Virtual accounting services for Indian businesses.
CA-supervised remote accounting, GST and payroll compliance for Indian businesses. Books closed monthly. MIS in your inbox. Zero physical paperwork. One chartered accountant in charge, a delivery team handling daily entries, and a dashboard that gives founders visibility without micromanagement.
Trusted by 1,000+ businesses across India · CA + CS team · 4 offices (Kolkata, Delhi, Gurugram, Pune) · 15+ years of practice
Reviewed by CA & CS Team · Regikart · Verified for Income Tax Act 1961, CGST Act 2017, Companies Act 2013 · Last updated 26 May 2026
What virtual accounting actually means.
Virtual accounting services are a remotely delivered, CA-supervised engagement covering bookkeeping, GST and TDS returns, payroll, ROC filings and MIS reporting - executed on cloud accounting software with no physical CA visit required.
Suited for GST-registered SMBs, startups and proprietors with monthly transaction volumes from 50 to 5,000. Indian providers price these from Rs 1,999 to Rs 25,000 per month based on volume and scope.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | CA-led remote accounting, compliance and reporting delivered through cloud software |
| Who it is for | GST-registered SMBs, startups, LLPs, Pvt Ltds, proprietors and professionals |
| Books-of-account law | Section 44AA, Income Tax Act 1961 (turnover or income thresholds) |
| Typical monthly fee | Rs 4,999 to Rs 25,000 (volume + scope dependent) |
| Onboarding time | 3 to 5 working days |
| Penalty for non-maintenance | Up to Rs 25,000 under Section 271A |
| Authority | ICAI (accounting), CBIC (GST), CBDT (income tax), MCA (ROC) |
CA supervision is what makes it virtual accounting.
Virtual accounting is a remotely delivered accounting and statutory-compliance service where a chartered accountant supervises bookkeeping, tax filings and reporting executed by an off-site team using cloud software, without a physical accountant on the client's premises. It is the practical alternative to hiring an in-house accountant for Indian businesses below the scale that justifies a finance department.
In India the service typically bundles daily transaction entries in Tally Prime or Zoho Books, monthly GST returns under the CGST Act 2017, quarterly TDS returns under the Income Tax Act 1961, annual ROC filings under the Companies Act 2013, payroll processing and MIS reports. Books are maintained per Section 44AA of the Income Tax Act and audit-ready under Schedule III of the Companies Act 2013.
The credential that distinguishes a regulated provider from a freelancer is the Chartered Accountant designation, governed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) under the Chartered Accountants Act 1949. Without CA supervision, the engagement is bookkeeping, not virtual accounting.
Key terms you need to know
Virtual accounting
Full CA-supervised remote accounting plus compliance plus advisory - the regulated equivalent of an in-house finance team for businesses below finance-department scale.
Remote / virtual bookkeeping
Transaction recording and reconciliation only. No statutory filings, no advisory. A subset of virtual accounting, not a substitute.
Outsourced accounting
Functional equivalent of virtual accounting in Indian practice. The two terms are used interchangeably in the SMB market.
Virtual CFO
Strategic finance layer above virtual accounting - cash flow planning, fundraising support and financial modelling for scaling companies.
MIS
Management Information System - monthly P&L, balance sheet and operating dashboards delivered to founders by the 10th of each month.
Six business types where virtual accounting earns its keep.
Virtual accounting fits any Indian business that has compliance obligations but does not require a full-time finance team. The threshold to maintain books of accounts is governed by Section 44AA of the Income Tax Act 1961.
| Business type | When virtual accounting becomes worth it |
|---|---|
| Private Limited Company / LLP | Mandatory book maintenance under Companies Act 2013 from incorporation; virtual accounting from month 1 |
| GST-registered proprietorship | Monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filing obligations make in-house entry uneconomical below 500 transactions/month |
| Startups (pre-Series A) | Founder time is the bottleneck; virtual accounting frees 8-12 hours/week and gives investors a clean MIS |
| Professionals (CA, doctor, lawyer, architect) | Specified profession under Section 44AA - books mandatory if income exceeds prescribed limits in any of the 3 preceding years |
| E-commerce sellers (Amazon, Flipkart, D2C) | High transaction volume, multiple settlement reports, RCM and TCS workings - virtual accounting is the default |
| Manufacturing / trading SMEs | Inventory accounting, vendor payments, GSTR-2B reconciliation - all run cleaner with a CA-led remote team |
Under Section 44AA(2), non-specified businesses must maintain books if income exceeds Rs 1,20,000 or turnover exceeds Rs 10,00,000 in any of the three preceding years. Specified professionals under Section 44AA(1) - including chartered accountants, lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, interior decorators and authorised representatives - must maintain books if gross receipts exceed Rs 1,50,000 in all three preceding years. Failure attracts a penalty up to Rs 25,000 under Section 271A.
Six services, one CA-led engagement.
1. Bookkeeping and Day-to-Day Entries
- Daily or weekly transaction entries in Tally Prime, Zoho Books or QuickBooks.
- Sales register, purchase register, expense booking, bank entries, journal vouchers.
- All ledgers reconciled before month-end close.
2. GST Compliance
- Monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filing and GSTR-2B reconciliation against purchase register.
- ITC matching, RCM workings and annual GSTR-9 plus GSTR-9C where applicable.
- Notice support included in scope for routine GST queries.
3. TDS and Income Tax Compliance
- Monthly TDS deduction and deposit by the 7th.
- Quarterly Form 24Q and 26Q returns and Form 16/16A generation.
- Advance tax computation and annual ITR for the business and its directors/partners.
4. Payroll Processing
- Monthly salary computation, payslip generation and TDS on salaries (Form 24Q).
- PF and ESI computation and deposit by the 15th, plus Professional Tax filings.
- Year-end Form 16 issuance to all employees.
5. ROC / MCA Compliance
- Annual AOC-4 and MGT-7/MGT-7A filings for Pvt Ltd and OPC.
- LLP Form 8 and Form 11, DPT-3, DIR-3 KYC and event-based filings.
- Director's Report and minutes drafted by the in-house CS team.
6. MIS Reporting and Financial Statements
- Monthly P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and operating dashboards by the 10th.
- Year-end audit-ready financials per Schedule III of the Companies Act 2013.
- On-demand decks for investors, lenders and statutory auditors.
Nine reports, in your inbox by the 10th.
Standard pack delivered monthly, ready for founder review, auditor scrutiny and investor decks.
- Profit & Loss Statement (current month + YTD + prior-year comparison).
- Balance Sheet as on month-end.
- Cash Flow Summary and bank reconciliation statements.
- GST returns filed - acknowledgement copies (GSTR-1, GSTR-3B).
- GSTR-2B vs purchase register reconciliation with ITC gap report.
- TDS deduction summary and challan copies.
- Debtors and creditors aging (30/60/90 day buckets).
- Payroll register and statutory deposit confirmations.
- Compliance calendar for the next 30 days.
Common accounting challenges - and how Regikart solves them
GSTR-2B mismatch with purchase register - ITC at risk
Monthly automated reconciliation; vendor follow-ups initiated by day 12; ITC gap report shared before the GSTR-3B due date so you do not lose credit by default.
Year-end audit surprises - reconciliations not done
Monthly close discipline by the 10th; quarterly internal review by the engagement CA so audit-ready books exist at all times, not only at year-end.
Founder spending 10+ hours/week on accountant follow-ups
Single point of contact at Regikart; weekly status update by Friday EOD; SLA-backed turnaround on queries so the founder is not the project manager.
Notices from GST or Income Tax department arriving without warning
Notice tracking inside the client portal; first-response draft prepared within 48 hours; routine notices included in scope without separate billing.
Seven steps from discovery call to go-live.
Discovery Call
30-minute call with a Regikart CA to scope transaction volume, software in use, compliance gaps and reporting needs. Free, no obligation.
Custom Proposal
Within 24 hours you receive a fixed-fee monthly proposal listing inclusions, exclusions and turnaround SLAs.
Engagement Letter & NDA
Signed digitally. Defines scope, fees, data-handling commitments and exit terms (30-day notice, no lock-in).
Document Handover
Upload bank statements, sales register, vendor master and last filed returns to the secure client portal. Tally / Zoho access shared via read-only credentials.
Opening Trial Balance
The Regikart team reconstructs or validates the opening trial balance and flags catch-up entries needed for a clean start.
Process Go-Live
From month 1, daily entries flow into your books. Weekly status update by Friday EOD. Monthly close by the 10th of next month.
Monthly Review Call
Optional 30-minute review call with the assigned CA to walk through MIS, flag exceptions and align on next month's priorities.
What you share at onboarding
Identity and registration
- Certificate of Incorporation (Pvt Ltd / LLP) or GST certificate (proprietor).
- PAN of business and directors / partners / proprietor.
- GST registration certificate and last 3 months of filed returns.
Financial inputs
- Bank statements for last 6 months (all operating accounts).
- Last filed ITR and audited financials (if applicable).
- Existing Tally / Zoho / QuickBooks backup or read-only login.
Operating data
- Vendor master and customer master (Excel acceptable).
- Payroll register and employee master (if payroll in scope).
- List of fixed assets with depreciation schedule.
- Loan agreements, lease deeds and material contracts.
Transparent monthly pricing, no long-term lock-in.
All fees are billed monthly with no long-term lock-in beyond a 30-day exit notice. Tiers are based on transaction volume and compliance scope.
Starter
Proprietors, freelancers, dormant Pvt Ltd
Bookkeeping + GSTR-1 + GSTR-3B + annual ITR
Growth
Active SMBs (up to 300 transactions/month)
Starter + TDS returns + Form 16/16A + monthly MIS
Business
SMBs (300-1,000 transactions/month)
Growth + ROC filings + payroll up to 20 employees + GSTR-2B recon
Enterprise
High-volume, multi-GSTIN, manufacturing
Business + multi-state GST + inventory accounting + virtual CFO add-on
All fees and charges listed are indicative only and do not constitute a binding offer. Final amounts may vary depending on the volume of work and the complexity involved.
Industry benchmark for context: Indian virtual accounting services span Rs 1,999 to Rs 25,000 per month, with full CA-managed plans clustering in the Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 range for standard SMBs.
Share your last 3 months of GST returns and we will send a scope-locked monthly quote within 24 hours.
Timelines you can build a calendar around.
| Milestone | Time |
|---|---|
| Discovery call to proposal | Within 24 hours |
| Engagement letter to onboarding kickoff | 1-2 working days after document handover |
| Opening trial balance reconciliation | 3-5 working days |
| First monthly close (Month 1) | By the 15th of Month 2 (subsequent months by the 10th) |
| GSTR-1 filing | By the 11th of the following month |
| GSTR-3B filing | By the 20th of the following month |
| TDS deposit | By the 7th of the following month |
| Quarterly TDS returns (24Q/26Q) | By the 31st of the month after quarter-end |
| Annual ROC filings (AOC-4 / MGT-7) | Within 30 / 60 days of AGM |
Three things shift on day one.
Cost falls on day one
An in-house accountant in India costs roughly Rs 25,000 to Rs 45,000 per month in salary alone, plus PF, ESI, training, software licences and supervision overhead. A CA-led virtual plan delivering the same scope starts well below that.
Calendar-driven process
A virtual accounting team works to a calendar: entries by Friday, reconciliations by month-end, MIS by the 10th, GST returns before the 11th and 20th. The team has a queue, not a relationship to manage.
CA supervision layer
The CA who reviews your books is responsible for what gets filed under their professional sign-off. That materially changes the quality of work compared to an unsupervised accountant of any seniority.
“We moved our books to Regikart after two years of chasing our previous accountant for monthly P&Ls. Within 60 days the team had cleaned up 14 months of GSTR-2B mismatches and we now get MIS by the 8th. The difference is that someone owns the calendar.”
Founder, D2C brand, Pune
With offices in Kolkata (HQ), Delhi, Gurugram and Pune, Regikart serves businesses across India both remotely and in-person where required.
The CA-CS team is led by Subham Jhunjhunwala FCA, with Deepak Jaiswal heading accounting, tax, GST and ROC delivery.
1,000+ businesses served · CA + CS team · 4 offices · 15+ years of practice
Three delivery models compared - line by line.
| Factor | In-House Accountant | Local CA (Retainer) | Virtual Accounting (Regikart) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Rs 25,000 - Rs 45,000 + overheads | Rs 3,000 - Rs 8,000 (limited scope) | Rs 4,999 - Rs 25,000 (full scope) |
| CA supervision | Usually no | Yes (often the principal CA) | Yes (every engagement) |
| Daily/weekly entries | Yes | Rare | Yes |
| MIS reporting | Depends on skill | Annual financials only | Monthly + on-demand |
| Software | Buyer's choice | Tally desktop | Tally Prime + Zoho Books + QuickBooks |
| Coverage if accountant absent | Single point of failure | Limited team | Team-based with backup |
| Scalability | Hire more or burn out | Plateaus quickly | Tier upgrade in same engagement |
The statutes that govern this work.
Books of accounts
Section 44AA, Income Tax Act 1961 - mandatory book maintenance above prescribed turnover and income thresholds for specified and non-specified businesses alike.
Penalty for non-maintenance
Section 271A, Income Tax Act 1961 - penalty of up to Rs 25,000 for failure to maintain prescribed books of accounts and supporting documents.
GST returns
Sections 37, 39 and 44, CGST Act 2017 - cover GSTR-1, GSTR-3B and the annual GSTR-9 return for every registered taxpayer.
GST late fee and interest
Section 47 of the CGST Act levies Rs 50 per day (Rs 20 for nil returns) capped per notification; Section 50 charges interest at 18 percent per annum on unpaid tax.
TDS obligations
Chapter XVII-B, Income Tax Act 1961 - covers deduction, deposit by the 7th, and quarterly return filing in Form 24Q and 26Q.
Companies Act books
Section 128, Companies Act 2013 - books to be kept at the registered office for 8 years; Sections 92 and 137 govern MGT-7 and AOC-4 ROC annual filings.
Regulatory authority: the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) under the Chartered Accountants Act 1949 governs the CA profession that supervises this engagement. Official references: Income Tax Department (CBDT) · GST Portal (CBIC).
What's coming up - month after month.
| Recurring due date | What's filed |
|---|---|
| 7th of every month | TDS deposit for the previous month |
| 11th of every month | GSTR-1 for the previous month (monthly filers) |
| 15th of every month | PF and ESI deposit for the previous month |
| 20th of every month | GSTR-3B for the previous month |
| 31st of July / October / January / May | Quarterly TDS returns (Form 24Q / 26Q) |
| 31st October (next FY) | Tax audit + ITR filing (companies and audit cases) |
| 30 December | Annual GSTR-9 + GSTR-9C (turnover above thresholds) |
Statutory consequences for missed filings
Missing GSTR-1 or GSTR-3B attracts late fees under Section 47 of the CGST Act 2017 and interest under Section 50. TDS default attracts Rs 200 per day under Section 234E of the Income Tax Act 1961, subject to the TDS amount.
Virtual accounting - answered.
Questions, answered.
If you don't see your question here, write to us - a senior partner usually replies within a couple of business hours.
Still have questions?
Book a free 20-minute consult with a senior partner - we'll walk through your case and outline next steps.
Talk to a partner →Quick answers
- Q: Starting price?
- A: Rs 4,999 per month for the Starter plan.
- Q: Onboarding time?
- A: 3 to 5 working days from document handover.
- Q: Lock-in?
- A: None. 30-day exit notice.
- Q: Software?
- A: Tally Prime, Zoho Books or QuickBooks - your choice.
- Q: CA-supervised?
- A: Yes, on every engagement - led by Subham Jhunjhunwala FCA.
- Q: Notice support?
- A: Routine notices included; complex litigation quoted separately.
- Q: Locations served?
- A: Pan-India remotely; in-person at Kolkata, Delhi, Gurugram and Pune.
What pairs well with virtual accounting
Virtual accounting often pairs with other Regikart engagements as your business scales.
GST Registration
For businesses approaching the threshold or expanding to new states.
Private Limited Company
Convert proprietorship to a regulated entity with our incorporation team.
Income Tax Return Filing
Year-end ITR integrated with your virtual accounting engagement.
Zoho Books Accounting
Cloud-first books with GST built in - implemented and run by Regikart.
Monthly close by the 10th, GST returns before the deadline, one CA accountable for the work.
Regikart's virtual accounting practice has served 1,000+ businesses from offices in Kolkata, Delhi, Gurugram and Pune under the supervision of Subham Jhunjhunwala FCA. The engagement is built around three commitments: monthly close by the 10th, GST returns before statutory deadlines, and a single CA accountable for the work.
Talk to a Regikart CA today. We respond within 2 hours and send a fixed-fee proposal within 24 hours.
Reviewed by CA & CS Team · Regikart · Last updated 26 May 2026 · Next review 26 November 2026