Klaro Books: Cloud Accounting with GST, TDS and Payroll for Indian Businesses
2026-06-12 · 5 min read
Indian businesses have three choices for accounting software: Tally (installed, no remote access, no AI), Zoho Books (expensive when you add payroll and HR), or spreadsheets. Klaro Books is a fourth option — cloud-native, built specifically for the Indian compliance environment, and priced for small businesses rather than enterprises.
What Makes Indian Accounting Different
Accounting in India is not just double-entry ledgers. It is GST (with CGST, SGST, IGST splits, HSN codes, and four monthly returns), TDS (across 20+ sections under the Income Tax Act), PF and ESIC for payroll, and state-specific stamp duty for contracts. Generic accounting software built for the US or UK market handles none of this correctly. Klaro Books was built ground-up for India.
GST Workbench
The GST Workbench is the core of Klaro Books. Every invoice you raise automatically computes the correct GST — CGST + SGST for intra-state, IGST for inter-state — based on the HSN code and the counterparty's GSTIN. GSTR-1 JSON is generated ready for direct upload to the GST portal. GSTR-3B is pre-filled from your books. GSTR-2B reconciliation flags mismatches between what vendors have filed and what you have claimed as input tax credit.
TDS Compliance
TDS is computed automatically based on the payment type. Section 194J for professional services (10%). Section 194C for contractors (2%). Section 194I for rent above ₹2,40,000 per year (10%). The system generates Form 16A and produces 26Q/24Q return data ready for filing.
Payroll
PF (12% employer + 12% employee on basic), ESIC (where applicable), professional tax (state-specific slabs), and TDS under Section 192 are all computed monthly. ECR files for PF upload to the EPFO portal are generated automatically. Salary slips are produced as PDFs.
Contract Intelligence Add-on
For ₹999/month on top of any Books plan, the Contract Intelligence add-on lets you draft and review contracts — NDAs, service agreements, employment letters, leases, loans — with GST and TDS clause injection built in. 10 contracts per month, with 3 free trial contracts included.
Pricing
Klaro Books starts at ₹2,499/month for 3 companies (Smart plan) and ₹3,499/month for 5 companies with payroll and HR (Pro plan). A 30-day free trial is available with no credit card required.