Virtual Accounting Cost India: What Should You Pay Monthly?

Key takeaways

Virtual accounting in India is a CA led, fully managed service, the AI dashboard is provided for visibility, tracking, and comfort, founders do not do accounting themselves.
Pricing follows clear tiers linked to transaction volume, entities, GST and TDS scope, and reporting SLAs, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.
Benchmarks range roughly from 8,000 to 15,000 rupees for freelancers, 15,000 to 35,000 rupees for early stage startups, 35,000 to 75,000 rupees or more for small companies, with higher tiers for multi entity operations.
Quotes vary by complexity, reconciliation needs, GST or TDS mix, payroll size, ROC obligations, and clean up or migration projects.
AI Accountant delivers a CA led, retainer based model with a real time dashboard and documented inclusions, exclusions, caps, and overage rules.
Use a simple calculator for direction, then request a CA signed proposal with precise scope and SLAs, ensure transparency on overages and onboarding fees.

Introduction to cost of virtual accounting India

If you search cost of virtual accounting India, you want a clear monthly figure, and you want to know what the price includes, and how it grows with your business.

In India, most virtual accounting pricing is set in simple tiers, plans are linked to transaction volume and compliance scope like GST, TDS, income tax, and ROC, this gives predictable fees instead of surprise per filing bills.

AI Accountant uses this same model, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India, and compare with online bookkeeping cost India. You get a CA led managed service with an integrated dashboard, your bookkeeping retainer is tuned to your volumes and complexity, compliance modules like GST, TDS, income tax, and ROC are added in clearly priced layers.

Founders keep visibility and control through the dashboard, the CA team executes bookkeeping, GST, TDS, income tax, and ROC end to end, so you avoid doing accounting yourself.

What virtual accounting India means

Virtual accounting in India means a CA led managed accounting and compliance service delivered remotely, see virtual accounting overview India. You also get a cloud dashboard or portal for visibility and tracking.

You see real time books and key metrics, you track compliance calendars for GST, TDS, income tax, and ROC, you use a secure document room to share files and resolve queries.

For freelancers, startups, and small companies, the typical scope includes:

Bookkeeping in Tally or Zoho or other ERP, this covers transaction posting, reconciliations, ledgers, and schedules.
GST registration and filing, returns include GSTR 1, GSTR 3B, and annual GSTR 9, with support for GSTR 9C with your auditor.
TDS advisory and compliance, returns include 24Q, 26Q, 27Q, and support with challan payments.
Income tax planning, ITR filing, advance tax projections, and tax audit preparation as non attest support.
Payroll services, monthly payroll run, TDS on salaries, and basic salary structuring advice, see payroll compliance support Section 192.
ROC for small companies, annual forms, director KYC, and event based filings.
Reconciliations, bank, wallets, payment gateways, vendor and customer ledgers.
MIS reporting and advisory, P and L, balance sheet, cash flow, AR, AP ageing, and management views.

These are non attest services, your virtual accountant does not issue audit reports or certifications, they prepare and file data as per law, and work with your statutory auditor during reviews.

AI Accountant delivers all of the above as one managed service with a dashboard for visibility, compare with virtual accounting services, outsourced bookkeeping packages India, and online bookkeeping cost India.

Why the cost of virtual accounting India varies

Virtual accounting pricing changes with work volume and complexity, here are the main drivers that push a plan up or down.

Transaction volume and complexity, total monthly entries across sales, purchases, expenses, journals, cash, number of bank accounts and payment gateways matters a lot, e commerce marketplaces, cash on delivery, foreign currency, inter company, and complex inventory add effort.
Number of entities and GST registrations, one proprietor is simpler than several companies or LLPs, one GSTIN is easier than many GSTINs across states, e invoice setup and reconciliation adds to setup and ongoing work.
Compliance scope, GST return mix like GSTR 1, GSTR 3B, and optional IFF, composition versus regular, annual GSTR 9 and support for GSTR 9C with your auditor, TDS returns like 24Q, 26Q, 27Q, items like 26QB, 26QC, and 26QD plus challan management, income tax computations, ITRs, and advance tax, tax audit preparation as data collation without attest work, international tax like 15CA and 15CB coordination and DTAA queries as add ons.
Payroll size and complexity, number of employees, variable pay, reimbursements, leave tracking, and salary structuring advisory.

ROC and companies compliance scope, for small companies this includes MGT 7 or 7A, AOC 4, DIR 3 KYC, board and AGM documents, and event filings.

Reconciliations, inventory, and fixed assets, multi bank and multi gateway reconciliations, inventory tracking, fixed asset register, and depreciation.

Reporting cadence and advisory depth, monthly versus weekly MIS, detailed AR or AP management, budgeting, variance analysis, close timelines like T plus 2 posting or T plus 5 close elevate cost, coordination with statutory auditors and lenders for due diligence or funding is often billed.

Catch up, clean up, migration, and tech stack, historical backlog posting, correcting misclassified entries, unresolved reconciliations, data migration from old systems like Excel or legacy Tally to Tally or Zoho or ERP is usually a one time fee, integrations with ERPs, CRMs, and banking or gateway feeds add to the initial project cost.

Seasonality, SLAs, and security, tight SLAs in peak filing months like June to September and December cost more than relaxed timelines, extra spend may be built in for data security, encryption, backups, and compliance tooling.

These drivers explain why most providers give a tailored quote after assessing your books and workflows, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India, online bookkeeping cost India, and finolyst virtual accounting.

Virtual accounting pricing models India

Most Indian firms use one of these virtual accounting pricing models, many blend two or more.

Fixed monthly retainer by tier, the most common, band based plans like Micro, Startup, Growth, Scale are tied to transaction and compliance thresholds, you pay a simple monthly fee.
Hybrid base retainer plus variable components, base fee covers bookkeeping and reconciliation, variable fees apply for each GST or TDS return, variable may also apply for extra employees beyond a threshold, or each additional entity or GSTIN.
Per entity or per GST registration pricing, you pay a fee per company or LLP or proprietorship, you may pay a fee per GSTIN when each has its own books and returns.
Project based fees, backlog clean up, historical corrections, year end closing, implementation of new accounting systems, or major restructuring.
Add ons, e invoicing setup, custom GST health checks, international tax advisory, ROC event filings, detailed MIS design, or lender packs.
Billing cycles and transparency, monthly is typical, sometimes quarterly, quotes should specify caps, overage rates, add on fees, and onboarding charges clearly.

AI Accountant uses transparent banding with clear inclusions, exclusions, caps, and overage terms in writing, compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India, online bookkeeping cost India, and finolyst virtual accounting.

Market benchmarks virtual accounting pricing India

Every quote depends on an assessment, even so there are directional India benchmarks for virtual accounting in Tally or Zoho with standard SLAs.

Freelancer or solo professional

Profile, turnover up to about 25 to 50 lakh, low monthly transactions, one bank and maybe one payment gateway, single GSTIN or no GST.
Indicative monthly range, around 8,000 to 15,000 rupees per month for core bookkeeping and basic GST or TDS tagging.
Inclusions often seen, books in Tally or Zoho, bank reconciliation, basic expense categorisation, simple MIS, periodic GST or TDS, and one annual ITR may be bundled or priced as light add ons.

See outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Early stage startup

Profile, turnover up to about 5 crore, moderate volume with payment gateways, UPI, and wallets, one or two GSTINs, small payroll.
Indicative monthly range, 15,000 to 35,000 rupees per month for about 300 to 1,000 monthly transactions and one or two entities, basic GST and TDS scope.
Typical add ons, payment gateway and marketplace reconciliations, enhanced MIS, e invoice enablement if applicable, basic payroll.

See outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Small companies turnover less than 100 crore

Profile, one to three entities, multiple bank accounts, multiple GSTINs, some foreign transactions, larger vendor and customer base.
Indicative monthly range, 25,000 to 75,000 rupees or more depending on transactions of about 1,000 to 3,000 or more, complexity of GST, TDS, and reporting expectations matter.
Inclusions typically, full bookkeeping, GST and TDS tagging, AR or AP ageing, standard MIS, ROC annual filings, board and AGM documentation, and key statutory registers.

Compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India and finolyst virtual accounting.

Growth stage or multi entity companies

Profile, turnover beyond about 20 to 30 crore, more than 3,000 transactions each month, multiple entities and GST registrations, e commerce or SAAS or exports, foreign currency exposure.
Indicative monthly range, 75,000 rupees or more per month, plans often cross 1,50,000 rupees for complex multi entity consolidation and foreign operations.
Scope often includes, advanced MIS, AR or AP and credit control, detailed reconciliations, international tax coordination, close collaboration with internal and statutory auditors.

See outsourced bookkeeping packages India and finolyst virtual accounting.

One time onboarding costs

Backlog ledger clean up and historical catch up often come first, system onboarding and data migration from Excel to Tally or Zoho or ERP also add time, setup of charts of accounts, tagging rules, e invoicing, and basic automations is common.

These can be priced as a one time project, they often equal a few weeks of the retainer depending on how messy the past data is, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Component wise cost virtual accounting pricing

A virtual accounting pricing proposal is usually a bundle of clear line items, here is what you are paying for in most quotes.

Bookkeeping

Day to day entries, see bookkeeping services India guide, vendor and customer ledgers, bank and gateway reconciliations, trial balance, schedules, year end closing support.

GST

Registration assistance, periodic returns like GSTR 1 and GSTR 3B and composition returns, annual GSTR 9 and support for GSTR 9C with your auditor, GST health checks.

TDS

Advisory on sections and rates, challan tracking, returns like 24Q, 26Q, 27Q, basic defaults and notice handling.

Income tax

Computations and ITR filings for individuals, firms, and companies, advance tax calculations, tax audit data preparation as non attest work.

Payroll

Monthly payroll processing, TDS calculations, payslips, salary structuring advice for tax optimisation.

ROC and MCA for small companies

Annual MGT 7 or 7A and AOC 4, DIR 3 KYC, event filings for share capital, directors, registered office, basic board and AGM documentation.

Dashboard or portal subscription

Centralised visibility into financials and KPIs, compliance calendars, document library, AI based insights and alerts in some models, in AI Accountant the dashboard is included in the retainer.

Exclusions and limits you often see

Statutory audit and attestations, complex legal drafting, major ERP implementations, detailed transfer pricing studies, highly specialised international tax opinions.

AI Accountant scopes these components in plain language so you know what is in the plan, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Hidden costs virtual accounting India

When you check the cost of virtual accounting India, watch for extra spend that is not obvious, ask about these before you sign.

Unpriced backlog clean up, if historical data is messy, insist on a separate upfront quote for catch up work.
Extra charges for complexity, multiple payment gateways, many bank accounts, and multi entity consolidation often attract surcharges, make sure caps are stated in the proposal.
Peak month surcharges, some vendors charge extra for filings done close to deadlines in peak seasons, clarify this in the scope of work.
Software licensing, check if Tally or Zoho or ERP licences are included or billed separately, many providers work on your existing licences.
Data migration and historical remediation, old system migration, reclassification, and GST mismatch resolution should appear as clear line items.
Overages on transaction caps, plans often specify caps like 1,000 transactions or 2 gateways or 2 bank accounts, understand overage rates and upgrade rules.

This due diligence keeps your virtual accounting pricing transparent and predictable, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India, online bookkeeping cost India, busy accounting software prices, and whiz consulting pricing.

Cost comparison virtual accounting vs in house vs traditional CA

Here is how the costs stack up for most small and mid businesses.

In house accounts team, you pay salary, PF or ESI, bonuses, workspace, software, and management oversight, you may still have gaps in specialised areas like GST, TDS, ROC, and international tax, you end up hiring external CAs for those needs anyway.
Traditional CA without systems, filing centric and periodic, workflows depend on email or chat, you get less real time visibility and weaker process standardisation, bills can be fragmented as per return, per certificate, and per meeting, budgeting becomes hard.
Virtual accounting, CA led service with a dashboard, services are consolidated, processes are standardised, pricing is a predictable monthly retainer, for most SMBs this reduces total cost of ownership, you avoid stitching together in house juniors, multiple CAs, and separate software.

Compare providers like virtual accounting services, outsourced bookkeeping packages India, and online bookkeeping cost India.

AI Accountant virtual accounting pricing approach

AI Accountant applies this structure to virtual bookkeeping and compliance in India, it is a CA led managed service, the dashboard is included in the retainer.

Pricing is transparent, built around your monthly transaction volume and complexity, shaped by the compliance modules you select like GST, TDS, income tax, ROC, and payroll, reporting and SLA expectations also influence pricing, for example weekly MIS versus monthly MIS, for example T plus 2 close versus T plus 7 close.

Tiered structures align to your stage, Micro for freelancers and very small businesses, Startup for early stage companies with one or more GSTINs, Growth and Scale for small and mid companies with higher volumes and multiple entities.

Add ons are available for international tax and 15CA or 15CB coordination, event based ROC filings, complex payroll, advanced MIS, and year end packs.

The dashboard adds value, you get AI generated insights and alerts, you see compliance health indicators and a clear compliance calendar and status, you get centralised documents, bank statement analysis, and health checks, you also get support with statutory auditor coordination.

The quote process is straightforward, you have a short discovery call, the team assesses volumes, entities, GSTINs, banks and gateways, and employees, they review backlog to estimate clean up, you receive a written proposal with clear inclusions, exclusions, caps, and overage terms.

AI Accountant’s Virtual Accounting service is a CA led managed accounting and compliance service, supported by a centralised dashboard that gives continuous visibility into financial data, documents, and statutory status, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India.

Pricing calculator virtual accounting India

A simple pricing calculator helps you estimate your cost before a formal quote, it is directional, final pricing follows a detailed review.

Inputs you provide

Average monthly transactions across all channels.
Number of bank accounts and payment gateways.
Number of entities and GSTINs.
GST return frequency and complexity like monthly or quarterly, e invoice, and composition versus regular.
Number of employees on payroll.
Presence of international transactions like imports, exports, and foreign remittances.

Outputs you see

Base bookkeeping retainer estimate aligned to Micro, Startup, Growth, Scale bands.
Indicative add on slabs for GST and TDS filings, payroll, ROC annual filings, and international tax advisory.

Sample scenarios for direction only

Freelancer with GST and low volume, about 100 to 150 transactions, one bank and one GSTIN, no payroll, likely in a Micro band around 8,000 to 15,000 rupees each month, books and basic GST work included, annual ITR sits as an add on, compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Startup with payment gateways and moderate volume, about 400 to 700 transactions, two to three gateways, one or two GSTINs, five to fifteen employees, typically in a Startup band at 15,000 to 35,000 rupees each month, books, reconciliations, and GST or TDS tagging included, filings and payroll sit as structured add ons, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Small company with turnover less than 100 crore, about 1,000 to 2,000 transactions, two to four banks, multiple GSTINs, fifteen to fifty employees, ROC obligations present, usually in a Growth band at 35,000 to 75,000 rupees or more each month, ROC annual filings are bundled or priced as a yearly add on, compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India and finolyst virtual accounting.

Always note that the cost of virtual accounting India varies by assessment, a calculator is a guide, final pricing follows a detailed review and an agreed scope.

Vendor comparison checklist virtual accounting pricing

Use this checklist when you compare providers and virtual accounting pricing.

Confirm it is CA led with clear responsibility for GST, TDS, income tax, and ROC scope.
Verify dashboard or portal access with data ownership terms and real time visibility into books and compliance.
Ask for SLAs on response time and filing cut offs, be clear on what happens if a vendor misses a statutory due date.
Clarify backlog clean up, policy change management, and what is in or out of the base retainer.
Review security and confidentiality practices and any certifications.
Demand pricing transparency on transaction caps, per filing fees, per employee fees, overage rules, contract term, and exit or transition support.
Request references or case studies, understand how they support during audits or assessments as non attest partners.

See outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India for comparison inputs.

Next steps cost of virtual accounting India

Use the on page pricing calculator to model your approximate monthly cost, request a free compliance health check and backlog assessment, a CA will benchmark your volumes, compliance status, and clean up needs.

Ask for a written CA signed proposal, it should list clear inclusions, exclusions, caps, and overage rules, make your cost of virtual accounting India predictable and aligned to the way you actually operate.

If you need to compare tools for bookkeeping or automation, you can explore these options to support your workflow alongside a managed service:

For a calm start, speak with AI Accountant about a CA led managed service with a dashboard, you will get clear pricing and live visibility without juggling email and spreadsheets, compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India, finolyst virtual accounting, and online bookkeeping cost India.

FAQ

What is the monthly cost of CA led virtual accounting in India for freelancers, startups, and small companies?

Freelancers and micro businesses pay about 8,000 to 15,000 rupees each month, early stage startups pay about 15,000 to 35,000 rupees, small and growth companies pay about 35,000 to 75,000 rupees or more, complexity and volume push the plan higher, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India, online bookkeeping cost India, and finolyst virtual accounting.

How do providers structure virtual accounting pricing in India, retainer versus per return?

Most providers use a monthly retainer tied to volume and complexity, GST, TDS, ROC, and payroll sit as modules or add ons, some charge per filing or per employee on top of a base fee, compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Are GST, TDS, and ROC filings part of the monthly fee, or separate?

Basic GST and TDS tagging is often included in bookkeeping scope, actual filings and ROC forms are frequently priced as add ons or annual bundles, always check inclusions and caps, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

Does pricing vary by city or only by complexity in a remote, CA managed model?

In a remote model pricing is driven by volume and complexity rather than city, industries with gateways, marketplaces, inventory, or foreign currency pay more due to extra reconciliation and compliance work, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India.

What happens to the first month bill, especially when onboarding involves clean up or migration?

The first month bill may be higher if you have backlog clean up, data migration, chart of accounts redesign, or GST and TDS reconciliation from prior years, these are project items usually quoted separately, compare outsourced bookkeeping packages India and online bookkeeping cost India.

How do transaction caps and overages work as a business scales in India?

Vendors define transaction and account caps per tier, sustained increases trigger a plan upgrade, short spikes may attract per transaction overages, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India for typical banding and rules.

What is included in a CA led virtual accounting package, and what is typically excluded?

Inclusions cover bookkeeping, reconciliations, GST or TDS tagging, MIS, payroll, and ROC for small companies, exclusions often include statutory audit or attestations, complex legal drafting, major ERP implementations, and specialised international tax opinions, see bookkeeping services India guide.

How does the AI dashboard in a virtual accounting service add value without asking founders to do the accounting?

The AI dashboard gives visibility, compliance calendars, documents, and insights, while the CA team handles entries, filings, and reconciliations, founders and finance heads track status and metrics, not perform accounting tasks, AI Accountant’s dashboard is included in the retainer, see virtual accounting overview India.

What hidden costs should a founder or finance head watch for in virtual accounting proposals?

Unpriced backlog clean up, multi gateway and multi bank surcharges, peak month filing surcharges, software licensing, migration and remediation, and overages on transaction caps, ask for line item clarity, compare busy accounting software prices and whiz consulting pricing with service proposals.

Can a CA managed virtual accounting service coordinate with statutory auditors and lenders during audits or diligence?

Yes, coordination is common, data collation, schedules, reconciliations, and MIS packs are prepared by the service team as non attest support, deeper diligence or lender packs may be quoted as add ons, see finolyst virtual accounting for typical scope and add ons.

Is an “AI Accountant” style service suitable for early stage startups that use gateways and have weekly MIS needs?

Yes, an AI enabled Virtual Accounting service like AI Accountant supports gateway reconciliations, weekly MIS, and GST or TDS tagging within a retainer, filings and payroll sit as structured add ons, tiers scale as transactions and employees grow, see outsourced bookkeeping packages India.

How should we compare vendors, especially on SLAs, scope boundaries, and exit support?

Use a checklist, insist on CA led responsibility, dashboard access, SLA commitments, backlog and change policies, security practices, pricing transparency on caps and overages, contract term, and exit or transition support with data portability, start with online bookkeeping cost India benchmarks and validate against a written proposal.