Printing Press VAT Billing and Records in Nepal

A printing press in Nepal deals with a mix of customers: a shop that wants a plain receipt, a company that needs a VAT invoice with PAN, a school that orders on credit and a government office that wants a signed challan. Keeping each document consistent is easier when every bill links back to a job. This article explains the record keeping side. It is not tax advice, so confirm your obligations with your accountant and the Inland Revenue Department.

What a VAT invoice normally needs

If your business is VAT registered, VAT at 13% is added to the taxable value of goods and services you supply. Your invoice generally shows your business name, address and PAN or VAT number, the customer details where required, an invoice number and date, a description of the work, quantity, rate, taxable amount, VAT and total. The exact format and billing system you must use depend on your registration and current rules, so check with your accountant.

Software helps by making sure these fields are always present and numbers are never skipped or repeated.

Why job based billing helps

A press often prints before it bills. If the invoice is written later from memory, the quantity or rate may differ from what was agreed. When the invoice is generated from the job order, the figures come from the estimate and the production record. The customer can be shown exactly what was ordered, what was delivered and what is charged.

Advances and final bills

Wedding card and large corporate jobs usually take an advance. Record each advance with its date and mode of payment, then adjust it on the final invoice. This avoids the common muddle where the advance was written in a notebook and then forgotten at billing time.

Serial numbers for bill books and forms

Many presses print bill books, receipts and forms for other businesses with serial number ranges. Mistakes in numbering can cause real trouble for the customer. Record the start and end serial number against the job order, along with the customer's PAN where the form requires it, and keep the sample. When the customer reorders, continue from the last number rather than starting again.

Bikram Sambat dates and fiscal year

Nepali businesses work in the Bikram Sambat calendar, and the fiscal year begins in Shrawan. Invoices, due dates and reports are easier to reconcile when they use BS dates, with the English date available where a customer wants it. Make sure your system lets you filter sales by BS month and by fiscal year, because that is how your accountant will ask for them.

Records worth keeping for every job

• The signed or confirmed estimate
• Proof approval with date
• Paper and material consumed
• Delivery challan and who received it
• Invoice, advances and payments
• Any credit note or discount, with the reason

How long you must keep business records is set by law, so ask your accountant instead of guessing.

Cash, QR and bank payments

Customers now pay by cash, bank transfer and QR. Whatever the mode, record it against the invoice with a reference. Software can be configured to record payments received through your own bank or wallet accounts, but any direct integration with a payment provider is a separate discussion and not something to assume.

Discounts, credit notes and returns

Presses often give a discount to a regular customer or accept a return when a job has a printing fault. Each of these changes the money, so each should leave a record. A discount should appear on the invoice as a visible line rather than a quietly lowered rate. A return or a fault credit should be recorded as a separate credit note that refers to the original invoice number and states the reason. This is far easier to explain to an accountant, and to a customer, than an invoice that has been crossed out and rewritten.

The exact documents required for such adjustments follow the rules for your registration, so ask your accountant which format to use. The point for the press is to keep the trail: original invoice, reason, adjustment and approval by a named person.

Customers who pay in instalments

Schools, offices and event organisers often pay in two or three parts. Link each part to the same invoice and show the running balance. When a customer says they paid last month, you can answer with the date, the amount and the mode of payment rather than searching for a slip. For cheques, record the cheque number and the bank and mark the entry cleared only after the amount reaches your account.

A short routine for monthly tidiness

1. List unpaid invoices and follow up.
2. Check the invoice number sequence for gaps.
3. Reconcile payments with the bank statement.
4. Check paper stock against the physical count.
5. Send the month's sales and VAT summary to your accountant.

Our printing press software keeps jobs, invoices and ledgers together so this routine takes minutes, and our VAT billing software page explains the billing side in more detail. Message us on WhatsApp at +977 9846280400 to see how it would look for your press.

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