Article

Ecommerce Bookkeeping 101 for Small Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Shopify Free Beginner

Zooms out from the single invoice to the bookkeeping system it feeds into, so your first invoice lands in a set of books that is actually usable at tax time.

  • Step-by-step guide to setting up bookkeeping alongside your storefront: separate business bank account, accounting method choice, software selection.
  • Explains cash versus accrual accounting and why most growing ecommerce businesses move to accrual.
  • Written for founders setting up their financial back-office for the first time.
Open on shopify.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. I finally got my GSTIN, what do I need to set up before my first invoice goes out?

Read with it

  1. The authoritative government HSN/SAC lookup, worth cross-checking against a third-party finder when a rate is ambiguous. Listed... GST Portal (services.gst.gov.in) Tool Search HSN Code, Official GST Portal Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN)
  2. The contrarian case, worth reading precisely because it argues composition can protect early cash flow. Stress test our 'skip... TaxGuru Article GST Composition Scheme as a Growth Tool for B2C and D2C Startups TaxGuru
  3. This is the actual GSTN advisory behind the 30-day rule, straight from the regulator rather than a paraphrase, so you know... GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network) Report Advisory on Bank Account Validation GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network)
  4. The official step-by-step manual for the exact screen you will be on when you add your bank account, so you are not guessing... GST Portal (tutorial.gst.gov.in) Article Manual: Amendment of Non-Core Fields (Bank Account Validation) GST Portal (tutorial.gst.gov.in)
  5. Cuts through the portal's cryptic status labels so you actually know whether you're done or still exposed to suspension after... ClearTax Article All About Bank Validation Status on GST Portal ClearTax
  6. The clearest field-by-field breakdown of what Rule 46 actually requires, with the HSN-digit rule spelled out by turnover slab... Tally Solutions Article GST Invoice: Format, Types, Mandatory Fields & Examples Tally Solutions
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →