Losing ₹15.8L on GST Fines? Setup India Accounting in Odoo 18

Indian company uses Odoo Accounting—generic international setup. First GST invoice: Tax shows "VAT 18%" (wrong for India—should be CGST 9% + SGST 9%). Customer complains: "Invoice format incorrect, can't claim input credit." Accountant tries manual fix—changes tax name to "GST 18%". Second invoice: Still wrong (should show CGST/SGST split for intra-state). Tax department audit: 23 invoices non-compliant. Fine: ₹2,47,000. Developer quote: "₹5,80,000 for custom GST module." CFO thinks: "Why isn't this built-in?"

Your India compliance disaster: Using generic Odoo (no localization). GST invoices non-compliant (wrong tax format = customer can't claim input credit). Chart of accounts doesn't match Indian standards (accountant manually maps every transaction). Tax calculations wrong (CGST/SGST/IGST logic missing). No e-invoicing (mandatory since Oct 2020 for ≥₹50 crore turnover). No e-waybill integration. GSTR reports manual (accountant exports data to Excel, formats for 8 hours monthly). TDS not configured. Statutory audit nightmare (₹4.7 lakhs spent on compliance consultants).

Cost: Non-compliant invoices = 23 per month × 12 × ₹10,700 avg fine = ₹2,95,000/year. Tax department penalties (wrong GST format) = ₹2,47,000. Manual GSTR filing = 8 hours monthly × 12 × ₹2,500/hr = ₹2,40,000. Compliance consultants = ₹4.7 lakhs/year. Customer disputes (input credit issues) = 12 cases × ₹18,400 avg loss = ₹2,20,800. Accountant overtime fixing manual tax entries = 140 hours yearly × ₹2,200/hr = ₹3,08,000. Custom development quotes rejected = ₹5.8 lakhs (can't afford).

Odoo 18 India Localization fixes this: Pre-configured for Indian regulations. GST-ready Chart of Accounts (CGST Payable, SGST Receivable, IGST accounts built-in). Automatic tax calculations (CGST+SGST for intra-state, IGST for inter-state). E-invoicing with IRN generation (API integration included). E-waybill support. GSTR-ready reports (export directly, no Excel manipulation). TDS configured. Fiscal positions for India. Compliance-ready from Day 1. Here's how to configure India localization so you stop losing ₹15.8 lakhs annually to non-compliance.

What India Accounting Localization Does

Localization = Country-specific accounting setup. For India: GST structure, Chart of Accounts compliant with Companies Act, TDS configuration, e-invoicing, e-waybill, statutory reports.

What's Included in India Localization

Step 1: Enable India Localization

During Database Setup (New Installation)

1. Create new Odoo database
2. Database setup wizard appears
3. Company Country: Select "India"
4. Currency: Auto-set to INR (Indian Rupee)
5. Click Create Database
6. Odoo automatically installs India localization package

For Existing Database

1. Go to Accounting app
2. Navigate to Configuration → Settings
3. Find Fiscal Localization section
4. Fiscal Localization Package: Select "India - Accounting"
5. Click Save
6. System installs India-specific configurations
7. Restart server if prompted

Step 2: Install Additional India Modules

Access specialized India compliance modules from Apps menu.

1. Go to Apps (top menu)
2. Remove "Apps" filter, search: "India"
3. Available modules:
   • Indian - Accounting: Base localization (auto-installed)
   • Indian - GST: GST compliance features
   • Indian - E-Invoice: IRN generation, QR codes
   • Indian - E-Waybill: Electronic waybill generation
   • Indian - Accounting Reports: P&L, Balance Sheet (Indian format)
   • Indian - Payroll: PF, ESI, TDS on salary
4. Click Install for required modules

Step 3: Configure Company Details

1. Go to Settings → General Settings → Companies
2. Click Update Info
3. Fill mandatory details:
   • Company Name: Legal entity name
   • Address: Full registered address
   • State: Select Indian state (e.g., Maharashtra)
   • PIN Code: 6-digit postal code
   • Country: India
   • Tax ID (GSTIN): 15-character GST number (format: 27AAAAA0000A1Z5)
   • PAN: 10-character PAN number
   • CIN: Corporate Identification Number (if applicable)
4. Click Save

Step 4: Review Chart of Accounts

1. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Chart of Accounts
2. Review pre-configured Indian COA
3. Key accounts included:
   • Assets: Current Assets, Fixed Assets, Investments
   • Liabilities: Current Liabilities, Long-term Liabilities
   • Equity: Share Capital, Reserves & Surplus
   • Income: Sales Revenue, Other Income
   • Expenses: COGS, Operating Expenses, Depreciation
   • GST Accounts:
     • CGST Payable, SGST Payable, IGST Payable (Output tax)
     • CGST Receivable, SGST Receivable, IGST Receivable (Input tax)
   • TDS Accounts: TDS Payable (various sections)
4. Add custom accounts if needed (follow numbering convention)

Step 5: Configure GST Taxes

Review Pre-Configured Taxes

1. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Taxes
2. Pre-configured GST rates available:
   • GST 0%: Exempted goods
   • GST 5%: Essential goods (CGST 2.5% + SGST 2.5%)
   • GST 12%: Standard goods (CGST 6% + SGST 6%)
   • GST 18%: Most services (CGST 9% + SGST 9%)
   • GST 28%: Luxury goods (CGST 14% + SGST 14%)
3. Each rate has 3 versions:
   • Sales (Intra-state): CGST + SGST
   • Sales (Inter-state): IGST
   • Purchase: Input tax credit

Set Default Taxes

1. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Settings
2. Find Taxes section
3. Default Sales Tax: Select most common rate (e.g., GST 18%)
4. Default Purchase Tax: Select corresponding purchase tax
5. Click Save

Step 6: Configure Fiscal Positions

Fiscal positions automatically apply correct tax based on customer/supplier location.

1. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Fiscal Positions
2. Pre-configured positions:
   • Intra-state: Same state = CGST+SGST
   • Inter-state: Different state = IGST
   • Export: International = Zero-rated
   • SEZ (Special Economic Zone): Special rules
3. How it works:
   • Customer in same state → Intra-state position → CGST+SGST applied
   • Customer in different state → Inter-state position → IGST applied
   • Customer country ≠ India → Export position → 0% tax
4. Odoo auto-selects position based on partner address

Step 7: Configure Journals

1. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Journals
2. Pre-configured journals:
   • Customer Invoices: Sales transactions
   • Vendor Bills: Purchase transactions
   • Bank: Bank account transactions
   • Cash: Cash transactions
   • Miscellaneous: Adjustments, depreciation
3. Configure bank journal:
   • Click bank journal → Edit
   • Bank Account Number: Enter account number
   • Bank: Select or create bank
   • Currency: INR
   • Save

Step 8: Create First GST Invoice

Create Customer

1. Go to Accounting → Customers → Customers
2. Click Create
3. Fill details:
   • Name: Customer company name
   • Address: Complete address with state
   • GSTIN: Customer's 15-digit GST number
   • Is a Company: ☑ Check (for B2B)
4. Click Save

Create Invoice

1. Go to Accounting → Customers → Invoices
2. Click Create
3. Customer: Select customer
4. Odoo auto-fills Fiscal Position based on customer state
5. Add invoice lines:
   • Product: Select product
   • Quantity: Enter quantity
   • Price: Unit price
   • Taxes: Auto-applied based on fiscal position
6. Verify tax calculation:
   • Same state → Shows CGST + SGST
   • Different state → Shows IGST
7. Click Confirm
8. Invoice generated with GST-compliant format

E-Invoicing Configuration (For ≥₹50 Crore Turnover)

Step 1: Obtain API Credentials

1. Login to GST Portal (https://www.gst.gov.in/)
2. Navigate to e-Invoice → API Registration
3. Register your ERP system (Odoo)
4. Note credentials:
   • Username (GSTIN)
   • API Key
   • API Secret

Step 2: Configure in Odoo

1. Install Indian - E-Invoice module
2. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Settings
3. Find E-Invoice section
4. Enter API credentials:
   • GSTIN: Your GST number
   • API Username: From GST portal
   • API Key: From GST portal
   • API Secret: From GST portal
5. Click Test Connection
6. If successful, click Save

Step 3: Generate IRN for Invoice

1. Create and confirm customer invoice
2. Click Generate IRN button
3. Odoo sends invoice data to GST portal via API
4. GST portal validates and returns:
   • IRN (Invoice Reference Number) - 64-character hash
   • Ack No (Acknowledgement Number)
   • Ack Date
   • QR Code
5. IRN and QR code printed on invoice PDF
6. Invoice now e-invoice compliant

Generate GSTR Reports

1. Go to Accounting → Reporting → India → GSTR Reports
2. Select report type:
   • GSTR-1: Outward supplies (sales invoices)
   • GSTR-3B: Monthly summary return
3. Select Date Range (monthly period)
4. Click Generate Report
5. Review data (invoices, taxes, totals)
6. Click Export to Excel or Export to JSON
7. Upload exported file to GST portal

Real-World Impact

Best Practices