A good accounting office doesn't need many programs. It needs the right few, set up properly and protected. This is what we recommend to CA firms, tax consultants and trading businesses we support.
Accounting software
TallyPrime is the default in most Indian offices, and clients will expect you to know it. Silver is single-user; Gold is for several people on one network. Our Tally Silver vs Gold guide covers the details.
Tally Prime Silverโน20,149.00Distributors and traders with heavy inventory sometimes prefer Busy:
Busy Accounting Software Basicโน8,999.00Excel and Word
CAs live in Excel. Choose a version with modern functions such as XLOOKUP:
Office 2024 Professional Plusโน1,499.00PDF tools
You'll deal with scanned bills, bank statements and notices. An editor with OCR and PDF to Excel conversion saves hours:
Wondershare PDFelement Pro โ 1 Yearโน2,499.00Protect client data
- Use Windows Pro and turn on BitLocker so a stolen laptop can't expose client files.
- Run a trusted antivirus on every PC.
- Keep Tally data backups on a separate drive and the cloud, daily.
Working from home or branch offices
For multi-user Tally over the internet or Remote Desktop into the office PC, you need Windows Pro (as host) or a server with RDS CALs. See RDS CALs explained.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tally do I need for 3 staff?
TallyPrime Gold, because Silver is single-user.
Is cloud Tally better?
Cloud Tally gives access from anywhere but costs monthly. A local licence with remote access can be cheaper.
How often should I back up?
Daily, to at least two places (an external drive and the cloud).