Company Setup
The first time you log in, MGH Books asks a few friendly questions about your business in a short 3-step wizard called "Set Up Your Business". Two minutes here saves you from re-typing the same details on every invoice forever — and it quietly powers your GST. Let's walk through it together.
Read this first — why these questions matter
Everything you enter here is saved as your company profile and reused automatically. Three reasons it's worth getting right:
- It's your letterhead. Your business name, address, GSTIN and owner appear on every invoice, bill and report header — entered once, shown everywhere.
- It sets your tax behaviour. Your state (and GSTIN) decide whether a sale is taxed as CGST+SGST (same state) or IGST (other state). Get the state right and GST "just works".
- It tailors the app to your trade. Choosing your business type sets sensible defaults for a shop vs a factory vs a service firm.
And don't worry — nothing here is permanent. Every field can be changed later in Settings.
- Only two fields are required: Business Name and Owner/Proprietor Name. You can skip the rest for now.
- GSTIN is optional. Not registered? Leave it blank — MGH Books works fully without GST. If you do enter one, it must be a valid 15-character GSTIN or the app will ask you to fix it.
- Bank & UPI details are optional — there's a Skip button. They only decide whether payment details print on your invoices.
- You can edit everything later in Settings, including switching your business type.
Before you start
- You've created your account and logged in (the wizard appears automatically right after).
- Your GSTIN handy, if you're GST-registered (optional).
- Your bank/UPI details, if you want them on invoices (optional — you can Skip).
Good news: the wizard pre-fills your business name, owner name, phone and email from sign-up, so often you're just confirming.
Step 1 — Business Info
| Field | What to enter | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | Your shop/firm name, e.g. Shree Enterprises — becomes your workspace name and invoice header | ✅ Yes |
| Owner / Proprietor Name | e.g. Ramesh Patel — used as the signatory on documents | ✅ Yes |
| Phone | 10-digit mobile | Optional |
| What kind of business? | Pick one of four types (below) | Optional |
The four business types and exactly who they suit:
| Type | Best for |
|---|---|
| 🏪 Retail / Shop | Kirana, medical, electronics, garments |
| 🏭 Manufacturing | Factory, workshop, food processing, pharma |
| 💼 Professional | CA, doctor, IT agency, contractor, freelancer |
| 📦 Trading / Other | Wholesale, export/import, e-commerce |
Tap Next: GST & Location →.
help-shots/cs-01-business-info.pngStep 2 — GST & Location
| Field | What to enter / what it does |
|---|---|
| GSTIN (optional) | Your 15-character GST number, or blank if unregistered. Enter it and your state auto-fills from the first two digits. |
| State | Your state of registration — this sets the GST state code behind the scenes (decides CGST+SGST vs IGST). |
| City | e.g. Ahmedabad |
| Address | Shop/office address shown on invoices |
GST is destination-based. A sale to a customer in your state attracts CGST + SGST; a sale to another state attracts IGST. Your company's state is the reference point for this split — so set it correctly and invoices tax themselves right.
help-shots/cs-02-gst-location.pngStep 3 — Bank Details (optional)
These print on your invoices so customers know exactly where to pay:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Bank Name | e.g. HDFC Bank |
| Account Number | Your business account number |
| IFSC Code | 11-character branch code, e.g. HDFC0001234 |
| UPI ID (optional) | e.g. yourname@upi — also powers the UPI payment link/QR on invoices |
Then either Skip (finish without bank details) or tap Finish Setup ✓.
help-shots/cs-03-bank.pngDone — welcome in
On finishing you'll see "Welcome to MGH Books! Your profile is set up." and land on your Dashboard. The wizard only runs once; to change anything later, open Settings.
help-shots/cs-04-welcome.pngReal situations (and what to enter)
📖 A GST-registered trader (Gujarat)
Mehul has a GSTIN. He pastes it in Step 2; the state auto-fills to Gujarat. Now every local sale shows CGST+SGST and every out-of-state sale shows IGST — automatically. He adds his HDFC account so customers can pay by NEFT/UPI.
📖 A small unregistered shop
Sita's tea-and-snacks shop isn't GST-registered. She leaves GSTIN blank, picks Retail / Shop, sets her state, and skips bank details. She's billing customers within minutes — no GST needed.
📖 A freelance consultant
Arjun chooses Professional, enters his GSTIN (services), adds his UPI ID so clients can pay instantly from the invoice, and finishes. His app now leans toward service-style billing.
Words you'll see, in plain language
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| GSTIN | Your 15-character GST Identification Number. The first 2 digits are your state code. |
| State code | A 2-digit number for your state (e.g. 24 = Gujarat, 27 = Maharashtra) that GST uses to decide the tax type. |
| Place of supply | Where a sale is treated as "supplied" — it decides CGST+SGST vs IGST on each invoice. |
| Signatory | The owner/authorised person whose name appears on documents. |
| IFSC | An 11-character code identifying your bank branch for transfers. |
| UPI ID | Your name@bank handle for instant payments (and QR on invoices). |
Troubleshooting
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Invalid GSTIN format. Leave blank if not registered." | The GSTIN isn't a valid 15-character pattern | Re-check each character, or leave it blank if you're not registered |
| State looks wrong after typing GSTIN | GSTIN's first two digits don't match your intended state | Verify the GSTIN; correct the State dropdown if needed |
| I skipped bank details by mistake | You tapped Skip on Step 3 | Add them anytime in Settings — they'll then show on new invoices |
| The setup wizard didn't appear | You've already completed setup (it runs once) | Edit your profile in Settings instead |
Best practices
- Spell your business name exactly as you want it on invoices.
- Double-check the auto-filled state against your GSTIN.
- Add a UPI ID — it puts a one-tap payment option on every invoice.
- If unsure about GST registration, leave GSTIN blank now; add it later when you register.
FAQ
I'm not registered for GST — can I still use MGH Books?
Yes. Leave GSTIN blank. You can bill, track parties, manage stock and see reports. Add a GSTIN in Settings whenever you register.
I skipped bank details — how do I add them?
Open Settings and update your company profile; the bank/UPI details then appear on new invoices.
Can I change my business type later?
Yes, in Settings. The type only tailors defaults — it never locks you out of anything.
Can I run more than one business?
Higher plans support multiple companies (Unnati up to 3, Shakti up to 30), each with its own profile like this. See Plans & Billing.
- Invoices & reports → name, address, GSTIN and owner on every header.
- GST → your state + GSTIN decide CGST/SGST vs IGST.
- Payments → bank & UPI print on invoices; UPI powers links/QR.
- Next → your Dashboard and day-to-day work.
📸 Screenshot capture checklist
Drop each PNG into help-shots/ with the exact filename and it appears automatically.
| # | Screen to capture | Save as |
|---|---|---|
| CS-01 | Step 1 — Business Info + business-type tiles | help-shots/cs-01-business-info.png |
| CS-02 | Step 2 — GST & Location | help-shots/cs-02-gst-location.png |
| CS-03 | Step 3 — Bank Details (Skip / Finish) | help-shots/cs-03-bank.png |
| CS-04 | Welcome toast / Dashboard after finish | help-shots/cs-04-welcome.png |
Tip: use a sample business name/GSTIN in screenshots, not your real registration details.