somesh@sschandak.com
Thane | Mumbai | Bangalore
Mon-Sat: 10AM-7PM

Books that close monthly, reconcile completely and hold up in audit are infrastructure — they decide how fast you can borrow, raise, file and answer notices. This engagement runs the accounting function on Zoho Books or QuickBooks with a defined close checklist, not just data entry.

When this service is typically required

  • Entries are behind, reconciliations don't exist, and every filing becomes a fire drill
  • The business has outgrown a part-time accountant but not reached a full accounts team
  • Investors, lenders or auditors have asked for numbers the books can't produce
  • Historical books need clean-up before an audit, funding round or migration
  • A foreign parent or founder needs India books maintained remotely to a monthly calendar

Indicative scope

  • Transaction accounting on Zoho Books/QuickBooks with a documented chart of accounts
  • Bank, credit-card, customer and vendor reconciliations to zero-or-explained
  • Monthly closing with checklist: prepaids, provisions, depreciation, loan schedules
  • Receivables/payables ageing and follow-up lists
  • Payroll accounting and statutory-payment tracking (GST/TDS/PT/PF-ESIC interfaces)
  • Audit-ready schedules and groupings at year-end

Key points at a glance

ItemPosition
Close disciplineA fixed monthly calendar with a signed-off checklist per month
Reconciliation standardEvery balance-sheet line agreed to external evidence or explained
SystemsZoho Books and QuickBooks native; Tally supported via defined exports
Audit trailEdit logs and approval trails kept on, always

Deliverables

Closed books each month with the checklist, reconciliation statements, ageing reports, and a year-end audit file (schedules, ledgers, confirmations list) that cuts audit time instead of feeding it.

Information and documents generally required

System access, bank/card statements or feeds, sales and purchase documents, payroll register, loan sanction letters and prior-year signed financials at onboarding.

Engagement process

01 · DiagnosticState of books and systems assessed; gaps listed.
02 · Engagement termsScope, calendar, responsibilities, fees in writing.
03 · Catch-up/clean-upBacklog brought current on a quoted, one-time basis.
04 · Monthly operationEntry → reconcile → close → report, every month.

Client responsibilities, assumptions and reliance

Source documents and approvals flow from the client on the agreed calendar; accounting judgments (capitalisation, provisioning) are recommended and recorded, with management owning the final policy choices.

Scope exclusions

Statutory audit, tax filings and MIS/CFO reporting are separate engagements (the latter builds directly on this one). The firm does not certify what it has itself compiled where independence rules restrict it.

Frequently asked questions

Our books are 14 months behind. Where do we start?

With a quoted clean-up project: bank-first reconstruction, document chase lists, and a defined cut-over date after which the monthly cycle runs. The quote states assumptions rather than discovering them later.

Zoho Books or QuickBooks?

Depends on GST-centricity, multi-currency needs and who else must use it — the diagnostic recommends one with reasons. Migrations are handled under the Zoho Books setup service.

Can our staff keep doing data entry while you review and close?

Yes — a review-and-close model with your team on entries is common and cheaper; the checklist records who did what.

How do you keep our data secure?

Access is role-based on your own system (you grant and can revoke), work happens on the cloud platforms' audit-logged environments, and no client data is moved to personal drives.

Will this reduce our audit fees?

That is the auditor's call, but a complete audit file predictably reduces audit time and friction, which is the controllable part.

Discuss this requirement

The applicable scope, documentation, professional responsibilities and timelines are agreed in an engagement letter before commencement.

Virtual CFO & MISZoho Books SetupOutsourced Accounting (Global)Request a Scope Discussion

This page describes the service in general terms as on 6 August 2026 and is not professional advice or an assurance of any outcome. Registrations, filings, refunds and departmental outcomes depend on facts and the concerned authority. Figures and due dates change; verify current positions before acting.

Compliance-grade books, by designAudit-trail (edit log) accounting software is mandatory for companies — and auditors must report on it. Clean monthly books are now a statutory posture, not a luxury.First-year compliance checklist →
Key due dates at a glance — FY 2026-27
ComplianceDueNote
Monthly closeBy the 10th (good practice)Feeds GSTR-3B, TDS and MIS on time
GST + TDS calendar11th / 13th / 15th / 20thBooks must be reconciliation-ready
Audit trail softwareMandatory for companiesRule 3(1), Companies (Accounts) Rules
MIS / cash-flow packMonthlyInvestors and banks expect it
Year-end audit prepFrom AprilSchedule III + ICAI disclosures

Dates as generally applicable on 15 July 2026; extensions/notifications can change them — confirm current dates before relying.

What's Included

  • Transaction accounting on Zoho Books/QuickBooks with a documented chart of accounts
  • Bank, credit-card, customer and vendor reconciliations to zero-or-explained
  • Monthly closing with checklist: prepaids, provisions, depreciation, loan schedules
  • Receivables/payables ageing and follow-up lists
  • Payroll accounting and statutory-payment tracking (GST/TDS/PT/PF-ESIC interfaces)
  • Audit-ready schedules and groupings at year-end

Our Process

1
Diagnostic

State of books and systems assessed; gaps listed.

2
Engagement terms

Scope, calendar, responsibilities, fees in writing.

3
Catch-up/clean-up

Backlog brought current on a quoted, one-time basis.

4
Monthly operation

Entry → reconcile → close → report, every month.

Get Started

Have questions about this service? Contact us for a free consultation.

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