Monthly Accounting, GST and TDS for Small Businesses in Gujarat: What a CA Retainer Covers, the Due-Date Calendar and What Decides the Fee

Monthly accounting and compliance by a CA covers bookkeeping, GST, TDS and payroll filings, more than 50 deadlines a year for a small business.

A Junagadh hardware trader with a turnover of Rs 3 crore has a part-time accountant who comes in on Sundays. GST returns are filed on the last day. TDS on the shop rent was never deducted. The first time anyone looks at the whole year's books is the week before the tax audit. Nothing dramatic has gone wrong yet. It is simply costing more than it seems: late fees, interest, input credit that was never claimed, and an audit done in a hurry.

Most small businesses reach this point somewhere between Rs 1 crore and Rs 5 crore of turnover. Here is what a monthly retainer with a CA covers, the dates it has to keep, what decides the fee, and how to tell whether you need one.

In short: A monthly package usually covers bookkeeping and bank reconciliation, GST returns with input credit matching, TDS payments and quarterly returns, payroll with PF, ESIC and professional tax, advance tax estimates, and the yearly income tax return, audit support and ROC filings. For a business with GST, TDS and a few employees, that is more than 50 due dates a year, and a miss on any of them costs a late fee, interest or lost credit. The fee depends mainly on the number of transactions, GST registrations and employees, and on whether an audit applies.

What does a monthly package cover?

• Books: sales, purchases, bank, cash and stock entries, with the bank reconciled every month.
• GST: GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B, matching your purchases with GSTR-2B, following up suppliers who have not filed, and the annual return.
• TDS: working out what to deduct on rent, contractors, professionals and salaries, paying it by the 7th, filing the quarterly returns and issuing certificates.
• Payroll: salary sheets, PF, ESIC and professional tax.
• Income tax: advance tax estimates each quarter, the yearly return, and getting the books ready for the tax audit.
• Company and LLP filings: annual ROC forms and director KYC.
• A monthly report: profit, stock, what customers owe you and what you owe suppliers.
• Notices: the first reply to routine GST and income tax notices.

The dates a small business has to keep

Every month:

• 7th: TDS and TCS payment for the previous month.
• 11th: GSTR-1, for monthly filers.
• 15th: PF and ESIC, and professional tax for employers.
• 20th: GSTR-3B, for monthly filers. Quarterly filers pay tax by the 25th in the first two months of the quarter.

Every quarter:

• GSTR-1 by the 13th and GSTR-3B by the 22nd of the month after the quarter, for quarterly filers in Gujarat.
• TDS returns: 31 July, 31 October, 31 January and 31 May.
• Advance tax: 15 June, 15 September, 15 December and 15 March.

Every year: the income tax return, the tax audit where it applies, the GST annual return by 31 December, LLP Form 11 by 30 May and Form 8 by 30 October, company annual filings after the AGM, and the 30 November cut-off for claiming the previous year's input credit. Our guides to GST return filing and PF and ESIC have the details.

What does a missed date cost?

• GST: a late fee of Rs 50 a day and interest at 18% a year, and your customers do not get their credit until you file. See GST late fee and interest.
• TDS: interest of 1% to 1.5% a month, a late fee of Rs 200 a day on returns, and 30% of the expense disallowed if TDS was not deducted at all. See TDS default notices.
• Input credit: credit not claimed by 30 November of the next year is lost for good.
• PF and ESIC: interest and damages on late payments.
• The quiet cost: decisions made without knowing your real profit, stock or dues until the year is over.

What decides the fee?

Turnover alone tells very little. A trader with 150 invoices a month and one GST registration needs far less work than a manufacturer with 1,500 invoices, job work, three godowns and 40 employees at the same turnover. What matters is:

• The number of sales and purchase invoices and bank entries each month
• The number of GST registrations and branches
• The number of employees on the payroll
• How many payments need TDS
• Whether a tax audit or company audit applies
• Whether you are a proprietor, firm, LLP or company
• How your records are kept today: software, bank statements, bills

A fair quote comes after looking at one month of your actual data, not from a rate card.

Accountant, CA retainer, or both?

For most growing businesses, both. An in-house or part-time accountant is best at daily entry, billing and collections. A CA firm brings review, returns, tax planning and someone accountable for every due date. The arrangement that works is simple: your accountant enters, we check and file, and you get one report every month.

Signs that you need a retainer now: returns filed on the last day, notices you do not understand, a tax audit that takes weeks, input credit mismatches, or no clear answer to "how much did we make last month?"

What we do for you

• Take over or review your books, on Tally or the software you use
• File GST returns and match input credit every month
• Handle TDS, PF, ESIC and professional tax payments and returns
• Send a monthly report on profit, stock, receivables and payables
• Estimate advance tax, file the income tax return and complete the tax audit
• File ROC forms for companies and LLPs, and reply to routine notices

Gadhia Associate has been in practice since 2007 and has handled work for over 7,000 clients across Saurashtra and Gujarat, with a 5.0 Google rating from more than 100 reviews. Traders, manufacturers, contractors, clinics and service businesses from Junagadh, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Jetpur, Veraval, Porbandar and Amreli come to our Junagadh office, where same-day appointments are available. Accounting and filings are handled online, so we also work with businesses anywhere in India. Fixed-fee and monthly plans are available.

Want one fixed monthly fee for accounts, GST and TDS? Call +91 82005 28355 or message us on WhatsApp. The first consultation is free.

Frequently asked questions

What do monthly accounting services include?

Bookkeeping and bank reconciliation, GST returns, TDS payments and returns, payroll filings, advance tax estimates, and the yearly income tax return and audit support.

How much does a CA charge for monthly accounting and GST?

It depends on the number of invoices, GST registrations and employees, and on whether an audit applies. A fixed monthly fee is quoted after looking at one month's data.

Do I still need my own accountant?

Usually yes, for daily entries and billing. The CA firm reviews the books, files the returns and takes responsibility for the due dates.

What are the monthly GST and TDS due dates?

TDS payment by the 7th, GSTR-1 by the 11th and GSTR-3B by the 20th for monthly filers, with PF and ESIC by the 15th.

Can a CA in Junagadh handle my accounts if my business is elsewhere?

Yes. Books, returns and reports are handled online, with documents shared digitally.

When should a small business move to a monthly retainer?

When returns are being filed at the last minute, notices are piling up, or you do not know your profit until the year ends.

Position as of 2 October 2026. Due dates are the regular statutory dates and can be extended or changed by notification. The scope of a package is agreed with each client.