Many users install TallyPrime, create a company, enable GST and start entering Sales, Purchase, Receipt, Payment and Journal vouchers. Because of this, TallyPrime is often viewed simply as an accounting and GST billing application.

However, a substantial number of business-management features are either disabled by default, displayed only after selecting Show more features or Show all features, activated from individual masters through F12 (Configure), or become visible only when a particular voucher or business workflow is used.

Tally Solutions itself confirms that many company-level options can be enabled or disabled through F11 (Features) as business requirements change. Cost Centres, Interest Calculation, GST, TDS, TCS, Payroll, Price Levels, Batches, Job Order Processing and Cost Tracking are examples.

Therefore, a business using only the basic accounting screens may be using only a portion of TallyPrime's available functionality.

1. Where Are the "Hidden" Features in TallyPrime?

The word hidden does not necessarily mean secret or undocumented. In most cases, the feature is simply not displayed in the basic screen until an advanced configuration is enabled.

There are several important places to look.

F11 – Company Features

Press:

F11 (Features)

This is the primary location for company-wide functionality.

Pay special attention to:

• Show more features
• Show all features

Setting these to Yes can expose additional options that otherwise may not appear.

For example, Payroll may not initially be visible. Tally's current documentation instructs users to enable Show more features and Show all features if the Maintain Payroll option cannot be seen.

2. F12 – Configure: One of the Most Important Areas

F11 controls company-level functionality, while F12 (Configure) frequently controls features relating to the screen, master, voucher or report currently being used.

This distinction is extremely important.

A user may search F11 for an option and conclude that TallyPrime does not provide it, whereas the setting may actually exist under F12 of the relevant master or voucher.

Examples include additional Stock Item fields, Bill of Materials configuration, voucher-entry options, reporting options and additional ledger behaviour.

Therefore, when searching for a feature, check:

F11 → Company Features

and also:

F12 → Configure

on the relevant screen.

3. Basic Accounting Features

TallyPrime's core accounting capabilities include:

• Ledgers
• Groups
• Sales
• Purchase
• Receipt
• Payment
• Contra
• Journal
• Debit Note
• Credit Note
• Outstanding management
• Balance Sheet
• Profit & Loss Account
• Trial Balance
• Day Book
• Cash/Bank Book

Some core features are already enabled when a company is created.

For example, Maintain Accounts and Bill-wise entry are normally enabled by default.

4. Bill-Wise Outstanding Management

For businesses that sell or purchase on credit, TallyPrime can track every invoice separately.

Go to:

F11 → Enable Bill-wise entry → Yes

This allows transactions to be identified as:

• New Reference
• Against Reference
• Advance
• On Account

It becomes possible to identify:

• Which invoice is unpaid
• Original invoice amount
• Pending amount
• Due date
• Customer outstanding
• Supplier outstanding
• Ageing of receivables/payables

This is particularly useful for credit-control and payment-follow-up processes.

5. Cost Centres

One of TallyPrime's most useful but underused capabilities is Cost Centre accounting.

Enable:

F11 → Show more features → Enable Cost Centres → Yes

Cost Centres allow income and expenses to be analysed by:

• Department
• Branch
• Employee
• Salesperson
• Project
• Location
• Machine
• Business division
• Client
• Contract

For example, instead of simply knowing that the company spent ₹5,00,000 on salaries, Cost Centres can help analyse salary expenses by department or project.

6. Cost Categories

Where more complex allocation is required, Cost Categories can provide additional dimensions for cost-centre analysis.

For example:

Category 1 – Department

• Accounts
• Sales
• Support
• Administration

Category 2 – Location

• Delhi
• Mumbai
• Bengaluru

The same expense can therefore be analysed from different perspectives.

7. Job Costing

TallyPrime can also be configured for job or project costing.

This is useful for businesses such as:

• Contractors
• Interior designers
• IT companies
• Consultants
• Fabricators
• Repair companies
• Construction companies
• Project-based organisations

Costs such as material, salary, travel and other expenses can be allocated to jobs/projects to determine profitability.

8. Interest Calculation

Automatic interest calculation is another useful option that is normally disabled.

Enable:

F11 → Show more features → Enable Interest Calculation → Yes

TallyPrime can then assist in calculating interest according to configured parameters.

This can be useful for:

• Customer overdue interest
• Supplier-related calculations
• Loans
• Advances
• Deposits
• Other interest-bearing accounts

Tally confirms that this option is disabled by default and can be enabled from Company Features.

9. Multi-Currency Accounting

Businesses dealing with overseas customers or suppliers can maintain transactions involving foreign currencies.

Currencies can be created through:

Alt+G → Create Master → Currency

This can be useful for transactions involving currencies such as:

• USD
• EUR
• GBP
• AED
• SGD
• JPY

TallyPrime can therefore be used for businesses dealing with international transactions without restricting accounts to INR alone.

10. Budgeting

Budgeting is another feature many users overlook.

Businesses can create budgets for:

• Expenses
• Income
• Departments
• Projects
• Cost centres
• Groups
• Ledgers

This allows management to compare planned figures with actual performance.

According to Tally's current feature documentation, Budgets and Scenarios are available by default, rather than requiring the old Tally.ERP-style F11 activation.

11. Scenarios

Scenarios are useful for management reporting where provisional transactions need to be considered without permanently affecting regular accounts.

They can be useful for:

• Forecasting
• Provisional expenses
• Expected transactions
• Management projections
• What-if analysis

This is particularly valuable when management wants to examine potential financial positions without treating all projected entries as actual transactions.

12. Optional Vouchers

A voucher can be marked Optional when you want it considered for a scenario or provisional analysis without immediately affecting the regular books.

This can be useful for:

• Expected expenses
• Proposed purchases
• Provisional entries
• Planning

Optional voucher functionality is available through voucher operations rather than being treated as a separate accounting module.

13. Reversing Journals

Reversing Journals are useful for temporary accounting adjustments that should automatically cease to affect accounts after a specified period.

They can be valuable for:

• Provisions
• Temporary adjustments
• Period-end reporting
• Management accounting

The Reversing Journal voucher can be activated when it is first required.

14. Inventory Management

Inventory management is one of TallyPrime's largest functional areas.

Basic inventory is normally enabled by default when Maintain Inventory is active.

Inventory capabilities include:

• Stock Groups
• Stock Categories
• Stock Items
• Units
• Alternative Units
• Godowns/Locations
• Batches
• Expiry dates
• Price Levels
• Price Lists
• Reorder Levels
• Stock Journals
• Physical Stock
• Manufacturing
• BOM
• Job Work
• Cost Tracking

15. Integrate Accounts with Inventory

TallyPrime can maintain accounting and inventory with different levels of integration.

Under:

F11 → Integrate Accounts with Inventory

you can determine whether inventory values should directly affect financial statements.

Interestingly, current TallyPrime documentation indicates that this option is No by default.

Businesses should therefore understand this setting rather than changing it casually after transactions have already been entered.

16. Multiple Godowns / Locations

Businesses storing inventory at different places can use inventory locations/godowns.

Examples:

• Main Warehouse
• Shop
• Delhi Warehouse
• Service Centre
• Finished Goods Store
• Raw Material Store

This allows stock quantities to be tracked location-wise.

17. Batch-Wise Inventory

Enable batch tracking when items must be identified according to batches.

This is especially useful for:

• Medicines
• Food products
• Chemicals
• Cosmetics
• FMCG
• Electronic components
• Lot-controlled products

TallyPrime exposes the batch feature through Company Features.

18. Expiry Date Tracking

Once batches are enabled, expiry-related tracking can also be configured.

This is particularly useful for industries dealing with products having shelf life.

Examples include:

• Medicines
• Food
• Chemicals
• Cosmetics
• Consumables

TallyPrime provides an option to maintain expiry dates for batches.

19. Alternative Units

A stock item can sometimes be purchased in one unit and sold or analysed using another.

For example:

1 Box = 10 Nos

or

1 Carton = 24 Pieces

Alternative units can help businesses manage such situations more efficiently.

20. Actual Quantity vs Billed Quantity

This is an excellent feature for businesses where the quantity physically delivered and the quantity charged are not always identical.

Enable:

F11 → Show more features → Use separate Actual and Billed Quantity columns in invoices → Yes

TallyPrime then allows separate recording of:

• Actual Quantity
• Billed Quantity

The feature is disabled by default.

21. Discount Column in Invoice

Instead of creating complicated discount ledgers for every item-level discount requirement, you can enable:

F11 → Use Discount column in invoices → Yes

The invoice can then contain a separate discount field for individual stock items.

This feature is also disabled by default.

22. Multiple Price Levels

TallyPrime can maintain different selling prices for different classes of customers.

Enable:

F11 → Enable multiple Price Levels → Yes

Examples:

• Retail
• Wholesale
• Dealer
• Distributor
• Corporate
• Special Customer

Tally's documentation confirms that multiple Price Levels can be created after enabling this option.

This can significantly reduce manual rate entry and pricing errors.

23. Price Lists

Price Lists can define rates for stock items according to the selected price level.

For example:

Product	Retail	Dealer	Distributor
Product A	₹1,000	₹900	₹850
Product B	₹2,000	₹1,850	₹1,700

The applicable rate can then be automatically populated during voucher entry according to configuration.

24. Sales Order Processing

Businesses can use Sales Orders before creating the final Sales Invoice.

Typical workflow:

Sales Order → Delivery → Sales Invoice

This is useful for businesses that receive orders today but dispatch or invoice goods later.

It helps track:

• Pending sales orders
• Ordered quantities
• Delivered quantities
• Pending quantities
• Customer commitments

25. Purchase Order Processing

Similarly, Purchase Orders can be maintained.

Typical workflow:

Purchase Order → Receipt of Material → Purchase Invoice

This allows businesses to monitor outstanding purchase commitments.

26. Delivery Notes

Delivery Notes can record goods dispatched before the Sales Invoice is created.

Typical workflow:

Sales Order → Delivery Note → Sales Invoice

This is particularly useful where the warehouse dispatches material independently from the accounts department.

27. Receipt Notes

Receipt Notes can be used when material is physically received before the supplier's Purchase Invoice is entered.

Typical workflow:

Purchase Order → Receipt Note → Purchase Invoice

This can improve control between stores and accounts.

28. Reorder Levels

Businesses can configure inventory planning information so that low stock can be identified and purchases planned accordingly.

This is useful for maintaining minimum stock levels and reducing stock-out situations.

29. Manufacturing in TallyPrime

Manufacturing is one of the most powerful areas that many users do not realise TallyPrime supports.

TallyPrime supports:

• Raw materials
• Components
• Finished goods
• Bill of Materials
• Multiple BOMs
• Stock Journal
• Manufacturing Journal
• Additional manufacturing costs
• By-products and scrap-related workflows
• Production costing

Tally's current documentation specifically identifies Stock Journal, Manufacturing Journal and Bill of Materials as tools for recording manufacturing and consumption.

30. Bill of Materials – BOM

A Bill of Materials defines which components are required to produce a finished product.

Example:

Finished Product

2 Metre CAT6 Patch Cable

Components

• CAT6 Cable – 2 Metres
• RJ45 Connector – 2 Nos
• Other component/consumable – if applicable

The BOM therefore represents the recipe or component structure of the finished product.

TallyPrime supports both single and multiple BOMs for a stock item.

31. Multiple BOM

Multiple BOM is especially useful when the same finished product can be produced using different components.

For example:

Desktop Computer

BOM 1 – Standard

BOM 2 – Performance

BOM 3 – Premium

Or the BOM can vary according to customer specifications.

TallyPrime allows the relevant BOM to be selected when recording manufacturing.

32. Manufacturing Journal – Important Hidden Mode

One common misunderstanding is that users expect to find a separate Manufacturing Journal voucher directly in the voucher list.

In current TallyPrime, the practical method is:

Alt+G → Create Voucher → Alt+F7 (Stock Journal)

Then:

Ctrl+H (Change Mode) → Use for Manufacturing Journal

Tally's current FAQ specifically confirms this procedure.

This is a good example of a feature that may appear to be missing simply because it exists as another mode of an existing voucher.

33. Automatic Raw Material Consumption

When BOM and Manufacturing Journal are correctly configured, raw materials specified in the BOM can be populated for consumption during manufacturing.

For example, manufacturing:

1 × 2 Metre Patch Cable

could consume:

2 metres CAT6 cable + 2 RJ45 connectors

while increasing stock of:

1 × Finished Patch Cable

Tally's manufacturing documentation explains that BOM component quantities can be used to streamline inventory consumption.

Important: Merely creating a BOM does not mean components will automatically be deducted when you make an ordinary Sales Invoice for the finished product. Normally, the manufacturing/assembly transaction must first be recorded through the appropriate Stock/Manufacturing Journal workflow. The Sales Invoice then reduces the finished-product stock.

34. Job Work

TallyPrime supports Job Work processes for businesses that send materials to another party for processing or receive material from customers for processing.

Enable:

F11 → Show more features → Show all features → Enable Job Order Processing → Yes

Tally documents Job Work setup for both:

• Principal manufacturer
• Job worker

and uses Material Out and Material In voucher workflows.

35. Cost Tracking

Another advanced inventory feature is:

Enable Cost Tracking

This can help track and analyse the running cost or profitability associated with an item through processes such as procurement, manufacturing and sales.

Tally lists applications including:

• Procurement cost
• Landing cost
• Manufacturing cost
• Production cost
• Order cost/profit
• Job cost/profit

36. GST in TallyPrime

GST is not enabled automatically for every company.

Enable:

F11 → Enable Goods and Services Tax (GST) → Yes

Then configure company GST details.

TallyPrime can be used for GST-related functionality such as:

• GST invoices
• HSN/SAC
• GST rates
• CGST
• SGST
• IGST
• Cess where applicable
• GST reports
• GST return-related workflows
• e-Invoicing
• e-Way Bill-related workflows

The precise availability of connected/statutory functions can depend on the current TallyPrime release, configuration and applicable government systems.

37. TDS

Businesses required to deduct tax at source can enable:

F11 → Enable Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) → Yes

TDS-related masters and transaction behaviour can then be configured.

38. TCS

For Tax Collected at Source:

F11 → Show more features → Enable Tax Collected at Source (TCS) → Yes

Like TDS, this option is normally disabled unless required.

39. Payroll

TallyPrime contains a substantial Payroll module that many accounting-only users never activate.

Enable:

F11 → Maintain Payroll → Yes

If it is not visible:

Show more features → Yes

and, if required:

Show all features → Yes

Tally's 2026 Payroll documentation confirms this activation method.

40. Employee Masters

After Payroll is enabled, businesses can maintain employee-related masters.

These can include information used for:

• Employee identification
• Employee grouping
• Salary structure
• Payroll processing
• Attendance
• Statutory payroll calculations

41. Employee Groups and Categories

Employees can be organised logically.

Examples:

Employee Groups

• Accounts
• Sales
• Support
• Administration

Employee Categories

Categories can provide another classification, such as:

• Project
• Location
• Division

Tally specifically documents Employee Categories as a way to classify employees by project or location.

42. Attendance Management

Payroll supports attendance-related information such as:

• Present
• Absent
• Leave with Pay
• Leave without Pay
• Overtime
• Production-based attendance

Attendance can then affect salary calculation according to the payroll configuration.

TallyPrime also provides an Attendance Sheet report.

43. Production-Based Payroll

A less commonly known feature is that Payroll can calculate or track employee production.

For example:

• Pieces produced
• Units manufactured
• Overtime hours

TallyPrime supports Production Types as Attendance/Production masters.

This is useful for piece-rate workers.

44. Payroll Statutory Features

For Indian companies, Payroll statutory functionality can be enabled separately.

Go to:

F11 → Enable Payroll Statutory → Yes

Depending on applicability, payroll statutory features include areas such as:

• Provident Fund
• ESI
• NPS
• Income Tax
• Professional Tax

Tally confirms that Payroll Statutory Features are specifically available for Indian payroll.

45. Is TallyPrime a Full HRMS?

This distinction is important.

TallyPrime provides useful employee, attendance, salary, payroll and statutory payroll management, but it should not automatically be treated as a complete enterprise HRMS platform.

A specialised HRMS may provide broader functionality such as:

• Recruitment
• Applicant tracking
• Employee onboarding workflows
• Performance appraisal
• Employee self-service portal
• Leave approval workflow
• Training management
• Asset allocation
• HR ticketing
• Exit management

Therefore, it is more accurate to describe TallyPrime as having Payroll and employee-management capabilities, rather than claiming that it replaces every dedicated HRMS.

46. Banking Features

TallyPrime also contains banking-related functionality.

Depending on the bank, release and configuration, businesses can use features related to:

• Bank ledgers
• Bank reconciliation
• Cheque printing
• Payment-related workflows
• Banking reports

Cheque printing configuration is associated with the relevant Bank Ledger configuration.

47. Cheque Printing

Cheque printing can be configured bank-wise.

This can help standardise cheque preparation and reduce handwriting errors.

The cheque format and bank configuration should be verified before using it in production.

48. Multiple Company Addresses

Businesses with multiple addresses can enable:

F11 → Show more features → Enable multiple addresses → Yes

This allows different company addresses to be maintained and used as required for invoicing.

Tally also supports multiple party addresses after the relevant functionality is enabled.

49. Mark Modified Vouchers

For better audit control, TallyPrime provides:

Mark modified vouchers

This helps identify vouchers that were altered after creation and can assist in reviewing changes made by users.

This is particularly useful in multi-user environments.

50. Security and User Rights

TallyPrime can be configured so that different users have different access rights.

For example:

Accountant

Allowed:

• Sales
• Purchase
• Receipt
• Payment
• Journal

Restricted:

• Sensitive management reports
• Company configuration
• Security administration

Data Entry Operator

Allowed:

• Voucher entry

Restricted:

• Reports
• Alteration/deletion depending on configuration
• Company settings

Administrator

Full access.

Proper user-right configuration is extremely important when TallyPrime is used by multiple employees.

51. Edit Log / Audit Trail

Businesses requiring stronger auditability can use the applicable Edit Log capabilities/version of TallyPrime.

An audit trail can help identify:

• Who created a transaction
• What was modified
• When modifications occurred
• Transaction history

This is particularly important for organisations subject to statutory audit-trail requirements.

52. Data Import into TallyPrime

TallyPrime's import capability has become significantly more flexible.

As of current TallyPrime documentation, data can be imported from formats including:

• Excel
• XML
• JSON

TallyPrime Release 4.0 and later supports Excel import, while Release 7.0 added JSON import alongside Excel and XML.

This can be extremely useful for:

• Migrating from another accounting system
• Bulk master creation
• Bulk transaction import
• Software integration
• Data conversion projects

53. Import from Excel

Modern TallyPrime releases can import data from Excel.

This is especially valuable because businesses often maintain information in spreadsheets.

TallyPrime supports mapping the user's Excel structure with Tally fields using mapping templates.

Therefore, organisations may not always need to manually re-enter thousands of records.

54. XML Import

XML remains an important data-exchange format for Tally integration.

It is widely used for:

• Custom software integration
• ERP migration
• Voucher import
• Master import
• Tally connectivity solutions

55. JSON Import

TallyPrime Release 7.0 introduced JSON import support in addition to Excel and XML.

This is particularly useful for modern software developers because JSON is widely used by:

• APIs
• Web applications
• Cloud applications
• Middleware
• Integration tools

56. Import Exception Handling

TallyPrime provides several useful controls for importing data, including options relating to:

• Stop at first exception
• Record exceptions and continue
• Ignore exceptions
• Voucher overwrite behaviour
• Invalid character handling
• Import batch size
• Detailed logging

These can be configured through:

Alt+O → Import → Configuration

For large migrations, the Exceptions Report and detailed logs can be extremely valuable.

57. Export Data from TallyPrime

TallyPrime can export much more than invoices.

Current versions support export of various data, reports and transactions to formats including:

• TXT
• Excel
• HTML
• JPEG
• PDF
• XML
• JSON

This is useful for reporting, integrations, data analysis, archiving and sharing information with auditors or management.

58. International Import/Export Business vs Data Import/Export

The phrase Import/Export in TallyPrime can mean two completely different things.

Meaning 1 – Data Import/Export

Importing or exporting:

• Masters
• Transactions
• Excel
• XML
• JSON
• Reports

Meaning 2 – International Trading

Accounting for:

• Imported goods
• Export sales
• Overseas customers
• Overseas suppliers
• Foreign currencies
• Applicable GST/tax treatment
• Freight
• Insurance
• Duties and landing costs

These two concepts should not be confused.

TallyPrime does not need a single button called "Enable Import Export Business" for a company to account for international trade. Instead, the appropriate accounting, inventory, taxation and currency features are configured according to the transaction.

59. Foreign Currency for Export/Import Businesses

An exporter may maintain:

Customer: ABC Inc., USA

Invoice:

USD 10,000

while the company's books remain in INR.

Similarly, import purchases can involve foreign suppliers and foreign currencies.

Currency masters can therefore be an important part of an import/export company's Tally configuration.

60. Landing Cost and Additional Costs

Imported or manufactured products frequently involve additional expenses such as:

• Freight
• Insurance
• Customs-related charges
• Clearing charges
• Transportation
• Handling
• Other direct costs

Correct ledger and inventory configuration can help businesses determine a more realistic landed or production cost.

61. Voucher Types

Businesses do not have to restrict themselves to only the standard voucher names.

Voucher types can be configured or created according to business processes.

For example:

• Local Sales
• Export Sales
• Retail Sales
• Service Sales
• Cash Purchase
• Credit Purchase
• Manufacturing
• Material Transfer

However, excessive voucher-type creation should be avoided unless it improves reporting or operational control.

62. Voucher Numbering

Voucher numbering can also be configured according to business requirements.

Depending on the voucher type and configuration, numbering can be designed around the organisation's documentation requirements.

Businesses should plan numbering carefully before entering large volumes of transactions.

63. Physical Stock Voucher

A Physical Stock voucher can help reconcile actual physical inventory with book stock.

For example:

Tally quantity: 100 Nos

Physical count: 97 Nos

The physical-stock process helps bring records in line with actual stock after proper verification.

64. Stock Journal

Stock Journal is not limited to manufacturing.

It can also be useful for inventory movements and stock adjustments depending on the business workflow.

For manufacturing, the same voucher can operate in Manufacturing Journal mode.

65. Remote Access and Synchronisation

Depending on licensing, TSS status, security and configuration, TallyPrime provides functionality relating to:

• Remote access
• Synchronisation between locations
• Reports in Browser

Tally's Company Features documentation lists these under Tally.NET/TSS-related services.

These should be configured carefully, especially where company data is remotely accessible.

66. Reports in Browser

Reports in Browser can allow authorised users to access selected business reports from another device.

This can be useful for owners and management who need reporting access without performing voucher entry.

67. Go To – Alt+G

One of the fastest ways to discover features in TallyPrime is:

Alt+G – Go To

Instead of navigating through multiple menus, type what you need.

Examples:

• Stock Journal
• Attendance Sheet
• Trial Balance
• Cost Centre
• Currency
• Stock Summary
• Sales Register
• Purchase Register

Many users overlook this powerful navigation/search mechanism.

68. Chart of Accounts and Multi-Masters

TallyPrime can create or alter multiple masters from tabular screens.

For example, current Tally documentation provides:

Gateway of Tally → Chart of Accounts → Ctrl+H (Multi-Masters) → Alter

for mass alteration of Debtor/Creditor information.

This can be much faster than opening hundreds of ledgers individually.

69. Features That May Be Hidden Until "Show More" Is Enabled

Typical examples include:

• Cost Centres
• Interest Calculation
• Payroll
• Payroll Statutory
• Multiple Addresses
• Price Levels
• Batches
• Expiry tracking
• Discount column
• Actual/Billed Quantity
• TCS

Some more advanced options require Show all features.

Examples can include:

• Job Order Processing
• Cost Tracking

The exact screen can vary with release, country, enabled modules and current configuration.

70. Features That Are Not Necessarily in F11

A very important lesson for TallyPrime users is:

Not every feature has an F11 switch.

Some features are:

• Available by default
• Activated automatically when first used
• Configured inside a master
• Controlled through F12
• Accessed through Change Mode
• Created as masters
• Controlled by voucher configuration

Examples include:

• Currency
• Budgets
• Scenarios
• Optional Vouchers
• Reversing Journal
• Manufacturing Journal mode
• BOM configuration

This explains why users sometimes cannot find an old Tally.ERP 9 setting in TallyPrime.

Recommended Feature Configuration by Business Type

Trading Company

Consider enabling/configuring:

• GST
• Bill-wise details
• Inventory
• Multiple Godowns
• Batches if applicable
• Price Levels
• Price Lists
• Discount column
• Sales Orders
• Purchase Orders
• Delivery Notes
• Receipt Notes
• Reorder planning
• TDS/TCS if applicable

Manufacturing Company

Consider:

• Inventory
• BOM
• Multiple BOM
• Manufacturing Journal
• Stock Journal
• Raw materials
• Finished goods
• Godowns
• Job Work
• Cost Centres
• Cost Tracking
• Batch tracking
• Reorder planning
• GST
• Payroll

Service Company

Consider:

• GST
• Bill-wise details
• Cost Centres
• Job Costing
• Interest calculation
• TDS
• Payroll
• Budgets
• User security

Contractor / Project-Based Business

Consider:

• Cost Centres
• Cost Categories
• Job Costing
• Budgets
• Purchase Orders
• Inventory
• Payroll
• TDS
• GST

Import / Export Business

Consider:

• GST
• Foreign currencies
• Bill-wise accounting
• Inventory
• Purchase/Sales Orders
• Multiple Godowns
• Cost tracking
• Additional/landing costs
• TDS/TCS where applicable
• Appropriate export/import invoice and tax configuration

Tax treatment should always be configured according to current legal and GST requirements.

Retail / Wholesale Business

Consider:

• GST
• Inventory
• Multiple Price Levels
• Price Lists
• Discount column
• Batches
• Expiry dates where applicable
• Godowns
• Reorder planning
• Bill-wise accounting
• Sales Orders where applicable

Company with Employees

Consider:

• Payroll
• Employee Groups
• Employee Categories
• Attendance
• Leave-related attendance types
• Overtime
• Production Types
• Payroll Statutory
• PF/ESI/NPS/PT/Income Tax as applicable

Important: Do Not Enable Every Feature Just Because It Exists

A common mistake is to open F11 and enable everything.

That is not recommended.

Every additional feature may:

• Add fields to masters
• Add fields to vouchers
• Increase complexity
• Require additional configuration
• Confuse data-entry users
• Affect reports
• Change inventory/accounting behaviour

Enable features according to actual business requirements.

A small service company may not need:

• Manufacturing
• BOM
• Batches
• Job Work
• Multiple Price Levels

Similarly, a manufacturing business should not ignore BOM, inventory and manufacturing features simply because basic accounting already works.

Recommended Procedure Before Enabling Advanced Features

Before making major configuration changes in a live company:

1. Take a complete backup.
2. Note the existing F11 settings.
3. Identify the exact business requirement.
4. Enable only the required feature.
5. Configure the necessary masters.
6. Enter sample transactions.
7. Verify accounting reports.
8. Verify inventory reports.
9. Verify GST/statutory impact.
10. Train users before using the feature in production.

For major changes such as inventory integration, manufacturing, payroll, GST configuration or data imports, testing in a backup/test company is strongly recommended.

Quick Feature Checklist

Feature	Typical Location/Method	Normally Needed By
Accounting	Default/F11	Almost everyone
Bill-wise Entry	F11	Credit businesses
Cost Centres	F11 → Show more	Departments/projects
Interest Calculation	F11 → Show more	Credit/finance
Inventory	F11	Trading/manufacturing
Price Levels	F11 → Show more	Retail/wholesale
Batches	F11 → Show more	Pharma/FMCG
Expiry Dates	F11 → Show more	Perishable goods
Discount Column	F11 → Show more	Trading
Actual/Billed Qty	F11 → Show more	Trading/distribution
Job Order Processing	F11 → Show all	Job workers
Cost Tracking	F11 → Show all	Manufacturing/projects
GST	F11	GST-registered businesses
TDS	F11	Applicable businesses
TCS	F11 → Show more	Applicable businesses
Payroll	F11 → Show more	Employers
Payroll Statutory	F11 → Show more	Indian payroll
Multiple Addresses	F11 → Show more	Multi-location business
BOM	Stock Item/F12 configuration	Manufacturing
Manufacturing Journal	Stock Journal → Ctrl+H	Manufacturing
Multi-Currency	Currency Master	Import/export
Budget	Create Master	Management
Scenarios	Available functionality	Management
Excel/XML/JSON Import	Alt+O Import	Migration/integration
Data Export	Alt+E Export	Reporting/integration

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

1. Does TallyPrime have hidden features?

Yes, in the practical sense. Many features are not visible in the basic interface until Show more features, Show all features, F12 configuration or an appropriate voucher/master mode is used. They are not secret features; they are advanced or context-sensitive features.

2. How do I display all available F11 options?

Press F11 (Features) and enable Show more features and, where required, Show all features.

3. Is GST enabled automatically?

No. GST can be enabled from F11 → Enable Goods and Services Tax (GST).

4. Does TallyPrime support Payroll?

Yes. Enable Maintain Payroll in F11.

5. Can TallyPrime maintain employee attendance?

Yes. Payroll supports Attendance/Production Types and Attendance vouchers.

6. Can TallyPrime calculate salaries according to attendance?

Yes. Payroll can use attendance information as part of salary processing when configured appropriately.

7. Can TallyPrime handle piece-rate employees?

Yes. Production Types can record quantities produced by employees and can be used in production-based payroll workflows.

8. Is TallyPrime a complete HRMS?

Not necessarily. It provides strong Payroll, employee, attendance and payroll-statutory capabilities, but a dedicated HRMS may provide broader recruitment, appraisal, onboarding and employee self-service functionality.

9. Does TallyPrime support manufacturing?

Yes. TallyPrime supports Stock Journal, Manufacturing Journal and Bill of Materials for manufacturing inventory management.

10. What is BOM?

BOM stands for Bill of Materials. It defines the components and quantities required to manufacture a finished item.

11. Can one product have multiple BOMs?

Yes. TallyPrime supports multiple BOMs where the same finished product can be manufactured using different component combinations.

12. Where is Manufacturing Journal?

Open:

Alt+G → Create Voucher → Alt+F7 Stock Journal → Ctrl+H Change Mode → Use for Manufacturing Journal.

13. Does selling a finished item automatically consume its BOM components?

Normally, no. BOM consumption is associated with recording the manufacturing/assembly process. You generally manufacture the finished item using Manufacturing Journal and then sell the finished item.

14. Can TallyPrime handle Job Work?

Yes. Job Order Processing can be enabled through advanced Company Features.

15. Can TallyPrime track stock batch-wise?

Yes.

16. Can it track expiry dates?

Yes. Expiry tracking can be enabled for batches.

17. Can different customers have different selling prices?

Yes. Multiple Price Levels and Price Lists can be configured.

18. Can TallyPrime manage multiple warehouses?

Yes. Inventory locations/godowns can be maintained for stock tracking.

19. Can TallyPrime maintain foreign currencies?

Yes. Currency masters can be created for foreign-currency transactions.

20. Can TallyPrime be used by import/export businesses?

Yes. Accounting, inventory, GST, currencies, orders and related features can be configured according to the organisation's international trading requirements.

21. Can TallyPrime import Excel data?

Yes, supported releases can import data from Excel.

22. Can TallyPrime import JSON?

Yes. JSON import is supported in Release 7.0.

23. Can TallyPrime import XML?

Yes. XML remains supported for data interchange and integration.

24. Can TallyPrime export to Excel?

Yes.

25. Can it export reports to PDF?

Yes. PDF is among the supported export formats.

26. Can TallyPrime export JSON?

Yes, current versions support JSON export.

27. Can TallyPrime manage departments or projects?

Yes. Cost Centres and related costing functionality can be used.

28. Can I calculate customer interest automatically?

Interest Calculation can be enabled and configured for appropriate ledgers and transactions.

29. Can I maintain budgets in TallyPrime?

Yes. Budget functionality is available.

30. Can I track modifications made by users?

TallyPrime provides modification/audit-related features, and Edit Log editions provide enhanced transaction change tracking.

31. Can I restrict employees to voucher entry only?

TallyPrime security controls can be configured to provide different access levels to different users.

32. Is every TallyPrime feature found under F11?

No. This is one of the most important points. Some features are configured through F12, masters, voucher types, Change Mode, Alt+G or are already available by default.

33. Why can't I find an option shown in an old Tally.ERP 9 tutorial?

TallyPrime reorganised many features. Some old F11 options are now available by default or moved to masters, vouchers or F12 configuration.

34. Should I enable every F11 feature?

No. Enable only those required by the business.

35. Should I take backup before changing features?

Yes, especially before making major changes to a live company.

Conclusion

TallyPrime should not be considered merely a billing + accounting + GST application.

Depending on the business and configuration, it can cover substantial parts of:

Accounting + Inventory + GST + TDS/TCS + Payroll + Employee Attendance + Manufacturing + BOM + Job Work + Job Costing + Cost Centres + Budgets + Order Processing + Batch/Expiry Management + Multi-Currency + Banking + Data Import/Export + Security + Audit Controls + Business Reporting.

The most important places to explore are:

F11 → Company Features

F11 → Show more features

F11 → Show all features

F12 → Configure

Alt+G → Go To

Ctrl+H → Change Mode

and the configuration screens of individual Ledgers, Stock Items, Voucher Types, Cost Centres, Payroll Masters and Reports.

A feature that appears to be "missing" may simply have moved from F11, may already be enabled by default, or may only appear in the context where it is required.

For this reason, before concluding that TallyPrime cannot perform a particular business function, search the feature through Alt+G, inspect F11, inspect F12, and check whether the relevant voucher has another mode under Ctrl+H.

Disclaimer: TallyPrime features, menu locations, statutory functionality and available options can change between releases, editions, countries and configurations. GST, TDS, TCS, payroll, import/export taxation and other statutory settings should be verified with the latest TallyPrime documentation and, where applicable, your Chartered Accountant, tax consultant or other qualified professional before implementation in a live company.

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