Many mutual fund distributors hand the monthly GST invoice work to their CA or accountant. Here is a fair look at cost, turnaround, and where a CA is still the better choice.
Filing on KFIN or CAMS yourself? See the KFIN guide and the CAMS guide. Also see MFD Office vs Excel, Tally, or Zoho.
You send your CA the brokerage file, or the numbers from it, and they (or their staff) build each fund house's invoice, work out the GST split, and hand it back for your signature, before it goes to KFIN or CAMS. Some CAs do this well and quickly. Others fit it in between other client work, and the invoices come back closer to the deadline than you would like.
| What matters | CA or accountant | MFD Office |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | A per-invoice fee or part of a retainer, varies by CA and city | Fixed monthly price, one plan |
| Turnaround | Depends on their workload and other clients | A few minutes, whenever you upload |
| Available at 11pm before a deadline | Usually not | Yes, it is self-serve |
| GST return filing and tax advice | Yes, this is their core value | Not offered, this is invoice-only |
| Judgement on unusual situations | Yes, a qualified professional | No, it follows a fixed format |
| Consistency every month | Depends on who handles it that month | Same process every time |
Upload your KFIN or CAMS brokerage file and see one of your own invoices made on the spot. No signup, no card.
Try with your file, freeBoth are reasonable. A CA is useful for overall GST filing and tax advice. For the specific monthly task of one invoice per fund house and matching the registrar's Excel sheet, that is repetitive work that software can do in minutes for a fraction of the cost.
Fees vary by CA and by city, usually per invoice or as part of a retainer. Ask your CA for their exact rate. It is generally more than a fixed monthly software subscription once you have more than a few fund houses.
Yes. Many MFDs use MFD Office for the monthly invoice and Excel work, and keep their CA for GST return filing and tax advice.