How to Calculate GST accurately using GST Software?

After the introduction of GST by Indian government in July 2017,  many software companies will find try and figure out how to calculate GST using their software according to the new changes. Interestingly Reach Accounting Software is designed with compliance with the new GST rule in India.

GSTN in India has given some basic guidelines for businesses to follow to comply with the new GST rule. Here is an excerpt from it for your understanding.

  • Proper record keeping is necessary for accurate tax declarations. Using accounting software helps greatly in record keeping and helps to calculate GST automatically. In addition, the use of accounting software generates other operational and financial information that are useful for management of the business.
  • With a proper accounting system in place to accurately calculate GST and produce accounting information for tax reporting purposes, businesses are less likely to make errors in their tax declarations. This would reduce compliance costs for businesses, as any tax reporting errors would result in penalties being imposed.
  • GST Authorities will conduct audit on businesses from time to time to ensure that businesses are making correct tax declarations. It is a common procedure for the Revenue authorities to request for certain accounting information as part of the audit. For businesses using manual records, the process of producing the records required by GST Authorities is usually time-consuming. Businesses using accounting software that is able to calculate GST automatically and generate the GAF as recommended in this guide would find it easier to meet GST Guidelines and this saves the businesses time and effort.

How to use GST Software to calculate GST automatically:

General Principles

Software developers are required to ensure its accounting software:
(a) Provides the issuance of GST tax invoice as well as credit / debit note in compliance with GST legislation.
(b) Provides a reporting facility for the generation of information necessary to prepare GST tax returns.
(c) Provides comprehensive documentation to assist auditors and users to understand how the GST system operates and to calculate GST automatically.
(d) Incorporates adequate internal controls to ensure reliability of the GST data being processed.
(e) Creates adequate audit trails to assist auditors to understand the flow of events and reconstruct the events if necessary.
(f) Has in place archival and restoration of archived data mechanisms to ensure the integrity and readability of electronic records after an extended period.
(g) Contains key data elements necessary for business.
(h) Allows production of GST Audit File (GAF) by non-specialists (staff who do not have an IT background).

Apart from the above there are so many other things which businesses need to check whether their GST Accounting software contains it. Reach Accounting Software comes with all the things that are mentioned in the guidelines. To make it simpler, here is what Reach Accounting Software can do. As you record GST Invoices and Purchases, Reach captures the input and output taxes and calculates the dues correctly!

You can produce your Form GST Returns in one click and also extract General Audit Format in XML format.

I’m a tax expert with over 10 years of professional experience. I’ve gained practical insights on GST and other Taxes during my tenture as a Tax expert and GST Trainer in Reach Accountant.

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