Affordable Accounting and Bookkeeping Services in India: A Buyer's Guide
27 October 2026
Affordable accounting is accurate books and on-time filings at a predictable monthly cost. The risk with the cheapest option is that it covers data entry but leaves reconciliation, reporting and compliance to you, or to the week before the audit.
Here is what drives accounting fees in India and how to compare quotes properly.
What drives accounting and bookkeeping fees
- Transaction volume: the number of invoices, bills and bank entries each month.
- GST profile: number of GSTINs, monthly vs quarterly filing, e-invoicing and input credit reconciliation.
- Reporting needs: statutory statements only, or monthly MIS, budgets and investor reporting.
- Entity type: companies have ROC annual filings and statutory audit; NGOs have FCRA and fund accounting.
- Clean-up: books that are months behind need a one-off catch-up before monthly work starts.
- Payroll: if payroll is with the same provider, salary and TDS entries reconcile without extra effort.
What cheap accounting often leaves out
Monthly bank and vendor reconciliations
GST input credit matching against supplier filings
TDS on vendor payments and quarterly TDS returns
Monthly closing, so you only see real numbers at year end
ROC annual filings and audit schedules
Someone who answers your questions, not just a portal
How to compare accounting quotes
| Ask every provider | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How many transactions does the fee cover? | Volume caps cause surprise bills |
| Are GST and TDS returns included? | Some quotes are bookkeeping only |
| Do I get monthly MIS? | Separates bookkeeping from accounting |
| Are ROC filings and audit support included? | Usually a major year-end cost |
| Is there a catch-up or clean-up fee? | Changes year-one cost |
| Who reviews the work? | A qualified CA review prevents expensive errors |
The affordable model for growing businesses
For most growing businesses, the best value is one CA-led team that keeps books monthly, files GST and TDS, prepares MIS and supports the audit, at a fixed monthly fee. Resolve's accounting services are scoped on your volume and filings, so the quote covers the full year's work, not just data entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually as a monthly retainer based on transaction volume, GST and TDS filings, reporting needs and entity type, with one-off fees for clean-up or catch-up work.
Bookkeeping records transactions. Accounting also reconciles them, closes the books each month, prepares reports such as MIS, files returns, and supports the audit.
Yes. A fixed monthly retainer with a CA-led team usually costs less than a full-time accountant and reduces the risk of GST and TDS penalties.
Conclusion
Compare total scope, not headline fees. See also: top accounting outsourcing companies in India.
Need help with this?
Share your monthly volumes and filings, and Resolve will send a fixed-fee accounting quote covering books, GST, TDS and MIS.