How to Use KhataBook GST

A complete walkthrough of every feature — from your first invoice to GST filing.

1. Getting Started

KhataBook GST is a browser-based invoicing and GST bookkeeping tool built for Indian small businesses. Everything works right inside your browser — no installation needed.

Creating your account

1. Open the app and click "New here? Sign up" on the login screen.
2. Enter your email and a password (minimum 6 characters).
3. Click Sign up. You're taken straight to your Dashboard.

Forgot your password? Click "Forgot password?" on the login screen and a reset link will be emailed to you.

2. Dashboard

The Dashboard is your home screen. It shows, at a glance:

• Total Invoiced — sum of every invoice you've raised
• Tax Collected — total GST charged across all invoices
• Paid and Outstanding — how much money has come in vs. is still due
• Overdue — invoices past their due date and still unpaid
• Invoices This Month and Low Stock Items
• A Recent Invoices table with quick access to your latest records

Click + New Invoice at any time from here to start billing a client.

3. Clients

Every invoice needs a client. Go to Clients in the sidebar to manage the businesses and individuals you bill.

Adding a client

1. Click + Add Client.
2. Fill in Name, GSTIN (leave blank if the client is unregistered for GST), PAN, State, Address, Phone, and Email.
3. Click Save.

The State field matters — it determines whether an invoice charges CGST+SGST (same state as your business) or IGST (different state).

You can edit or delete a client any time from the Clients table, and jump straight to their transaction history via the Ledger link.

4. Items

Save your products or services once in Items so you can add them to invoices in a click instead of retyping details every time. Each item stores its name, HSN/SAC code, default rate, and GST percentage, plus optional stock quantity if you want KhataBook to track inventory.

5. Creating Invoices

1. Click + New Invoice from the Dashboard or the Invoices page.
2. Select a Client — their GSTIN and state auto-fill.
3. Set the invoice Date and optional Due Date.
4. Add line items — pick from your saved Items or type new ones, with quantity, rate, and GST rate.
5. KhataBook automatically calculates CGST/SGST (intra-state) or IGST (inter-state), rounds off, and shows the Grand Total.
6. Click Save Draft, Download PDF, or Share — sharing generates a link/PDF you can send over WhatsApp or email.

Invoice numbers are generated automatically per financial year and always increase in sequence — GST-compliant by default.

6. Recording Payments

Once a client pays you — fully or partially — open that invoice and click Record Payment. Enter the amount and date. KhataBook automatically updates the status:

7. Customer Ledger

The Customer Ledger shows a running, statement-style view of every invoice and payment for a specific client — useful when a client asks "how much do I still owe you?" or for reconciling accounts at year-end.

8. Expenses

Track your business spending under Expenses — rent, salaries, utilities, supplies, and so on. This feeds into your overall business picture separately from purchase bills (which are specifically GST-relevant purchases from suppliers).

9. Suppliers & Purchase Bills

Add the vendors you buy from under Suppliers, then log what you've bought from them under Purchase Bills. Purchase bills capture the GST you've paid on purchases — this becomes your Input Tax Credit (ITC), which offsets the GST you owe on sales. The Supplier Ledger works just like the Customer Ledger, but for money you owe suppliers.

10. GST Reports

The GST Reports section generates ready-to-use summaries for filing:

• GSTR-1 — outward supplies (your sales), broken down by GST rate
• GSTR-3B — a summary return showing output tax, eligible ITC from your purchase bills, and net tax payable

Both can be exported to Excel for your accountant or for direct reference while filing on the GST portal.

11. Analytics

Visual charts showing trends in sales, top clients, and tax collected over time — helpful for spotting patterns in your business at a glance.

12. Team & Multi-User

By default your data lives under your own account. If you want staff or your accountant to have their own login, go to Team and invite them by email — you can assign them a role (e.g. admin or staff) that controls what they're allowed to edit.

13. Backup, Restore & Cloud Sync

Under Business & Settings:

• Export Backup (JSON) — downloads a complete copy of your business data (clients, items, invoices, expenses, suppliers, purchase bills, stock) as a single file. Keep this somewhere safe.
• Import Backup — restores your data from a previously exported backup file. This overwrites your current data, so use it carefully.
• Move my data to the cloud — syncs a locally-stored business to the cloud so your team can access it from their own logins in real time.

14. Free vs Premium Plan

KhataBook GST is free to start — the Free plan includes a limited number of invoices per month so you can try every feature. Once you need more, click Upgrade to Premium in the sidebar to unlock unlimited invoices and custom PDF branding. Payment is handled securely through Razorpay; once your payment is confirmed, your account is upgraded automatically, usually within a minute.

15. Bulk Import & Export

Migrating from another system, or working with an accountant who uses Excel? Every major list supports Excel import/export:

For imports, always click Download template first to see the exact column headings expected, fill your data into that same file, then use the Import button on that page to upload it.

16. Tips for Data Safety

1. Export a backup at least once a week if your data isn't already synced to the cloud.
2. Don't share your login password with anyone — invite them as a Team member instead, so each person has their own account.
3. Double-check GSTIN and state on new clients — this is what determines correct CGST/SGST vs IGST on every invoice you raise for them.
4. Use the ? help button (bottom-right of the app) any time you need to reach support.

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