Guides by topic
Accounting and payroll guides
Bookkeeping, monthly accounting, payroll processing and the records a growing business keeps. Written for the point where spreadsheets stop being enough.
Accounting & Payroll
What Counts as "Wages" for PF, ESI and Gratuity — and the 50% Rule
The contribution rates did not change when the Labour Codes commenced. The base they apply to did. Section 2(y) of the Code on Wages pulls excluded allowances back into wages once they exceed half of total remuneration — and ESIC runs a completely different wage test on top of that. Here is both, with the arithmetic worked out.
Accounting & Payroll
Gratuity Under the Social Security Code: Section 53, and the Ceiling Nobody Has Notified
The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 was repealed on 21 November 2025. Gratuity now lives in Section 53 of the Code on Social Security — five years' service with four exceptions, 15 days' wages per year on the wages last drawn, and a maximum that Section 53(3) leaves to a notification we could not find. Here is what is settled and what honestly is not.
Accounting & Payroll
Monthly Accounting Services for Startups
Year-end accounting is where startups discover their numbers were wrong all along. Monthly accounting fixes that. Here's why startups should account monthly, and what a good package covers.
Accounting & Payroll
Payroll Compliance Checklist for Indian Employers
PF, ESI, professional tax and salary TDS — thresholds, the monthly and annual calendar, a CTC-to-net-pay worked example, and what actually changed when the four Labour Codes came into force on 21 November 2025.
Accounting & Payroll
Bookkeeping Checklist for Small Businesses
Clean books don't happen by accident. Here's a practical monthly bookkeeping checklist for small businesses — what to record, reconcile and review so your filings always tie out.
Accounting & Payroll
GST Accounting Explained: Keeping Books and Returns in Sync
GST touches every sale and purchase, so your books and your GST returns have to agree. Here's how GST flows through your accounting — and how to keep input credit from slipping.
Accounting & Payroll
Virtual CFO Services for Startups: When You Need One
A Virtual CFO gives startups senior finance leadership without a full-time hire. Here's what a VCFO actually does, when you need one, and how it differs from an accountant.
Accounting & Payroll
PF Return Filing Guide: Monthly EPF ECR, Step by Step
PF registration is one-time; PF returns are monthly. Here's how the EPF ECR works, the due date, what happens if you're late, and how to keep employees' credit clean.
Accounting & Payroll
ESI Return Filing Guide: Monthly ESIC Contributions
After ESI registration, contributions are a monthly job. Here's how ESI return filing works, who's covered, the due date, and how to keep your team's benefits intact.
Accounting & Payroll
Professional Tax Return Filing Guide: PTRC, Schedules & States
If your state levies professional tax, filing the returns is a recurring job with state-specific schedules. Here's how PT return filing works, who files what, and the deadlines.
Accounting & Payroll
Legal Documents Every Startup Needs
Most startup disputes trace back to a missing or weak document. Here are the legal documents every startup should have in place — from founders' agreements to employment contracts and NDAs.
Accounting & Payroll
Board Resolution Format and Use Cases
Companies record decisions through board resolutions — for banks, the ROC and more. Here's the typical format, common use cases, and how to pass one correctly.