How to hire an accountant in Mumbai
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What kind of accountant do you need?
“Accountant” covers very different jobs. Decide which of these is closest to yours before you write anything.
Bookkeeping
Daily entries, bills, receipts and bank reconciliation.
GST and tax work
Invoices, GST returns and TDS records.
Accounts and reports
Ledgers, monthly summaries and reports for the owner.
Payments and follow-up
Supplier payments, collections and reminders.
Skills
Skills and tools to ask for
Name the tools the person will use on day one. Use the same words candidates use on their resumes.
Tally
Entries, vouchers, ledgers and reports in Tally ERP or Tally Prime.
GST
Raising tax invoices and preparing data for GST returns.
TDS
Knowing when TDS applies and keeping its records.
Excel
Sorting, filters, lookups and simple summaries.
Also useful, depending on your work:
- Bank reconciliation done accurately and on time.
- Payables and receivables follow-up with suppliers and customers.
- Month-end closing and a simple monthly summary for you.
- Careful, neat work and honest records.
The job description
What to put in the job description
A clear description gets you the right people and saves your time. Keep it short and include these points. More on this in how to write a job description.
- The title and the area the office is in.
- The software you use (for example Tally) and one or two key skills.
- The kind of work: daily entries, GST data, reconciliation, month-end.
- Minimum experience, and whether you will consider a fresher with training.
- Working hours, including any late days at month-end.
- Your pay range, to be given honestly on the first call.
- Title
- Accountant
- Location
- Our office in [your area], Mumbai
- Experience
- [Minimum] years in accounts. Freshers with a commerce degree and Tally training may apply.
- Skills
- Tally ERP / Tally Prime, GST invoicing and return data, TDS basics, bank reconciliation, Excel.
- The work
- Daily entries and vouchers, supplier and customer ledgers, bank reconciliation, GST and TDS records, month-end summary for the owner.
- Hours
- [Days and hours]. Some extra time at month-end.
- Pay
- [Your range], to be discussed on the call.
- To apply
- We will call you if your profile matches.
Where
Which area to search in Mumbai
Accounts work is steady and detailed, and month-end can run late. A short commute makes a real difference to who accepts and who stays.
Search the locality of your office first, then the next stations along the same line, for example Andheri, Goregaon, Malad and Borivali on the western side, or Thane, Mulund and Ghatkopar on the central side. For Navi Mumbai offices, try Vashi, Nerul and Kharghar. See hiring by Mumbai locality.
Search in plain words, for example “accountant in Andheri with Tally and GST”. How to use the resume database.
Check
How to check an accountant on the first call
- Ask them to describe a normal month in their last job, step by step.
- Ask which software they used and what they did in it every day.
- Ask how they find and fix a mistake in a ledger or a bank reconciliation.
- Ask what GST and TDS work they did themselves, not what the firm did.
- Give a small real task in the meeting, such as a short reconciliation.
Use our first-call questions to keep the call short.
Avoid these
Common mistakes when hiring an accountant
Mistake
Asking for every skill
A long list leaves you with almost nobody.
Better
Pick the software and two or three key skills.
Mistake
Not naming the software
Better
Say Tally, or whatever you use, in the description and the search.
Mistake
Skipping the practical task
Better
A short real task shows more than a resume.
Mistake
Ignoring the commute
Better
Search near the office; month-end hours are easier.
Mistake
Giving full access on day one
Better
Start with limited access and widen it as trust builds. Check with a professional about the controls your business needs.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need a qualified accountant or is an experienced one enough?
It depends on the work. Day-to-day entries, bills and bank reconciliation need a careful, experienced person. Filing returns and audits may need a qualified professional. Many small businesses hire a full-time accounts person and use an outside professional for filings. Check with a professional about what your business needs.
Which accounting software should I ask for?
Ask for the one you already use. Tally is common in Mumbai small businesses, so many candidates know it. If you use something else, say so in the job description and ask how quickly they have learned new software before.
How do I test an accountant before hiring?
Ask them to talk you through a normal month, then give a small, real task such as reconciling a short bank statement or finding an error in a sample ledger. Keep it to an hour or less.
Should the accountant live near the office?
It helps a lot. Month-end can mean late evenings, and a short commute makes it easier to stay. Search the locality of your office and the areas around it.
Related reading
- Resume database for recruiters
- Pricing
- Hiring by Mumbai locality
- Search from a job description
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