Unit 2: Getting started with Tally ERP 9
Workshop on Computerised Accounting notes · PTU syllabus (BCOMSEC 401-18)
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Unit summary
Tally is India's most widely used accounting software for small and medium businesses. This unit covers accounting packages, the salient features of Tally ERP 9, starting Tally, components of the Tally window, creating a company, the company info menu and closing Tally.
After this unit you can
- Explain the salient features of Tally ERP 9
- Identify the components of the Tally ERP 9 window
- Create, alter and select a company in Tally
- Use the company info menu and shut a company or Tally
PTU syllabus topics
- Introduction to accounting packages
- salient features of Tally ERP 9
- start-up
- components of the Tally ERP 9 window
- creating a company
- company info menu
- closing Tally
- 1Open Tally
- 2Create a company
Name, address, financial year
- 3Set features
GST and inventory options
- 4Create ledgers
Under the right groups
- 5Start entering vouchers
Topic 1
Accounting packages and Tally ERP 9
- Accounting package: ready-made software for recording transactions and preparing reports — Tally, Busy, Marg ERP, QuickBooks, Zoho Books.
- Tally ERP 9 (Tally Solutions, Bengaluru, 2009) — succeeded by TallyPrime (2020), which keeps the same accounting logic with a simpler menu; Tally ERP 9 commands below largely apply.
Simple and fast
Keyboard shortcuts, no accounting codes needed
Double entry and inventory
Accounts with or without inventory
Multiple companies
Handle many companies and financial years
Statutory compliance
GST, TDS, TCS, payroll
Reports
Balance sheet, P&L, ratios, cash flow, stock summary
Security
Tally Vault, user access, audit
Remote access and data sync
Tally.NET
Multi-currency and multilingual
Transactions in foreign currency, Indian languages
Topic 2
Start-up and the Tally window
- 1Double-click the Tally icon
- 2Startup screen
Licence (Educational or Licensed)
- 3Gateway of Tally
Main menu after selecting or creating a company
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Title bar | Shows Tally version and release |
| Horizontal button bar (top) | Print (Alt + P), Export (Alt + E), E-mail (Alt + M), Upload, Language, Keyboard |
| Info panel (left) | Current period, current date, list of selected companies |
| Gateway of Tally (right) | Main menu — Masters, Transactions, Utilities, Reports |
| Calculator panel (bottom) | Calculations (Ctrl + N to switch) |
| Button bar (right side) | Context buttons — F1 Select company, F2 Date, F3 Company, F11 Features, F12 Configure |
- Gateway of Tally (Tally ERP 9): Masters — Accounts Info, Inventory Info; Transactions — Accounting Vouchers, Inventory Vouchers; Utilities — Banking; Reports — Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss A/c, Stock Summary, Ratio Analysis, Display.
Exam tip
Keyboard navigation earns marks in viva — Enter accepts, Esc goes back, Ctrl + A saves (accepts) a screen, Alt + D deletes, Alt + F3 opens Company Info.
Topic 3
Creating a company
- 1
Gateway of Tally → Alt + F3 (Company Info)
- 2
Create Company
- 3
Enter details
Name, mailing name, address, state, country, PIN, phone, email
- 4
Base currency
₹ — Indian Rupee
- 5
Maintain
Accounts only, or Accounts with Inventory
- 6
Financial year from and books beginning from
E.g., 1-4-2025
- 7
Tally Vault password (optional) and security control
- 8
Accept with Ctrl + A
- After creation, Tally automatically creates two ledgers: Cash and Profit & Loss A/c, and 28 predefined groups (15 primary + 13 sub-groups).
- F11 Features — enable inventory, GST, TDS, payroll, bill-wise details, cost centres.
- F12 Configure — customise screens and vouchers.
Topic 4
Company Info menu and closing Tally
| Option (Alt + F3) | Use |
|---|---|
| Select Company | Open an existing company |
| Shut Company | Close a loaded company (Alt + F1 shortcut in some versions) |
| Create Company | New company |
| Alter | Change company details; delete with Alt + D |
| Change Tally Vault | Encrypt data with a vault password |
| Security Control | Users and passwords |
| Split Company Data | Split data by financial period |
| Backup / Restore | Protect and recover data |
- Closing Tally: press Esc from the Gateway of Tally and confirm "Quit? Yes", or Ctrl + Q.
- Data location: company data is stored in folders (e.g., C:\Tally.ERP9\Data\10000) — take regular back-ups.
Key terms
- Tally ERP 9
- Accounting and inventory software by Tally Solutions
- Gateway of Tally
- The main menu of Tally
- Company Info menu
- Menu to create, select, alter and shut companies (Alt + F3)
- Tally Vault
- Encryption feature for company data
- F11 Features
- Screen to enable accounting, inventory and statutory features
Quick revision
- Features: speed, double entry, multi-company, GST/TDS, reports, security.
- Window: title bar, button bar, info panel, Gateway of Tally, calculator.
- Create company: Alt + F3 → Create Company → details → Ctrl + A.
- Default ledgers: Cash and Profit & Loss A/c; 28 predefined groups.
- Quit: Esc → Yes or Ctrl + Q.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.What is Tally ERP 9?
- Q2.State four salient features of Tally.
- Q3.What is the Gateway of Tally?
- Q4.Which ledgers are created automatically?
- Q5.What is Tally Vault?
- Q6.How do you shut a company in Tally?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the salient features of Tally ERP 9.
- Q2.Describe the components of the Tally ERP 9 window.
- Q3.Explain the procedure for creating a company in Tally ERP 9.
- Q4.Explain the options in the Company Info menu.
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