Expense Tracker for India — GSTR-3B & ITR Ready
CGST/SGST/IGST auto-split • UTGST for Union Territories • GSTR-3B-ready • ITR-3 / ITR-4 categories • Export to Google Sheets in ₹
ExpenseBot finds receipts in Gmail, splits CGST and SGST on intra-state purchases and IGST on inter-state, and generates GSTR-3B-ready Sales Tax Breakdowns on every report. For annual filings, Year-End Tax Reports summarize expenses by ITR-3 / ITR-4 category.
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Watch: 30 seconds from receipt to GSTR-3B-ready spreadsheet
The Indian Freelancer's GSTR-3B Nightmare
Before ExpenseBot: The Monthly Panic
- Every month: Manually split CGST + SGST on intra-state invoices vs. IGST on inter-state — for dozens of receipts.
- 18th-20th: Scramble to reconcile ITC against GSTR-2B before the GSTR-3B due date.
- July: Panic with CA over ITR-3/ITR-4 expense categorisation — capital vs revenue, depreciation, deemed profit.
- All year: Lose ITC from missing invoices, miss depreciation (15/10/40%), forget small expenses.
- Audit risk: 6-year record retention requirement with paper files that fade and get lost.
After ExpenseBot: Monthly GSTR-3B in 10 Minutes
Every day: Receipts auto-captured from Gmail. CGST/SGST or IGST split automatically.
Before the 20th: Generate a report for last month. The Sales Tax Breakdown block has your CGST+IGST (federal ITC), SGST/UTGST (state ITC), and totals — exactly matching GSTR-3B's federal and state lines. Forward to your CA or file yourself.
CGST, SGST, UTGST, IGST — split exactly the way GSTR-3B expects.
India's dual-GST system is a pain to reconcile by hand. ExpenseBot splits it for you automatically. Every report now includes a Sales Tax Breakdown block on the Summary tab.
Central GST and Inter-state GST totals you report under GSTR-3B's federal ITC line. Both are Input Tax Credit claimable.
State GST or Union Territory GST totals, correctly labeled for your state or UT. Also ITC-claimable.
A single bottom-line number for reconciliation against GSTR-2B / GSTR-2A auto-populated data.
The AI extractor reads every receipt and separates CGST/SGST on intra-state purchases (the 50/50 split) from IGST on inter-state purchases, then routes each to the right column. UTGST is handled automatically for Andaman & Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep.
Live formulas tied to your Expenses sheet, so any edit to a receipt's tax flows straight through to the breakdown. Works on every report, not just year-end — because Indian businesses file GSTR-3B monthly (or quarterly under QRMP).
Just set your state or UT in Settings → General Settings, and every report from then on shows the breakdown tailored to your region.
ITR-Ready Expense Categories for Indian Self-Employed
ExpenseBot auto-categorizes expenses ready for your ITR-3 or ITR-4 Sugam filing
Rent & Utilities
Office rent, electricity, internet, telephone. 100% deductible when used exclusively for business. Home-office portion for freelancers working from home.
ITR-3 Schedule BP — Rent, Rates, Taxes
Professional Fees
CA fees, legal fees, consultancy, SaaS subscriptions. 100% deductible when related to the profession or business. TDS at 10% applicable over ₹30,000/year under section 194J.
ITR-3 Schedule BP — Professional Fees
Depreciation
Computers & software 40%, furniture 10%, motor vehicles 15%, plant & machinery 15%. Block-of-assets method. ExpenseBot flags capital expenses and computes annual depreciation automatically.
Section 32 — Block Depreciation
Travel & Conveyance
Business travel, flights, hotels, local conveyance (Uber/Ola/auto). Deductible as travel expense. Keep destination and business purpose noted — ExpenseBot prompts you for it.
ITR-3 Schedule BP — Travelling
Vehicle Expenses
Fuel, insurance, repairs, maintenance for business-use vehicle. Apportion personal vs business use. Motor vehicle depreciation at 15% block rate (or 45% additional for EVs purchased between Sep 2019 - Mar 2023).
Apportioned by Business-Use %
Marketing & Advertising
Google Ads, Meta Ads, print, website hosting, domain renewals, influencer payments. 100% deductible. TDS at 2% may apply on contracted work over ₹30,000.
ITR-3 Schedule BP — Advertising
Employee & Contractor Costs
Salaries, PF, ESI contributions, bonuses, contractor payments. 100% deductible. TDS at 10% on professional fees, 1-5% on contractor payments per section 194C.
ITR-3 Schedule BP — Salaries
Subscriptions & Software
SaaS tools (design, accounting, storage), software licenses, cloud hosting. 100% deductible as revenue expense. Large capital software purchases depreciated at 40%.
ITR-3 Schedule BP — Other Admin
Guidance only — confirm with your Chartered Accountant. Based on Income Tax Act 1961 and CBDT notifications for assessment year 2026-27.
Indian Self-Employment Tax at a Glance
Tax authorities: CBDT (Income Tax) + CBIC (GST) | Currency: INR | Forms: ITR-3 / ITR-4 / GSTR-3B
Filing Deadlines (AY 2026-27)
- ITR non-audit: 31 July 2026
- ITR audit cases: 31 October 2026
- GSTR-3B monthly: 20th of next month
- GSTR-3B QRMP: 22nd/24th of month after quarter
- GSTR-1: 11th of next month
GST Rates
- 0% — Exempt / nil-rated
- 5% — Essential goods/services
- 12% — Standard reduced
- 18% — Most services & goods
- 28% — Luxury & sin goods
- + Cess on selected items
Income Tax — New Regime (default)
- Up to ₹3L — Nil
- ₹3L–7L — 5%
- ₹7L–10L — 10%
- ₹10L–12L — 15%
- ₹12L–15L — 20%
- Above ₹15L — 30%
Presumptive Taxation
- 44AD: Business, turnover ≤ ₹2 crore
- 8% deemed profit (6% for digital receipts)
- 44ADA: Professionals, gross receipts ≤ ₹50 lakh
- 50% deemed profit
- File ITR-4 Sugam
GST Registration Thresholds
- Goods: ₹40 lakh (₹20 lakh for special-category states)
- Services: ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh for special-category states)
- Composition: Up to ₹1.5 crore (goods), ₹50 lakh (services) at 1-6% rate
- QRMP eligibility: Up to ₹5 crore
Record Retention
- GST records: 72 months (CGST §36)
- IT records: 6 years (10 for reassessment cases)
- Audit turnover: > ₹1 crore business, > ₹50 lakh profession
Intra-state vs inter-state GST: Purchases from a supplier in your own state attract CGST + SGST (or UTGST for Union Territories) at a 50/50 split of the total GST rate. Purchases from a supplier in another state attract IGST at the full rate. ExpenseBot detects the supplier's GSTIN state code and routes each receipt accordingly.
Rates for financial year 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27). Always confirm with your Chartered Accountant or on incometax.gov.in and gst.gov.in.
Input Tax Credit (ITC) — Reconciliation Made Simple
Under the revised GST ITC rules, claims must be supported by invoices reflected in your auto-populated GSTR-2B. Missing invoices = missing ITC. ExpenseBot captures every receipt from Gmail the moment it lands, so you have a complete ledger to reconcile against GSTR-2B before filing.
The Sales Tax Breakdown block gives you the CGST/IGST federal ITC total and SGST/UTGST state ITC total in seconds — no manual column summing. Match against GSTR-2B, flag differences, and file GSTR-3B with confidence.
For taxpayers under the QRMP scheme, ExpenseBot lets you generate reports for any custom date range, so quarterly returns are as easy as monthly. Live formulas recalculate the breakdown for whatever window you pick.
How ExpenseBot Works for Indian Businesses
1. Connect Gmail
Read-only OAuth. ExpenseBot scans for B2B invoices, B2C receipts, and SaaS bills daily. No forwarding required.
2. AI Extraction
Gemini reads every invoice — total, GSTIN, CGST/SGST/IGST/UTGST split, HSN code, vendor state. Routes to the right column.
3. Live Google Sheet
Every receipt in your own Google Sheet. In INR. With a Summary tab that shows your Sales Tax Breakdown live.
4. GSTR-3B / ITR Ready
Monthly GSTR-3B filings in minutes. Year-end ITR-3 / ITR-4 report with expenses categorized for your CA.
Indian Merchants We Auto-Recognise
Receipts and tax invoices from these common Indian vendors are categorized automatically — no manual tagging. GSTIN and GST split are extracted from the invoice PDF or body text.
Not listed? ExpenseBot's Gemini-based extractor handles receipts from any Indian vendor — the list above is just the ones auto-categorized with smarter defaults. Bank statement imports use your HDFC / SBI / ICICI / Axis / Kotak PDF formats directly.
Beyond Expenses — TDS, Form 26AS, and Section 80 Deductions
Match your Form 26AS TDS entries against invoices you've received. ExpenseBot captures the TDS line items on invoices (section 194J at 10% on professional fees, 194C at 1-5% on contractor payments, 194I on rent) and exports them for easy cross-check against 26AS at ITR time.
Keep personal deductions separate from business expenses. Tag PPF, ELSS, life insurance (80C), health insurance premiums (80D), and charitable donations (80G) as personal-deductible so they appear on a separate tab from your Profit & Gains computation.
For vendors with turnover above ₹5 crore (e-invoicing mandatory since August 2023), ExpenseBot captures the IRN (Invoice Reference Number) and QR data on the invoice. Reconcile against your GSTR-2B for complete ITC claim accuracy.
Reports respect the Indian fiscal year (1 April → 31 March), not the calendar year. FY 2025-26 = April 2025 through March 2026. Year-end reports align with AY 2026-27 filing. Currency shown in ₹ with Indian numbering (lakh/crore).
Not a substitute for your Chartered Accountant — ExpenseBot handles the capture, categorization, and reconciliation. Your CA still does the final ITR preparation and filing.
ExpenseBot vs Manual Entry, Tally, and Zoho Expense
Three of the most common ways Indian freelancers and MSMEs track expenses today — and how ExpenseBot fits alongside them.
A note on Zoho Expense
Zoho is headquartered in Chennai and dominant across Indian SMB accounting. If you're already in the Zoho ecosystem (Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice, Zoho One), stay there — Zoho Expense slots in cleanly. If you're not, ExpenseBot is typically simpler: no per-user pricing, no need to adopt a new ecosystem, and the data ends up in Google Sheets you already know how to read. Both handle CGST/SGST/IGST split correctly — the difference is workflow, not compliance.
Stop splitting CGST and SGST by hand.
ExpenseBot does the dual-GST split automatically, keeps your ITC claims reconciled, and generates GSTR-3B-ready reports on demand. 60-day free trial.
Start Free 60-Day Trial →No credit card • 60-day free trial • Your data stays in your Google Drive
How ExpenseBot Works as a GST + ITR Tracker
ExpenseBot is built as an Indian GST + Income Tax tracker from the ground up — not a generic expense app with GST rules bolted on. Every receipt captured from your Gmail is automatically classified by the Gemini extractor: the GST is split into CGST + SGST (intra-state) or IGST (inter-state) or UTGST (Union Territory), and the expense itself is mapped to the appropriate ITR-3 / ITR-4 schedule line.
- Automatic CGST/SGST/IGST/UTGST split. Supplier GSTIN state code determines intra-state vs inter-state; UTGST auto-triggers when your state is set to a UT.
- ITC reconciliation-ready. Sales Tax Breakdown block matches GSTR-3B's federal and state ITC lines, so reconciliation against GSTR-2B is fast.
- ITR-3 / ITR-4 category mapping. Expenses auto-categorized to schedule-BP heads (rent, professional fees, travel, depreciation, advertising, etc.).
- QRMP-compatible. Generate reports for any window — monthly, quarterly, or custom — live formulas recalculate.
- Depreciation tracking. Capital purchases (computers 40%, furniture 10%, vehicles 15%) flagged and annual depreciation computed automatically.
- Year-end ITR export. One-click summary by category, ready for your Chartered Accountant or direct ITR filing.
For ExpenseBot's approach more broadly, see our AI expense tracker and Gmail receipt scanner pages. Canadian users have a similar multi-tax-regime experience — see expense tracker Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does ExpenseBot split CGST and SGST for GSTR-3B?
Every receipt is scanned by our Gemini-based extractor, which reads the tax breakdown and routes CGST and SGST on intra-state purchases (the standard 50/50 split) to separate columns. For inter-state purchases, IGST is extracted and routed to its own column. UTGST is detected automatically when your state is set to a Union Territory. The Summary tab on every report includes a Sales Tax Breakdown block showing CGST + IGST (federal ITC line) and SGST or UTGST separately — matching GSTR-3B's structure.
Does ExpenseBot support the QRMP scheme?
Yes. Taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore can opt for the QRMP (Quarterly Return Monthly Payment) scheme, filing GSTR-3B quarterly. The Sales Tax Breakdown uses live formulas, so you can generate a report for any window — monthly, quarterly, or custom — and the CGST/SGST/IGST totals recalculate automatically.
Can I use ExpenseBot under section 44AD or 44ADA?
Yes. Under 44AD (businesses ≤ ₹2 crore turnover, 8% deemed profit, 6% for digital receipts) or 44ADA (professionals ≤ ₹50 lakh, 50% deemed profit), you don't maintain detailed expense records for income tax. But you still need them for GSTR-3B if registered, and for audit-readiness if actual profit is below the presumptive rate. ExpenseBot captures both regardless of your IT election.
What GST rates does ExpenseBot recognize?
All standard Indian GST rates: 0% (nil-rated/exempt), 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%, plus GST Compensation Cess on applicable items. The extractor reads the tax column on invoices and identifies whether intra-state (CGST+SGST) or inter-state (IGST), routing amounts to the correct columns.
Which ITR form should self-employed use in India?
Typically ITR-3 (individuals with business or professional income) or ITR-4 Sugam (if opting for 44AD/44ADA presumptive taxation). Filing deadline is 31 July for non-audit cases, 31 October if tax audit is required (turnover > ₹1 crore for business or > ₹50 lakh for profession). ExpenseBot's year-end report summarizes expenses by category for your CA.
How long must I keep tax records in India?
Under CGST §36, GST records must be retained for 72 months (6 years) from the annual return due date. Under the Income Tax Act, records should be preserved for 6 years from the end of the relevant assessment year — 10 years if reassessment for escaped income is possible. ExpenseBot stores all receipt images in your Google Drive; the spreadsheet retains transaction data indefinitely under your control.
Is ExpenseBot available in Indian languages?
The interface is in English, but the Gemini extractor reads invoices in English, Hindi, and most Indian regional scripts. We're prioritizing Hindi UI next based on demand — reach out to support@expensebot.ai if that matters for your team.
Does ExpenseBot handle Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM)?
ExpenseBot captures RCM-flagged invoices and records them with the supplier GSTIN and RCM amount. For GSTR-3B reporting, RCM is reported under a separate table; your CA can pull the RCM column from the Summary sheet. Full auto-reporting of RCM into the GSTR-3B format is on the roadmap.
Does it work with Tally?
ExpenseBot doesn't write directly into Tally Prime, but the Google Sheet export is easy to import: Tally accepts CSV with configurable headers. Most users run ExpenseBot as the capture layer (Gmail → categorized → CGST/SGST split) and then push a CSV into Tally for the formal accounting. If your CA lives in Tally, this keeps them happy without you having to learn Tally yourself.
Does it handle GST input credit?
Yes — Input Tax Credit is the primary use case. Every receipt's CGST + IGST (federal ITC line) and SGST or UTGST (state ITC line) is extracted and summed on the Summary tab, matching the GSTR-3B structure exactly. Reconcile against your auto-populated GSTR-2B before filing — missing invoices flagged there mean you're missing ITC you could have claimed.
How is this different from Zoho Expense?
Zoho Expense is a full team-expense workflow product — per-user pricing, approval policies, corporate card reconciliation, deep Zoho ecosystem integration. ExpenseBot is a single-workspace capture + categorization tool that writes to a Google Sheet you own. If you already run Zoho Books / Zoho One, staying in Zoho is sensible. If you don't, ExpenseBot is simpler and cheaper — especially for sole professionals, freelancers, and small MSMEs where a policy engine is overkill.
Can my CA access my data?
Yes — share the Google Sheet with your Chartered Accountant in one click. They see the transaction ledger, the Sales Tax Breakdown, ITR-ready category totals, and links to every receipt image in your Google Drive. No separate login, no per-seat license. ExpenseBot is FREE for accountants forever, so your CA can also run it for their other clients.
Does it support multiple GSTINs (multi-state businesses)?
Yes. If you're registered for GST in multiple states, tag each receipt with the applicable GSTIN. The Sales Tax Breakdown can filter by GSTIN so each state return is generated from the right slice of transactions. Receipts addressed to the wrong state GSTIN are flagged for correction before filing.
Will my data stay in India?
Your receipt images and expense data live in YOUR Google Drive. Google's default storage for Indian accounts is its global infrastructure, which means data may traverse servers outside India — same as any Google Workspace / Gmail account. ExpenseBot doesn't add any separate data store; we hold no tenant data on our servers beyond session state. If your industry has a strict data-residency requirement (regulated finance, healthcare), talk to your CA about whether Google Workspace's residency guarantees meet it — in most small-business cases they do.