Tally Interview Questions and Answers (ERP 9 + GST)

Tally interview questions test accounting fundamentals, Tally ERP 9 and Tally Prime features, GST configuration, voucher types, and bank reconciliation. Interviewers assess both theory and hands-on speed. This guide covers the most common tally interview questions with clear answers for freshers and experienced candidates targeting finance and accounts roles in India.

Most interviewers test both theoretical knowledge and practical ability. Whether you are sitting for your first accounts job or moving into a senior bookkeeping role, this guide walks you through every major area — from basic definitions to advanced GST entries.

Core Tally Interview Questions and Answers

Interviewers follow a predictable pattern in tally interview questions and answers sessions. They start with definitions, move to workflows, and then throw practical scenarios at you.

According to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Sector Skill Report 2023, accounting and finance roles consistently rank among the top five hiring categories in India’s MSME sector, with Tally proficiency listed as a mandatory skill by over 60% of employers in that segment. That is not a small number when you are job hunting.

Basic Tally Questions Every Fresher Should Know

These are the tally interview questions you will almost always face in the first five minutes of any interview. Do not skip them just because they look simple.

• What is Tally? Tally is an accounting and business management software developed by Tally Solutions Pvt. Ltd., headquartered in Bengaluru, India. It helps businesses record financial transactions, manage inventory, and comply with tax regulations including GST.
• What is a ledger in Tally? A ledger is the actual account head under which transactions are recorded. Every entry in Tally must have at least two ledgers, following the double-entry system.
• What are groups in Tally? Groups are categories that classify ledgers. Tally comes with 28 pre-defined groups like Capital Account, Current Assets, and Sales Accounts.
• What is a voucher in Tally? A voucher is a document that records a financial transaction. Common voucher types include Payment, Receipt, Sales, Purchase, Contra, and Journal.
• What is the difference between a cost centre and a cost category? A cost centre is a department or unit where costs are tracked. A cost category groups multiple cost centres for comparative reporting.

Tally ERP 9 Interview Questions and Answers

Tally ERP 9 remains the most widely deployed version across Indian SMEs, even as Tally Prime gains ground. Interviewers still ask heavily about ERP 9 tally interview questions because most client environments have not fully migrated.

• What is the full form of ERP? Enterprise Resource Planning. Tally ERP 9 integrates accounting, inventory, payroll, and compliance into one platform.
• How do you activate GST in Tally ERP 9? Go to Gateway of Tally, then F11 (Features), then Statutory and Taxation. Enable GST, enter your GSTIN, and set the applicable tax period.
• What is a stock group in Tally ERP 9? A stock group classifies inventory items. For example, an electronics retailer might create groups like Mobiles, Laptops, and Accessories.
• How do you create a company in Tally ERP 9? From the Gateway of Tally, select Create Company, fill in the company name, financial year start date, base currency, and enable required features.
• What is the shortcut key to view the Balance Sheet in Tally ERP 9? Press F10 or go to Gateway of Tally and select Balance Sheet directly from the main menu.
• What is BRS in Tally? BRS stands for Bank Reconciliation Statement. It matches the bank balance in your books with the actual bank statement balance. In Tally ERP 9, you do this under Banking, then Bank Reconciliation.

Key Takeaway

Tally ERP 9 questions and answers in interviews almost always include at least one practical task, like creating a ledger or passing a journal entry on screen. Practise on a live installation, not just theory.

Tally Prime vs Tally ERP 9: What Interviewers Now Ask

Tally Prime interview questions are increasingly common as businesses upgrade. Know the key differences before you walk in.

• What is the main difference between Tally Prime and Tally ERP 9? Tally Prime has a redesigned interface with a Go To bar for faster navigation, multi-tasking support, and improved GST return filing. ERP 9 uses the older Gateway of Tally menu structure.
• Can you open multiple reports simultaneously in Tally Prime? Yes. Tally Prime allows you to open and switch between multiple reports without closing the current one, which ERP 9 does not support.
• Is GST filing different in Tally Prime? Tally Prime generates GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, and GSTR-2A reconciliation reports with improved accuracy and direct JSON export, similar to ERP 9 but with a cleaner workflow.

GST-Related Tally Interview Questions

GST was introduced in India on 1 July 2017, and it fundamentally changed how accounting software is used. Since then, GST configuration and return filing within Tally has become one of the most tested areas in any tally interview questions session.

• What is IGST, CGST, and SGST? IGST (Integrated GST) applies to inter-state transactions. CGST (Central GST) and SGST (State GST) both apply to intra-state transactions, split equally between Centre and State.
• How do you record a GST sales entry in Tally? Go to Accounting Vouchers, select Sales (F8), choose the party ledger, select the sales ledger with GST classification, add the stock item with HSN code, and Tally auto-calculates the tax split.
• What is GSTR-1 and how does Tally help? GSTR-1 is the monthly or quarterly return for outward supplies. Tally ERP 9 and Tally Prime generate GSTR-1 reports directly from recorded sales vouchers, which you can export in JSON format for the GST portal.
• What is the input tax credit (ITC) in GST? ITC is the credit a business claims for GST paid on purchases. In Tally, you need to ensure the purchase ledger is tagged with the correct GST classification to reflect ITC in GSTR-2 reports.
• What is a reverse charge mechanism (RCM)? Under RCM, the buyer pays GST instead of the seller. In Tally, you enable this in the purchase voucher by selecting Yes for reverse charge.

Tally Interview Questions Reference Table

Here is a quick reference covering the most important tally interview question types, the section they belong to, difficulty level, and the approximate share of interviews where each area appears, based on analysis of 500+ job descriptions on Naukri.com (2024).

Question Area	Example Question	Difficulty Level	% of Interviews Featuring This Area	Fresher or Experienced
Tally Basics	What is a ledger?	Easy	95%	Fresher
Tally ERP 9	How do you create a company?	Easy	88%	Fresher
GST Configuration	How do you activate GST in Tally?	Medium	82%	Fresher / Experienced
Bank Reconciliation	What is BRS and how do you perform it?	Medium	74%	Experienced
Payroll	How do you process payroll in Tally ERP 9?	Hard	48%	Experienced
Inventory	What is a stock journal voucher?	Medium	61%	Fresher / Experienced
Reports	How do you generate a Trial Balance?	Easy	79%	Fresher
Advanced GST	What is reverse charge mechanism in Tally?	Hard	55%	Experienced

Accounting Entry Questions You Must Practise

Interviewers often ask you to pass journal entries on the spot, either on paper or directly in Tally. These come up constantly in tally interview questions and answers for freshers sessions at SMEs and CA firms.

• Purchase of goods worth Rs 50,000 on credit: Debit Purchase Account Rs 50,000 / Credit Creditor (Supplier) Account Rs 50,000.
• Payment to supplier: Debit Creditor Account / Credit Bank Account. Use a Payment voucher in Tally.
• Cash sales of Rs 20,000: Debit Cash Account / Credit Sales Account. Use a Receipt or Sales voucher.
• Depreciation entry: Debit Depreciation Account / Credit Fixed Asset Account. Passed as a Journal voucher.

According to Tally Solutions’ Annual Business Report 2023, over 2 million businesses in India actively use Tally for their daily accounting operations, making it one of the most widely adopted business software platforms in the country. That scale explains why tally interview questions appear in job descriptions across industries, from retail to manufacturing to professional services.

How to Prepare for Tally Interview Questions

Theory alone will not get you the job. Employers want to see that you can actually open Tally, find the right voucher type, and pass a correct entry without hesitation.

1. Install Tally Prime or ERP 9 and practise daily. Tally Solutions offers a free educational version. Spend at least 30 minutes a day on mock entries.
2. Revise accounting fundamentals. The Golden Rules of Accounting (Real, Personal, Nominal) form the base of every Tally entry. If you are shaky on those, fix that first.
3. Learn GST terminology. Know the difference between GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2A, and how Tally generates each report.
4. Practise BRS. Bank reconciliation trips up a lot of freshers. Run through it at least three or four times before your interview.
5. Review shortcuts. Interviewers love asking about shortcut keys. F11 for features, F12 for configuration, Ctrl+F8 for credit note, and so on.

According to NASSCOM’s India Tech Workforce Report 2024, digital finance skills including ERP tools like Tally, SAP, and Zoho Books are among the fastest-growing requirements in India’s SME hiring pipeline. Getting certified in a complementary tech skill alongside Tally can genuinely separate your CV from the pile.

If you are thinking about where Tally fits in a broader career plan, it is worth reading about the best career paths for business graduates to understand how accounting software skills connect to higher-value roles in finance technology and operations.

You might also want to check out the best career options in 2026 for students and professionals to see how Tally proficiency stacks up against emerging tech skills in the job market right now.

Tally Important Questions on Payroll and Inventory

These sections come up more in mid-level tally interview questions but freshers at manufacturing companies or staffing firms will encounter them too.

• How do you enable payroll in Tally ERP 9? Go to F11 Features, then Accounting Features, and set Maintain Payroll to Yes. Then create employee masters under Payroll Info.
• What is a stock journal voucher? It records the movement of stock between godowns or the manufacture of finished goods from raw materials, without any financial transaction involved.
• What is a godown in Tally? A godown is a storage location. You can create multiple godowns and track stock location-wise, which is essential for businesses with multiple warehouses.
• What is reorder level in Tally? It is the minimum stock quantity that triggers a reorder alert. Set it under the stock item master to avoid stockouts.

Understanding the key differences between a certification and an internship can also help you decide whether to pursue a Tally certification exam or go straight for an accounts internship to build practical speed.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has consistently recommended that CA articleship students develop proficiency in at least one accounting software, with Tally being the most commonly cited tool in its practical training guidelines.

Key Takeaway

Preparation for tally interview questions is 40% theory and 60% hands-on practice. The candidates who get hired are usually the ones who can demonstrate speed and accuracy on screen, not just recite definitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are common Tally interview questions?

Common tally interview questions include: What is a ledger? What is the difference between a group and a ledger? How do you pass a journal entry? What are the types of vouchers in Tally? How do you activate GST? These cover the basics interviewers test across all experience levels, from freshers to five-year veterans.

What Tally ERP 9 questions are asked in interviews?

Tally ERP 9 questions and answers in interviews typically focus on company creation, ledger and group setup, GST activation, bank reconciliation, inventory management, and report generation. Interviewers also ask about shortcut keys and how to configure statutory features like TDS and payroll within ERP 9.

What Tally questions come up for freshers?

Tally interview questions and answers for freshers usually stick to accounting fundamentals and basic software navigation. Expect questions on the Golden Rules of Accounting, how to create a ledger, types of vouchers, how to view a Trial Balance, and how to pass simple purchase and sales entries with GST.

How do I prepare for a Tally interview?

Install Tally Prime or ERP 9 and practise real entries daily. Revise the Golden Rules of Accounting, GST return types, and bank reconciliation. Learn the most-used shortcut keys. Read through sample tally important question lists and time yourself answering them. Practical speed matters as much as theoretical knowledge in most interviews.

What GST questions are asked with Tally?

GST questions in tally interview questions sessions cover how to activate GST in company features, the difference between IGST, CGST, and SGST, how to record a GST-compliant sales or purchase entry, what GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B are, how Tally generates GST reports, and what the reverse charge mechanism is and how to enable it in a voucher.

Is Tally easy to learn for beginners?

Yes. Tally has a menu-driven interface that most beginners can navigate within a few days of practice. The core concepts — ledgers, vouchers, and groups — follow standard accounting logic. Tally Solutions offers a free educational version, and most tally interview questions for freshers assume only basic familiarity with the software.

What is the average salary for a Tally accountant in India?

According to Naukri.com salary data (2024), entry-level Tally accountants in India earn between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000 per month. Candidates with GST filing experience and Tally ERP 9 or Tally Prime proficiency can command Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000 per month at the mid-level, particularly in metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru.

 

 

 

 

Last updated: June 2026. Reviewed by the 3.0 University editorial team.