How to Create and Use Purchase Vouchers in TallyPrime

A purchase voucher in TallyPrime records the purchase of goods or services from a supplier. It captures the invoice amount, GST, and inventory details, creating a liability in your books until payment is made via a separate payment voucher.

What Is a Purchase Voucher in TallyPrime?

A purchase voucher is a transaction record that documents the acquisition of goods or services from a supplier or vendor. In TallyPrime, it serves as the primary accounting entry that creates a liability (amount owed) in your ledger. Unlike a payment voucher, which records cash outflow, a purchase voucher simply acknowledges the debt and updates your inventory if stock items are involved.

Every purchase voucher contains supplier details, item descriptions, quantities, rates, taxes (GST), and the total invoice amount. This voucher becomes the source document for your accounts payable and is essential for GST compliance, especially for generating GSTR-2B and GSTR-3B reports.

Why Purchase Vouchers Matter for Your Business

Purchase vouchers are the backbone of accurate financial reporting. They help you track what you owe to suppliers, maintain proper inventory records, and ensure GST input tax credit (ITC) eligibility. Without proper purchase voucher entries, your financial statements will be incomplete, and you risk GST audit failures.

For businesses in Purnea, Bihar, or anywhere in India, GST compliance is non-negotiable. TallyPrime's purchase voucher feature automatically calculates CGST, SGST, and IGST based on your supplier location and item tax rates, making it easier to file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B on time.

Prerequisites: Ledger and Group Setup

Before you create your first purchase voucher, you must set up supplier ledgers and ensure your chart of accounts is correct. A supplier is simply a ledger account under the "Sundry Creditors" group. You also need to create a ledger in Tally for each supplier and define stock items if you deal in goods.

To set up a supplier ledger, navigate to Gateway of Tally > Accounts Info > Ledgers > Create. Assign the ledger to "Sundry Creditors" group. If your supplier is registered for GST, enable the GST field and enter their GSTIN. This ensures TallyPrime applies the correct tax rate and generates compliant GST reports.

Enable GST Features Before Recording Purchases

TallyPrime requires GST to be enabled at the company level before you can record GST in purchase vouchers. Press F11 (Accounting Features) and set "Enable GST" to Yes. This activates GST ledgers, tax rates, and GST-specific reports.

Next, define GST tax rates. Go to Gateway of Tally > Accounts Info > Tax Rates. Create tax rates for 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% (or rates applicable to your items). Assign each tax rate to stock items or purchase ledgers so TallyPrime auto-fills the correct GST when you enter a purchase voucher.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Purchase Voucher

To create a purchase voucher in TallyPrime, press Alt+F5 (keyboard shortcut for Purchase) or use Gateway of Tally > Accounting Vouchers > Purchase. The voucher entry screen opens with the following fields:

• Voucher Type: Defaults to "Purchase". Leave as is unless you use a custom voucher type.
• Date: Enter the invoice date or date of purchase.
• Reference No.: Enter the supplier's invoice number for easy tracking.
• Supplier Name: Select the supplier ledger you created earlier.
• Item Details: If you sell goods, enter stock item name, quantity, rate, and amount. TallyPrime calculates the total.
• GST Details: If GST is enabled, TallyPrime shows CGST, SGST, or IGST columns. Verify the tax rate matches your supplier's GST registration.
• Amount: The total including GST.

Once all details are entered, press Ctrl+A to verify the entry, then Ctrl+S to save. TallyPrime will confirm the entry and return to the voucher entry screen, ready for the next entry.

Worked Example: Recording a GST Purchase

Let us assume you are a retail business in Purnea, Bihar, and you purchase 100 units of a product from a registered GST supplier in Delhi on 15 January 2026.

Field	Value
Voucher Type	Purchase
Date	15-01-2026
Reference No.	INV-2026-001
Supplier	ABC Traders, Delhi
Item Name	Product XYZ
Quantity	100 units
Rate per Unit	Rs 500
Subtotal (Before GST)	Rs 50,000
IGST (5%)	Rs 2,500
Total Invoice Amount	Rs 52,500

In TallyPrime, you enter the item name, quantity (100), and rate (500). TallyPrime calculates the subtotal as Rs 50,000. Since the supplier is in Delhi and you are in Bihar (inter-state), TallyPrime applies IGST at 5% = Rs 2,500. The final amount payable is Rs 52,500. This entry creates a liability under "ABC Traders" ledger and increases your inventory of "Product XYZ" by 100 units at a valuation of Rs 50,000 (excluding GST for ITC purposes).

Inventory and Stock Item Linkage

If you deal in goods, always link stock items to your purchase vouchers. This ensures your inventory is updated automatically. To set up a stock item, go to Gateway of Tally > Accounts Info > Stock Items > Create. Define the item name, unit of measurement, and opening quantity (if any).

When you record a purchase voucher with linked stock items, TallyPrime updates the quantity on hand and calculates the average cost of inventory. This is critical for accurate cost of goods sold (COGS) reporting and financial statements.

GST Input Tax Credit and GSTR-2B Reconciliation

One of the main benefits of recording purchase vouchers correctly in TallyPrime is claiming input tax credit (ITC). GST paid on purchases can be offset against GST collected on sales, reducing your net GST liability.

TallyPrime provides a GSTR-2B report that shows all GST invoices received from suppliers. To view this, go to Gateway of Tally > Display More Reports > GST Reports > GSTR-2B. This report helps you reconcile your purchase entries with the supplier's GSTR-1 filed with the GST department. Reconciliation ensures no duplicate ITC claims and protects you from GST audit notices.

Difference Between Purchase and Payment Vouchers

Many beginners confuse purchase vouchers with payment vouchers in Tally. Here is the key difference: a purchase voucher records the liability (the bill from the supplier), while a payment voucher records the cash or bank outflow when you actually pay the supplier.

For example, if you buy goods on 15 January but pay on 30 January, you create a purchase voucher on 15 January (creating a liability) and a payment voucher on 30 January (reducing the liability and cash). Both vouchers are needed for complete and accurate accounting.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not forget to enable GST before recording purchase vouchers with tax. If GST is disabled, TallyPrime will not calculate or display tax columns, and your GST reports will be incomplete. Always verify the supplier's GSTIN and tax rate before saving.

Another common error is entering the wrong supplier ledger. If you enter the amount under a sales ledger instead of a supplier ledger, your accounts will be inverted. Double-check that the supplier is assigned to "Sundry Creditors" group.

Do not mix cash and credit purchases in a single voucher unless both are to the same supplier. Keep them separate for clarity and easier bank reconciliation.

Editing and Deleting Purchase Vouchers

If you need to edit a purchase voucher, press Alt+F5, select the date and voucher number, and press Enter. TallyPrime opens the voucher in edit mode. Make your changes and press Ctrl+S to save. If the voucher is already reconciled with a payment, TallyPrime may prevent editing; in that case, delete the payment voucher first, then edit the purchase.

To delete a purchase voucher, open it in edit mode and press Ctrl+D. TallyPrime will ask for confirmation. Deleted vouchers are marked as reversed in the audit trail, maintaining data integrity.

Connecting Purchase Vouchers to Your Accounting System

For a complete accounting workflow, understand how purchase vouchers fit into your broader TallyPrime accounting guide. Purchase vouchers create liabilities that flow into your balance sheet under "Sundry Creditors." When you record a payment voucher, the liability decreases. At the end of each month, your accounts payable balance should match your supplier statements.

Use voucher types in Tally to customize your purchase process if needed. You can create alternate voucher types for different purchase scenarios, such as "Purchase Return" or "Purchase on Approval," making your accounting more granular and audit-ready.

TallyPrime License and GST Compliance Support

To unlock all GST features, including connected GST and GSTR reconciliation, you need TallyPrime Gold with an active Technical Support Subscription (TSS). TallyPrime Silver (single user, perpetual) costs Rs 22,500 plus 18% GST and includes 1 year of TSS free. Gold (unlimited users on LAN, perpetual) is Rs 67,500 plus 18% GST. TSS renewal is Rs 4,500 per year for Silver and Rs 13,500 per year for Gold (plus GST). Early TSS renewal adds approximately 1 free month, and 2-year renewals offer about 10% discount. After TSS expiry, TallyPrime continues to work but receives no updates or connected services. All prices mentioned are indicative for 2026.

Cloud-Based Purchase Voucher Entry

If you prefer to work remotely, TallyPrime on Cloud allows you to record purchase vouchers from anywhere. Bring-your-own-licence hosting starts from approximately Rs 175-290 per user per month, or Rs 899-1,299 per month with licence included. Cloud access is available via secure RDP on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS with approximately 99.9% uptime and daily backups. This is ideal for multi-location businesses or teams working from home.

Getting Help with Purchase Vouchers

If you encounter issues while creating purchase vouchers, press F1 to access TallyPrime Help. For data repair or corruption, press Alt+Y (Data) > Repair or use F1 > Troubleshooting > Repair. Always back up your company data before running repairs.

Global IT Care is a Tally 3 Star Certified Partner in Purnea, Bihar, serving businesses since 2010. We provide hands-on training on purchase vouchers, GST compliance, and complete TallyPrime setup. Whether you are new to Tally or upgrading from an older version, our experts can guide you through every step. Contact us today at +91 75469 00951 to schedule a consultation or training session. We also offer competitive TallyPrime pricing and ongoing support to keep your accounting accurate and GST-compliant.