Sales are up, but is there profit?
Most shop owners know the day's sales by heart. Fewer know the month's profit until the CA sends the figures, often months later. In between, the billing software has one set of numbers, the cash book in a notebook has another, and the accountant types everything into Tally a third time. Mistakes creep in at each step.
Accounting software for a retail shop should start where the money starts: at the counter. In Cartix Prime, every bill, return, purchase, expense and payment already happens in the app. On Gold, the accounts are built from those same entries, so the books and the bills tell one story.
What you get in accounts
The accounts reports in Cartix Prime are:
| Report | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Day book | Every entry of a day, in order |
| Cash book | Cash in and out, and what should be in the drawer |
| Trial balance | Whether the books balance, account by account |
| P&L (profit and loss) | Income, costs and expenses, and what is left |
| Balance sheet | What the shop owns and owes on a date |
| Cash flow | Where the money came from and where it went |
| GST books | The GST side of your sales and purchases |
| TDS | Tax deducted at source on the payments where it applies |
| Bank reconciliation | Your bank entries matched with the statement |
| Cheques | Cheques given and received, and their status |
| Budgets | Planned against actual spending |
| Cost centres | Income and costs split by part of the business |
| Year end | Closing one financial year and carrying balances to the next |
| Tally XML export | Your entries in a file Tally can import |
Behind these are ledgers, journal entries and bank accounts, so your accountant can post an adjustment the usual way.
Export to Tally
Many CAs in India work in Tally and will keep doing so. Cartix Prime does not ask them to change. The Tally XML export puts your entries in a file Tally can import, so the accountant does not retype a month of bills. You keep billing in Cartix Prime; your CA keeps working in Tally. Agree with your CA on the ledger names and the period before the first export, so the import lands in the right accounts.
How it works
- Bill, take returns and collect credit payments at the counter as usual.
- Enter purchases and expenses as they happen. A supplier bill can be read from a PDF or a photo.
- Record bank deposits, cheques and payments to suppliers.
- Open the day book or cash book to check the day; open P&L and the balance sheet for the month.
- Match the bank statement in bank reconciliation.
- At month end, export to Tally for your CA, along with the GST reports.
Profit for a shop, in plain terms
Profit and loss is only as good as the costs behind it. If purchases are entered with the right cost and expenses like rent, electricity and wages are recorded, the P&L shows the real picture. Cartix Prime also has a Profit report among its sales reports on every plan, which shows margin on what you sold; the P&L adds your expenses and everything else on top. A useful habit for a supermarket owner in Thrissur or Madurai: check the Profit report weekly and the P&L monthly.
Fits with your GST work
The GST books in accounts come from the same bills as your GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B reports. Gold also adds the match of purchases against GSTR-2B, so your CA can see which input tax credit is backed by your suppliers' filings. The tax treatment of each entry, and what goes in your final accounts, is for your CA to decide.
Who it suits
- Supermarkets and larger kirana stores that want a monthly P&L without waiting for the CA
- Wholesalers and distributors who give credit, take cheques and need bank reconciliation
- Shops whose CA works in Tally and wants a clean import
- Owners who run more than one line of business and want cost centres
If you only need a sales register for your CA, the Sales and purchase register report is on every plan and may be enough.
Which plan
Accounts and the Tally export are on Gold and Platinum. Gold costs ₹8,999 a year for 1 computer and 1 phone, or ₹1,899 for a phone only, before 18% GST. It also includes the GSTR-2B match, e-invoice and e-way bill files. See the pricing page. Start with 7 days of Silver free, no card needed.
Questions people ask
Which accounting software is good for a retail shop?
One that builds the books from your own bills and purchases, so nothing is entered twice, and gives a P&L, balance sheet and cash book you can read. Cartix Prime Gold does this and exports to Tally for your CA.
Can my billing software export to Tally?
Cartix Prime has a Tally XML export on the Gold plan. Your entries go into a file that Tally can import, so your accountant does not retype bills. Agree on ledger names with your CA before the first import.
How do I see the profit and loss of my shop?
Enter purchases at the right cost and record expenses such as rent and wages. Cartix Prime Gold then gives a P&L for any period. The Profit report on every plan shows the margin on sales without expenses.
Does Cartix Prime do bank reconciliation?
Yes, on Gold. Bank reconciliation matches the bank entries in your books with your bank statement, and there is a separate Cheques report for cheques given and received. There is no automatic bank feed.
Do I still need a CA if I use accounting software?
Yes, for most shops. The software keeps the books and prepares reports, but your CA decides tax treatment, checks the returns and finalises the accounts. Cartix Prime makes their work faster, not unnecessary.