Search for GST return filing and you will see prices from a few hundred rupees to a few thousand a month. It is tempting to pick the lowest. But the filing itself is the last and smallest step of the job.
What actually goes into a GST return
- Every sales invoice for the period, recorded correctly with tax rates and place of supply.
- Every purchase bill on which you will claim input tax credit.
- A check that your purchases match what your suppliers have reported, so the credit you claim is credit you can keep.
- A reconciliation of tax payable in your books against what is being paid and filed.
- Preparation and filing of the regular returns for the period, usually the outward supplies return and the summary return.
When the books are kept and reconciled every month, filing is quick. When they are not, someone has to rebuild the month from invoices and bank statements before anything can be filed.
Why the cheapest quote can cost more
- Filing only. Many low prices assume you hand over clean, complete data. If you don’t, the extra work is billed or skipped.
- No vendor reconciliation. Claiming credit that your supplier never reported can lead to a mismatch, and a demand later.
- Per return pricing. A low price per return can add up when you file more than one return a month or have several registrations.
- Separate notices. Responding to queries is usually outside a filing-only price.
What a fair monthly fee looks like
A fair fee is one that matches the full job: records kept, reconciled with vendors and the bank, and returns filed on time from those books. It scales with your number of invoices and registrations, not with an arbitrary package name.
GST as part of monthly accounting
FigureWise files GST as part of the monthly cycle: record, reconcile, then file. GST compliance can be bundled with bookkeeping and monthly reporting under one prepaid retainer, priced on your volume.
Return names and due dates are set by the GST Council and can change. Always check the current schedule on the GST portal.
