filing goes more smoothly once the papers are in one place, so here’s what to gather. Most people need the first list plus one or two of the extras.

What everyone keeps ready

• PAN, and Aadhaar linked with your PAN
• The mobile number linked to Aadhaar — the OTP to e-verify your return usually goes there
• Your login for the income-tax e-filing portal (forgotten it? we can help you reset it)
• Account number and IFSC for every bank account you held during the year
• Your Annual Information Statement (AIS) and tax credit statement from the portal
• Last year’s return or acknowledgement, if you have it

Plus the papers for your situation

Clear copies or PDFs are usually enough to prepare a return. Keep the originals safe at home.

Think of the two regimes as two ways of working out the same tax. Under the new regime you pay lower slab rates, but you can claim hardly any deductions. Under the old regime the rates are higher, yet you can subtract more from your income before the tax is worked out. Neither is “better” on its own — what matters is which one leaves you paying less this year, with paperwork you can actually keep. We compare both using your real figures before you commit.

A four-step way to decide

1. List what you’ll actually claim.Not what you could claim — what you will really pay this year: rent, home-loan interest, insurance premiums, eligible investments, health cover for your parents.
2. Work out the tax both ways.Use the calculator on the official e-filing portal, or ask us to run the numbers with your figures.
3. Don’t buy deductions for their own sake.Locking money away only to qualify for a deduction rarely makes sense if it doesn’t suit your goals.
4. Know when you can switch.Without business income you can generally choose afresh each year when you file. With business or professional income, switching back and forth is restricted, so choose carefully.

A new GSTIN for your shop, firm or company, a change to an existing registration, or cancelling one you no longer need. Registration becomes compulsory once your turnover crosses the limit for your state and type of supply, and some businesses need it from day one — many e-commerce sellers and businesses supplying goods to other states, for example. The limits change from time to time, so check with us before you apply (or before you decide you don’t need to).

Documents every applicant needs

• PAN of the business — or of the proprietor, for a proprietorship
• Aadhaar, mobile number and email ID of whoever signs the application — the OTPs go there
• A recent photo of each owner, partner or director
• Proof of the business address (see below)
• Bank proof: a cancelled cheque, the front page of the passbook or a recent statement

Proof of business address

• You own the premises: a recent electricity bill, property tax receipt or ownership document.
• You rent: the rent agreement, plus a recent utility bill or property tax receipt in the owner’s name.
• A relative or friend lets you use the space: the owner’s consent letter (NOC), with their ID and a utility bill.
• You work from home: the same rules apply to your flat — your own utility bill if you own it, or the owner’s consent if it is rented or family-owned.

Extra papers by business type

What usually holds an application up

• The address typed in the form doesn’t match the proof word for word, or the PIN code differs.
• A blurred photo, a cut-off page, or a rent agreement missing its signature page.
• Rented or family-owned premises without the owner’s consent letter.
• Name spellings that differ between PAN, Aadhaar and the bank record.
• The Aadhaar authentication step left pending.

Once you have a GSTIN, returns follow from the very first period — even a “nil” return when there were no sales. We can file your GSTR-1 (sales) and GSTR-3B (summary and tax payment), the annual GSTR-9, and quarterly returns if you’re eligible for and choose the QRMP scheme. We also match your purchase bills with GSTR-2B, so the input tax credit you claim lines up with what your suppliers have reported.

What to send us each period

• Copies of the bills you gave your customers, and any credit or debit notes
• Purchase and expense bills that carry GST
• Details of any advances received
• Your GST portal login — or be reachable for the OTP

Two habits that make GST easier

1. Close each month early.Send sales and purchase bills soon after the month ends, and GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B stop being a last-minute scramble.
2. Check GSTR-2B before paying.Credit you claim should match what suppliers have reported — and chasing a supplier is easier in the same month.

If you deduct tax when you pay salaries, rent, contractors or professionals — or collect tax on certain sales — the deduction has to be deposited and reported every quarter. We can apply for your TAN, file the quarterly TDS and TCS returns, and prepare the TDS certificates for the people you’ve paid, so they can claim the tax in their own returns.

Keep these ready

• Your TAN, or tell us if you still need one
• PAN of every employee or vendor you deducted tax from
• Amounts paid and dates of payment for the quarter
• Challans for the TDS you have already deposited
• Last quarter’s return, if one was filed

Hand us your bills and bank statements and we’ll keep your books current, match them to the bank, and send you a short monthly summary (MIS) of how things are going. Books that are up to date also make your GST returns and your year-end income tax return much quicker to prepare.

What to hand over

• Bank statements for the period
• Sales and purchase bills
• Expense receipts and cash vouchers
• GST returns already filed
• Earlier books or an accounting backup, if you have one

Starting something new? We’ll talk through which structure fits what you’re planning, get it registered, and sort out your Udyam (MSME) registration too. Here’s the short version of the four common choices:

Keep these ready

• The structure you have in mind — or tell us what you’re planning and we’ll talk it through
• PAN, Aadhaar and a photo for you and anyone you’re starting the business with
• Proof of the business address, plus the owner’s consent letter if it isn’t yours
• For an LLP or company: two or three names you’d like, in order of preference
• A draft partnership deed, if you already have one

A letter from the income-tax or GST department can be worrying, but many notices and intimations only ask you to confirm or explain something. We’ll help you read it, gather what it asks for and prepare a response.

What to do first

1. Find the reply-by date.It’s written on the notice. Diarise it straight away.
2. Keep things together.Put the notice, the return or GST filing it mentions and any related papers in one place.
3. Send it to us before you reply.A PDF or a clear screenshot on WhatsApp is enough to get started.

Keep these ready

• The notice or intimation itself, as a PDF or clear screenshot
• The return or GST filing it refers to
• Related bank statements, invoices or proofs
• Your portal login handy, so you can sign in while we guide you

Once you start hiring, PF and ESI may apply depending on how many people you employ and what they earn. We can help with registering your business and with the monthly returns and payments that follow.

What we need from you

• Your business registration details and PAN
• For each employee: name, Aadhaar, date of joining and monthly wages
• Bank details for the business
• Earlier challans and returns, if you’re already registered