Talk to a CA

Talk to a CA: complete guide

Introduction

A Chartered Accountant, or CA, is a qualified finance and tax professional who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. CAs advise on income tax, GST, accounting, audit, business structuring, financial planning and regulatory compliance. For individuals, a CA can help with tax planning, capital gains, notices from the tax department and questions about investments or property sales. For businesses, a CA can help with accounting systems, GST, TDS, payroll, audit readiness, funding documentation and day-to-day financial decisions.

Many people put off speaking to a CA because they are not sure whether their question is "big enough", or because they do not know whom to approach. As a result, small questions turn into expensive mistakes: a missed deduction, a late filing, a GST mismatch, or a tax notice that could have been avoided. A short, focused consultation often saves far more than it costs.

Our Talk to a CA service gives you a one-on-one consultation with a qualified Chartered Accountant by phone or video call. You share your question and relevant documents in advance, the CA reviews them, and during the call you get clear, practical answers along with the next steps. If your matter needs ongoing work, such as filing returns or replying to a notice, the CA explains what is involved so you can decide how you want to proceed.

This page explains who should book a CA consultation, the kinds of questions we cover, how the consultation works, what to prepare, timelines, our fee and what happens after the call.

Who Needs It

A CA consultation is useful for:

• Salaried individuals who want to choose between the old and new tax regimes, plan deductions, understand their tax on bonuses or ESOPs, or deal with a mismatch in their tax statements.
• Investors who have capital gains from shares, mutual funds, property or other assets, and want to understand the tax impact and the exemptions available.
• NRIs and returning Indians who need advice on residential status, taxation of Indian income, repatriation and double tax relief.
• Freelancers and professionals who want to understand presumptive taxation, advance tax, GST applicability and expense claims.
• Small business owners who need help with accounting, GST, TDS, payroll or choosing the right business structure.
• Startups planning fundraising, ESOPs, valuations or tax holidays.
• Anyone who has received a tax notice from the income tax or GST department and wants to understand what it means and how to respond.
• People buying or selling property who need guidance on TDS, capital gains and reinvestment exemptions.
• Families planning succession, gifts or inheritance, who want to understand the tax impact.

Typical questions our CAs answer include: whether income from a side business needs to be shown in the return and how; how to treat interest from fixed deposits and savings accounts; how to calculate tax on rent from a let-out property; whether gifts received from relatives are taxable; what happens to tax when an employee leaves one job and joins another mid-year; how to pay advance tax and avoid interest; whether a business should register under GST voluntarily; how to treat foreign income and foreign assets in an Indian return; and how a startup should account for money received from investors. If your question is not on this list, you can still book a call. The CA will tell you plainly if a different professional is better placed to help.

Key Benefits

• Direct access to a qualified professional. You speak to a Chartered Accountant, not a call centre agent.
• Clear answers to specific questions. The consultation is focused on your situation, not general information.
• Advance review of documents. The CA reviews your documents before the call, so the time is spent on answers rather than background.
• Practical next steps. You leave the call knowing what to do, what to avoid and what deadlines apply.
• Avoiding costly mistakes. Getting advice before you act, such as before selling an asset or filing a return, can prevent penalties and missed savings.
• Confidentiality. Your information is handled in confidence and used only for your consultation.
• Flexibility. Consultations are available by phone or video, so you can speak to a CA from anywhere.
• No obligation. You are not required to buy any further service after the consultation.

Why a short consultation is often enough. Most tax and finance questions are not complicated once the facts are clear. What makes them feel difficult is the number of rules, exceptions and deadlines involved, and the fear of getting something wrong. A Chartered Accountant who deals with these rules every day can usually look at your documents, identify the provisions that apply and tell you what to do in a single focused session. For example, a person selling a flat may want to know how capital gains are calculated, whether indexation or a lower rate applies under the current law, what exemptions are available for reinvestment and how much TDS the buyer must deduct. A business owner may want to know whether a supplier's GST credit can be claimed, why a mismatch is showing in their returns, or whether a contractor's payment attracts TDS. These questions have clear answers once the facts are known, and the cost of getting them wrong is far higher than the cost of asking.

When you may need more than a call. Some matters, such as a detailed tax audit, a scrutiny assessment, a business restructuring or a valuation, need more time and detailed work. In these cases, the consultation helps you understand the scope of the work, the likely timeline and the documents required, so you can make an informed decision about the next step.

Eligibility and Legal Requirements

There are no eligibility requirements to book a consultation. Anyone with a question about tax, accounting, finance or compliance can book a call. A few points are worth knowing:

• Scope of the consultation. The consultation covers advice and guidance on the questions you share. Filing returns, preparing accounts, drafting replies to notices or representing you before authorities are separate services, which the CA can explain during the call.
• Accuracy depends on information. The advice is based on the information and documents you provide. Incomplete or incorrect information can lead to incomplete advice, so please share the full picture.
• Laws change. Tax laws, rates and procedures change frequently through budgets, notifications and circulars. The CA advises based on the law as it stands on the date of the consultation.
• Professional standards. CAs are bound by the code of ethics of their professional institute, including confidentiality and independence.
• No representation of outcomes. A consultation gives you an informed professional view. Final outcomes in assessments or disputes depend on the authorities and the facts of each case.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Book the consultation. Choose the Talk to a CA service and complete the booking with your name, contact details and preferred time.
2. Share your question. Describe your question or situation in a few lines. The more specific you are, the more focused the consultation will be.
3. Upload relevant documents. Upload documents related to your question, such as your tax statements, notices, financial statements or transaction details.
4. Assignment to a CA. We assign a Chartered Accountant with experience in your area, such as personal tax, business tax, GST or NRI taxation.
5. Pre-call review. The CA reviews your question and documents before the call. If any key information is missing, we contact you in advance.
6. Confirmation. We confirm the date, time and mode of the call, whether phone or video.
7. The consultation. During the call, the CA discusses your situation, answers your questions, explains the relevant law in plain language and outlines your options.
8. Next steps. The CA explains the practical steps you should take, important deadlines, and any documents or filings needed.
9. Summary. Where appropriate, we share a short summary of the key points discussed.
10. Follow-on services. If you need further work, such as filing, accounting or a notice reply, we share the details so you can decide whether to proceed.

Documents Checklist

The documents you need depend on your question. Commonly useful documents include:

For personal tax questions:

• PAN and basic personal details
• Salary slips or Form 16
• Annual information statement and tax credit statement
• Previous income tax returns
• Investment and deduction proofs
• Capital gains statements from brokers or fund houses
• Property purchase or sale documents

For business questions:

• Business registration details, such as GST, Udyam or incorporation certificate
• Recent financial statements or management accounts
• GST returns and reconciliations
• TDS returns and challans
• Bank statements for the relevant period

For notices:

• A copy of the notice
• The return or filing to which the notice relates
• Any earlier correspondence with the department

For NRI questions:

• Passport details and travel dates for the relevant years
• Details of Indian income and accounts
• Overseas tax residency certificate, if available

How Long It Takes

• Booking and assignment: usually within one working day of booking.
• Pre-call review: completed before the scheduled call, typically within one to two working days, depending on the documents shared.
• Consultation call: the call itself is a focused session, usually around 30 minutes, depending on your question.
• Summary, where provided: shared shortly after the call.

If your matter is urgent, such as a notice with a close deadline, please mention this when booking, and we will try to schedule the call as early as possible.

Pricing

Our fee for Talk to a CA is ₹ 999.

This covers:

• A one-on-one consultation with a Chartered Accountant by phone or video
• Review of your question and documents before the call
• Clear answers and an explanation of your options
• Practical next steps and key deadlines
• A short summary of key points, where appropriate

Filing returns, preparing accounts, drafting replies to notices and other services are quoted separately if you choose to proceed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting until the last day. Many tax questions are time-sensitive. Seeking advice close to a deadline leaves less room for planning.
• Acting first, asking later. Selling property, withdrawing funds or restructuring a business without advice can create tax liabilities that are hard to undo.
• Sharing incomplete information. Leaving out income sources, foreign assets or past filings can lead to advice that does not fit your actual situation.
• Ignoring notices. Tax notices have strict response deadlines. Ignoring them can lead to penalties or assessments based only on the department's view.
• Relying on informal advice. Advice from friends or forums may not apply to your facts and may be outdated.
• Not keeping records. Good records make advice more accurate and responses to authorities much easier.

What Happens After

After the consultation, you will know:

• What your tax or compliance position is.
• What options are available and the trade-offs between them.
• What steps you need to take and by when.

You can then:

• Act on the advice yourself, if the steps are simple.
• Engage us for follow-on work, such as income tax return filing, GST return filing, accounting, notice replies or tax planning.
• Book a follow-up consultation if new questions come up or your situation changes.

Keep the summary and your documents together for future reference, especially if your question relates to a filing or a notice.

FAQs

What kinds of questions can I ask a CA?

You can ask about income tax, capital gains, GST, TDS, accounting, business structure, NRI taxation, tax notices, startup finance and related areas. If your question needs a different professional, such as a lawyer or company secretary, we will tell you.

Is the consultation by phone or video?

You can choose either. Video is helpful when you want to walk through documents together.

How long is the consultation?

A typical consultation lasts around 30 minutes, which is enough for most focused questions. Complex matters may need a follow-up session or a separate engagement.

Can the CA file my return or reply to my notice?

The consultation covers advice. If you want us to file a return, reply to a notice or handle any other work, we can do so as a separate service.

Is my information kept confidential?

Yes. Your information and documents are used only for your consultation and are handled in confidence.

What if I need advice on both tax and legal issues?

If your matter involves both tax and legal questions, the CA will address the tax aspects and we can arrange a separate consultation with a lawyer for the legal aspects.

Can NRIs book a consultation?

Yes. NRIs can book a consultation and speak to a CA by phone or video from anywhere.

What if my question cannot be answered in one call?

Some matters need more research or document review. In such cases, the CA will explain what further work is needed, and you can decide whether to proceed.

Can I get a written opinion?

A consultation is an oral discussion with a short summary where appropriate. A detailed written opinion is a separate service, which can be quoted on request.

Can I ask about both old and new tax regimes?

Yes. Choosing between the two regimes is one of the most common questions. The CA compares your tax under both based on your income and eligible deductions, and explains which one works out lower for you this year and what to keep in mind for future years.

Can a CA help me with a GST mismatch?

Yes. If your GST returns show differences between the credit you claimed and what your suppliers reported, the CA can explain why this happens, what the risks are and how to reconcile and correct it.

Can I book a consultation for a family member?

Yes. You can book a consultation on behalf of a family member, such as a parent who has received a tax notice. The family member may need to join the call or share documents so the CA has the correct facts.

Do I need to prepare anything before the call?

It helps to write down your questions in order of priority and to upload any documents connected to them. This allows the CA to prepare and makes the call more productive.

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