A bookkeeping service in Bangladesh records a business's daily financial transactions: sales, purchases, expenses, payroll, bank and mobile financial service movements. It includes maintaining vouchers, ledgers, bank reconciliations and the VAT purchase and sales registers, so that monthly VAT returns, the annual income tax return and the statutory audit can be prepared from complete, reliable records.
A bookkeeping service is the foundation of every tax and accounting obligation. If the daily entries are incomplete, the VAT return, the income tax return and the audited accounts will all be built on guesswork. Many small businesses in Bangladesh keep records in a notebook, a spreadsheet and a WhatsApp folder of receipts, which works until a bank, an auditor or a VAT officer asks for detail.
This page is for proprietors, small companies, startups, online sellers and NGOs that need someone to keep the books every month at a sensible cost. It focuses on the transaction-level work. For interpretation, management reporting and year-end statements, see accounting services; for the combined package, see accounting and bookkeeping.
On this page
What the bookkeeping service includes
- Recording sales, purchases, expenses and receipts from invoices, bills and vouchers
- Bank reconciliation for every account, and reconciliation of bKash, Nagad or other mobile financial service wallets used for business
- Petty cash book and cash count reconciliation
- Customer and supplier ledgers with ageing reports
- Maintaining the Mushak 6.1 purchase and Mushak 6.2 sales registers alongside the general ledger
- Recording payroll and tracking salary TDS and other withholding
- Monthly trial balance and a simple profit and loss summary for the owner
Documents we need from you each month
Bookkeeping is only as good as the source documents. A simple monthly routine is enough for most small businesses:
- Sales invoices issued (Mushak 6.3) and any credit or debit notes
- Supplier bills and invoices, including VAT invoices in your name and BIN
- Bank statements for all business accounts and MFS statements
- Expense receipts and petty cash vouchers, approved by the responsible person
- Payroll sheet and any staff advances
- VDS certificates received from customers (Mushak 6.6) and TDS certificates
Need this done for you?
Message us on WhatsApp with your situation and we will tell you exactly what is needed.
Why bookkeeping matters for VAT and tax
The VAT and SD Act 2012 requires registered businesses to keep records that support every figure in the Mushak 9.1 return, and input tax credit depends on keeping valid invoices. The Income Tax Act 2023 allows the tax authority to disallow expenses that are not properly evidenced, and certain payments must be made through bank transfer to be allowable. Good bookkeeping directly protects input VAT and deductible expenses.
Clean books also help when you need finance. Banks assessing loans look at bank statements against declared turnover, and investors expect a tidy ledger during due diligence.
Common bookkeeping mistakes in small businesses
- Mixing personal and business transactions in the same bank or MFS account
- Recording cash sales only when convenient, leaving gaps that look like undeclared turnover
- Keeping supplier bills without VAT invoices, losing input credit
- Not reconciling the bank, so errors and missing entries go unnoticed for months
- Catching up a whole year's entries just before the tax return or audit
How the process works
- Initial assessmentWe review how you record transactions now, which accounts you use and what software, if any.
- Set up the booksWe create a chart of accounts, opening balances and simple document routines for your team.
- Monthly document collectionYou share invoices, bills and statements through an agreed folder or channel by a fixed date.
- Record and reconcileWe post entries, reconcile bank, MFS and cash, and update customer, supplier and VAT registers.
- Monthly summaryWe send a trial balance, profit and loss summary and a list of missing documents or queries.
Typical timeline: Setting up books for a small business usually takes one to two weeks; catching up past months depends on the volume and condition of records, after which monthly bookkeeping runs on a fixed calendar.
How Tax & VAT Associates helps
- Monthly recording of all sales, purchases and expenses
- Bank, MFS and petty cash reconciliations
- Customer and supplier ledgers with ageing
- Mushak 6.1 and 6.2 registers aligned to your ledger
- Catch-up bookkeeping for missed months or years
- Monthly trial balance ready for accounting, VAT and tax work
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bookkeeping and accounting?
Bookkeeping records individual transactions and keeps ledgers and reconciliations up to date. Accounting uses those records to make adjustments, apply accounting standards and produce financial statements and reports. Most businesses need both; small ones often outsource bookkeeping and get accounting support at month or year end.
Can you keep books for a proprietorship?
Yes. Proprietors are not subject to a Companies Act audit, but they still need records to support VAT returns if registered, the income tax return and bank loan applications. Separating business and personal accounts is the most important first step.
Do I need accounting software?
Not always. Very small businesses can start with a structured spreadsheet. Once transaction volumes grow, or you need VAT registers and multi-user access, a proper accounting package saves time and reduces errors. We can work with your existing tool or suggest one.
Can you catch up books for previous years?
Yes, as long as source documents such as bank statements and invoices are available. Catch-up bookkeeping is common before a first audit, a delayed tax return or a loan application. Where documents are missing, we document assumptions so they can be reviewed.
How do I send documents securely?
We agree a shared cloud folder or another secure channel. Scans or clear photos of bills are usually acceptable for recording, but keep the originals or the official electronic copies, because VAT and tax officers may ask to see them.
Do online sellers need bookkeeping?
Yes. F-commerce and marketplace sellers receive money through MFS, card gateways and courier cash-on-delivery settlements. Reconciling these to orders is essential for accurate income, VAT if registered, and the income tax return.
Ready to get started with Bookkeeping Service?
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Learn more →Last reviewed: . Bangladesh tax and regulatory rules change with each Finance Act, SRO and authority circular. This page is general guidance; confirm current requirements for your case before filing.