GST Network (GSTN) has announced that it has started to offer free accounting and billing software to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with an annual turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore, which would benefit about 80 lakh small businesses.
This facility is made available to the active Normal taxpayers, SEZ Developers/SEZ Units and taxpayers who have opted for composition scheme under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
There are eight products to choose from. These are available as a cloud based version as well as a downloadable version that can be installed on desktop or laptop. This software allows a taxpayer to run his daily business by providing day to day billing and accounting features, along with facility for return filing for their GST related compliances.
Some of the free features being made available by all the vendors are Sale/ Purchase/ Cash ledger, Inventory management, Supplier/ Customer Masters, Generation of Invoices, Preparation of GST returns etc.
The software would be available free of cost to eligible taxpayers till 31.03.2021 or till the taxpayer’s annual turnover remains under Rs 1.5 Cr in a financial year, after which the taxpayers may have to pay a fee to the vendor.
For using features other than free features listed or using the software beyond the initial free period, the taxpayer may visit respective vendor product site to ascertain fee payable, if any.
To download the accounting and billing software on the GST portal, the taxpayer need to login to the GST portal with valid credentials and navigate to Downloads and then to Accounting and Billing Software option.
The user manual and FAQs for the same and vendors providing software can be viewed at the following links:
https://tutorial.gst.gov.in/userguide/taxpayersdashboard/index.htm#t=manual_accountingsoftware.htm
https://tutorial.gst.gov.in/userguide/taxpayersdashboard/index.htm#t=FAQs_Accountingsoftware.htm
It may be noted that all queries/questions need to be taken up with the software vendors and not with GST Helpdesk.
