Accounting Software in Pakistan: What It Must Do, Types Compared and How to Choose
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Accounting software in Pakistan has to do more than add up sales: it must issue proper invoices, keep customer and supplier ledgers, hold sales tax and withholding records in rupees, and give your accountant reports they can work from.
This guide is for owners and accountants of small and mid-sized businesses moving off Excel or paper registers. It describes types of software rather than brands, so you can judge any product you are shown.
What accounting software in Pakistan must handle
- Sales and purchase invoices with the other party’s NTN or sales tax registration number, quantities and the tax charged.
- Chart of accounts and ledgers in double entry, so every sale, payment and expense lands in the right account.
- Receivables and payables: who owes you, whom you owe, and for how long.
- Expenses by category and branch, with the bill attached.
- Bank and cash: a cash book, and bank reconciliation that matches your entries to the bank statement.
- Sales tax records: output and input tax per invoice, summarised for each return.
- Withholding records: tax you deduct from suppliers and tax deducted from you, so certificates and statements agree.
- PKR first, with foreign currency for importers and exporters.
- Branches and users: results per branch, user rights and an audit trail of edits.
- Reports your accountant needs: trial balance, profit and loss, balance sheet, ledgers, ageing and tax summaries, exportable to Excel.
If your business has to issue FBR digital invoices, see how our FBR POS integration service works.
What FBR expects your records to show
If you are registered for sales tax, section 22 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 (as amended up to 30 June 2026) requires records from which your tax liability can be readily worked out, including:
- supplies made and goods purchased, with description, quantity, value, the other party’s name and address, the supplier’s registration number and the tax;
- double entry sales tax accounts;
- invoices, credit and debit notes, bank statements, inventory records and the cash book;
- electronic versions of these records.
Section 24 says to keep them for six years after the end of the tax period, or longer while a case is pending. Sales tax registered persons must also issue electronic invoices from software integrated with FBR through a licensed integrator or PRAL (SRO 709(I)/2025, replaced by the phased schedule in SRO 1413(I)/2025; check FBR for the latest dates). See FBR digital invoicing integration.
Sales tax and withholding rates change with Finance Acts, so take them from FBR’s current notifications or your tax adviser, and choose software where you can change a rate yourself.
Sources: Sales Tax Act, 1990, amended up to 30 June 2026; SRO 709(I)/2025; SRO 1413(I)/2025. Checked 4 October 2026. Not tax advice.
Types of accounting software in Pakistan compared
Any accounting software list changes every year, but almost every product falls into one of these types:
- Desktop accounting: installed on a PC or office network, often a one-time licence plus yearly support. Works offline; backups and remote access are your job.
- International cloud accounting: subscription tools in the browser, built mainly for other countries’ tax rules. Strong on bookkeeping; Pakistani tax formats may be missing.
- Accounting inside an ERP or POS: sales, stock, purchases and accounts in one system, so every bill posts to the ledger automatically.
- Spreadsheets: where most businesses start. Free and flexible, with no audit trail.
| Type | Who it suits | Typical limits | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet | Very small businesses with few transactions | Formulas break silently; no audit trail or user rights | Can you produce a trial balance in an hour? |
| Desktop accounting | One office with an in-house accountant | One location, manual backups, hard to use from home | Local support, backup routine, cost of extra users |
| International cloud tool | Service firms and exporters | Pakistani sales tax, withholding and FBR e-invoicing may be missing | Local tax reports, FBR integration, how you pay |
| ERP or POS with accounting | Traders, retailers, distributors and manufacturers with stock or branches | More setup; needs clean item and customer data | Modules included, data migration, training, support hours |
| Custom-built | Businesses with unusual processes | Build time and cost; depends on the developer | Who owns the code and data, maintenance terms |
Free accounting software: what you really get
- Free plans of paid tools usually cap invoices, users or features, and keep tax reports and extra users for paid tiers.
- Open-source desktop tools are free to licence, but someone has to install, configure and support them.
- Spreadsheets cost nothing, but one wrong formula can carry through a year of figures.
- Cracked copies of paid software bring no updates, no support, a risk of data loss and malware.
Free is fine for learning or a one-person business. Once you have staff, credit customers or sales tax registration, supported software usually costs less than fixing a year of wrong ledgers.
Popular accounting software in Pakistan: published prices
These are the tools Pakistani businesses ask us about most. Prices are what each vendor shows on its own website, checked on 12 November 2026. USD prices move with the exchange rate and most are charged per organisation or per user, so confirm on the vendor’s page and work out your own three year total.
| Software | Type | Published price | Free option | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HysabOne | Pakistani cloud accounts, inventory and POS | Accounts from PKR 3,499 per month; Standard with inventory from PKR 7,000 per month | None shown on the pricing page | hysabone.com |
| Splendid Accounts | Pakistani cloud accounting and inventory | Basic USD 13, Standard USD 18, Premium USD 22 per month; extra user USD 13 per month | 14 day free trial | splendidaccounts.com |
| Zoho Books | International cloud accounting | Standard USD 12 per organisation per month (USD 10 billed yearly) on the global page | Free plan: 1 user, up to 1,000 invoices a year | zoho.com |
| QuickBooks Online | International cloud accounting (US) | Simple Start USD 38 per month on the US pricing page | Check the vendor | quickbooks.intuit.com |
| Odoo | Open source ERP with accounting | Paid plans priced per user per month in USD | One app free, unlimited users | odoo.com |
| Ezitech EziERP | Accounting with POS and inventory, set up for your business | Written quote after a free demo | Free demo | See below |
How to read this table: the cheapest monthly figure is rarely the cheapest system. Add extra users and branches, setup and data import, training and support, and check whether the tool keeps the sales tax and withholding records your accountant needs in Pakistan. A tool built for another country may need extra spreadsheet work every month.
How to choose accounting software in Pakistan
- Ask your accountant which reports and formats they need, and test against that list.
- Check sales tax and withholding: fields on invoices, rates you can change, summaries for returns.
- If you are sales tax registered, confirm FBR digital invoicing integration.
- Check branch reports, user rights and the audit trail.
- Try bank reconciliation with a real statement from your bank.
- Ask how opening balances and customer and supplier balances move in from Excel.
- Confirm you can export all your data at any time.
- Compare a full year’s cost, including setup, training and support.
Moving off Excel in four weeks
- Week 1: agree the chart of accounts with your accountant and enter opening balances from a closed month.
- Week 2: load customers, suppliers and items with balances; set user rights.
- Week 3: run the software alongside Excel for every transaction.
- Week 4: reconcile cash and bank, compare the trial balance with Excel, then retire the old file.
Ezitech’s option: EziERP accounting
Ezitech Software House (Rawalpindi, founded 2015, PSEB registered) builds EziERPwhich has an accounting module covering invoices, ledgers, expenses and reports. A standalone EziERP is quoted by scope, because modules, users and data migration differ for each business; see ERP software price in Pakistan and what an ERP really costs.
Ezitech’s ready ERP with full accounting comes as a monthly plan per branch, priced by the modules you switch on, and you can see it in a free demo.see all published prices). The accounting module includes:
- chart of accounts, journal entries, ledgers, trial balance, profit and loss and balance sheet;
- sales, purchases, stock and expenses posting into the accounts;
- a staff and salary ledger;
- a cash book and payment accounts.
A shop that only needs bills and khata should start with billing software instead. In the demo, bring your own invoices and ask how EziERP records your sales tax and withholding entries.
Accounting software questions
What are the most used accounting software in Pakistan?
Common choices are Pakistani cloud tools such as HysabOne and Splendid Accounts, international tools such as Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online and Odoo, desktop software, and accounting inside an ERP or POS. Compare them on Pakistani tax records, local support and the three year cost, not the monthly price alone.
Which accounting software is best for small business in Pakistan?
There is no single best. A business with stock or branches is usually better served by accounting inside an ERP or POS; a service business may manage with a desktop or cloud tool that handles Pakistani sales tax and withholding records.
Is there any free accounting software in Pakistan?
Yes: free plans of paid tools, open-source desktop software and spreadsheets. They suit a one-person business; limits on users, tax reports and support appear as you grow.
Can I use international accounting software in Pakistan?
Yes for bookkeeping, but check PKR support, Pakistani sales tax and withholding reports, FBR e-invoicing and how you pay the subscription.
Does accounting software need FBR integration?
If you are registered for sales tax, FBR requires electronic invoices from software integrated through a licensed integrator or PRAL. Check the current FBR notification or ask your tax adviser.
How long should I keep accounting records in Pakistan?
For sales tax, section 24 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 says six years after the end of the tax period, or longer while a case is pending. Ask your tax adviser about income tax records.
What does EziERP cost?
A standalone EziERP is quoted by scope. Ready ERP with full accounting comes as a monthly plan per branch, priced by modules, and a custom ERP is quoted in writing after a free consultation.
Related guides
EziERP software
Modules, including accounting.
ERP software price in Pakistan
What drives ERP quotes.
Best ERP software in Pakistan
How to compare ERP systems.
What an ERP really costs
Licence, setup, training and running costs.
FBR digital invoicing integration
Connecting invoicing software to FBR.
AI automation for accounting firms
Where automation saves accountants time.
See EziERP accounting with your own numbers
Ask for a demo and bring a month of your invoices and expenses to test it. WhatsApp +92 345 5555396 or email info@ezitech.org, Mon to Sat, 10:00 to 18:00.
