MSME Form 1 for Enhanced Reporting – How It Helps CAs in Tally Prime

Published on: 23-09-2025 Call CA Tally HelpDesk +91 9205471661, 8368262875

MSME Form 1 for Enhanced Reporting – How It Helps CAs in Tally Prime

The role of a Chartered Accountant (CA) is not just about preparing financial statements, but also ensuring that businesses comply with statutory requirements. One such important compliance is MSME Form 1, introduced by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). This form requires companies to disclose details of payments due to MSME suppliers that remain unpaid beyond 45 days. For CAs, preparing, verifying, and reporting these details can be time-consuming if done manually. Tally Prime, with its enhanced reporting features, makes this process faster, more accurate, and more transparent.

What is MSME Form 1?

MSME Form 1 is a return that companies must file if they:

• Have purchased goods or services from MSME suppliers.
• Have not paid those suppliers within 45 days of acceptance.

The form asks for supplier names, the amount pending, the date from which the payment is due, and the reasons for the delay. Non-filing or incorrect filing may lead to penalties.

For a CA, this means closely monitoring client transactions, identifying MSME suppliers, and extracting the right data to ensure compliance.

Challenges Faced by CAs Without Automation

1. Manual Checking: Going through ledger accounts and invoices one by one.
2. High Volume of Transactions: Medium and large businesses deal with multiple vendors.
3. Risk of Errors: Missing even a single overdue MSME payment can lead to non-compliance.
4. Time Pressure: Filing deadlines force CAs to prepare reports quickly and accurately.

How Tally Prime Helps CAs with MSME Reporting

Tally Prime is not just an accounting tool; it is also a compliance partner. The software provides several built-in features that make MSME Form 1 reporting easier for CAs:

1. MSME Vendor Tagging

• In Tally Prime, ledgers can be marked as MSME suppliers.
• This helps CAs quickly filter and focus only on those vendors that fall under the MSME category.

2. Outstanding and Aging Analysis

• Tally Prime generates outstanding reports that show unpaid bills.
• The aging analysis feature automatically categorizes dues into time brackets (e.g., 0–30 days, 31–45 days, 46–90 days).
• This helps CAs instantly identify invoices crossing the 45-day threshold.

3. Real-Time Data Access

• If clients keep their Tally data updated, CAs can remotely access the company’s books using Tally.NET.
• This saves travel time and allows faster preparation of reports.

4. Easy Report Extraction

• CAs can export supplier-wise outstanding reports directly into Excel or PDF.
• These reports can be refined and attached as working papers for MSME Form 1 filing.

5. Audit Trail and Notes

• Tally allows adding remarks or narrations in vouchers.
• CAs can use this feature to record reasons for payment delays, which becomes helpful during form filing and audits.

Benefits for CAs

• Saves Time: Automated reports cut down manual checking.
• Improves Accuracy: Reduces the risk of missing overdue bills.
• Enhances Client Service: Clients benefit from timely compliance, which builds trust.
• Audit Support: Data can be used as evidence during statutory or tax audits.
• Risk Management: Ensures clients avoid penalties and stay legally compliant.

Final Thoughts

For Chartered Accountants, MSME Form 1 is both a responsibility and an opportunity to guide clients toward better compliance. With Tally Prime’s enhanced reporting features, CAs can streamline the entire process — from identifying MSME suppliers to extracting overdue payment details and preparing the form.

By relying on Tally Prime, CAs not only save time but also add value to their practice by ensuring that clients remain compliant, efficient, and transparent in their dealings with MSMEs.