Tally is still running the books for most Indian businesses. But when your CA is spending 3 days every quarter on manual GSTR preparation, it is time to ask whether your accounting software is working hard enough.
What Indian SMEs Actually Need from Accounting Software in 2026
Indian accounting software has been dominated by Tally for decades — and for good reason. It is reliable, well-understood, and every CA in the country knows it. But the compliance landscape has changed dramatically since GST. Monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filings, annual GSTR-9 returns, TDS and TCS management, e-invoicing, and bank reconciliation have all added to the accounting workload. Modern accounting software should automate most of this — not just record it.
- Automated GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B generation from transactions
- GSTR-2B reconciliation to verify ITC eligibility
- TDS deduction, payment, and return filing automation
- Bank feed integration for automatic reconciliation
- Real-time P&L and balance sheet without month-end closing
Aarcturus Books vs Tally Prime: The Key Differences
Tally Prime excels at basic bookkeeping and is deeply embedded in the Indian accountant ecosystem. Aarcturus Books is built for the full compliance and operational accounting needs of a modern SME — with live ERP integration, automated bank feeds, and a CA portal that gives your chartered accountant the right access without exposing your full system.
| Feature | Tally Prime | Aarcturus Books |
|---|---|---|
| GSTR-2B Auto-Reconciliation | Manual | Automated monthly |
| Bank Feed Integration | Manual import | Live daily sync |
| ERP Integration | Third-party only | Native, zero re-entry |
| CA Portal | Shared login | Configurable access |
| Real-time Dashboard | Report-based | Live P&L and BS |
GSTR-2B Reconciliation: The ITC Problem Most Businesses Ignore
Input tax credit (ITC) claimed must match what suppliers have filed in GSTR-1. If your supplier did not file, or filed different values, you cannot claim ITC on that invoice — even if you have a valid tax invoice. GSTR-2B (auto-populated from suppliers' filings) is the government's tool for this reconciliation. Aarcturus Books automatically compares your purchase register against GSTR-2B monthly, highlights mismatches, and gives you a list of suppliers to follow up with. What used to take 2 days every month takes 20 minutes.
Automated Bank Reconciliation: Ending the Month-End Queue
Bank reconciliation is the accounting task most likely to create month-end bottlenecks. In Aarcturus Books, bank feeds are connected directly to the accounting system — transactions from the bank are imported daily and matched automatically against ledger entries using amount, date, and narration matching. Exceptions are flagged for manual review. Month-end bank reconciliation goes from 8 hours to 30 minutes.
- Daily automatic bank transaction import
- Smart matching by amount, date, and narration
- Exception queue for manual review of unmatched items
- Month-end BRS generated in one click