October close. The CA sends a WhatsApp: "2B does not match books. Send the Tally report." You export the ITC report. Paste it next to 2B in Excel. VLOOKUP on GSTIN and invoice number. Rows do not match. You trace each one. Some are timing (they filed after your month-end). Some are supplier non-filing. Some are your own typos. Three hours later, you have a list. The list is a list of things you should have caught at entry.
The CA's sheet is a necessary ritual. It catches what the supplier did not file, what you booked in the wrong period, and what you booked with the wrong number. It cannot catch what you did not book. It cannot catch what the supplier never filed. Those are external. But the sheet also catches wrong GSTINs, wrong totals, and duplicate entries. Those are internal. Those are what a gate catches.
GSTIN checksum, arithmetic closure, regime consistency, duplicate detection. These four catch the internal gaps: typos, wrong totals, wrong tax type, duplicate posts. The external gaps (supplier not filed, timing) remain. Those are the CA's sheet.
The CA's sheet is good at
Supplier not filed. Invoice in your books, not in 2B. The supplier did not file GSTR-1, or filed under a different GSTIN. You cannot fix this at entry. You can only catch it at month-end. The sheet is the right tool.
Timing. You posted in April. They furnished in March. 2B for March has it. Your April ITC does not, or vice versa. See 1 vs 2B vs 3B. The sheet catches it. Clean entry does not fix timing.
Clean entry removes
The CA's sheet still catches supplier filing gaps and timing. Clean entry removes the gaps you caused.
What the gate does not fix
Supplier not filed: the invoice is clean in your books. It will not appear in 2B until the supplier files. You can chase them. Clear can chase them. We cannot. Link 1 vs 2B.
Timing: you posted March invoices into April. 2B disagrees. The sheet catches it. Clean entry does not fix when you posted. See invoice date vs FY.
Cancelled GSTIN: checksum passed. Status is cancelled. The sheet catches it if the supplier's 2B line is missing. The portal catches it if you search. See cancelled GSTIN.
Do not replace the sheet with the gate
We do not ship 2B recon. We do not replace Clear. We do not replace the CA. The gate cleans the voucher before it reaches Tally. The sheet catches what happens after Tally. They are different jobs in different months. Buy both if you have photocopies and a return to furnish.
If a salesperson says "EntryLedger replaces your 2B reconciliation," they are wrong. The gate is before the sheet. The sheet is after the books. They serve different masters.
- GST tutorialGST returns guides index
Official walkthroughs. 2B itself lives on the portal.
- EntryLedger1 vs 2B vs 3B
Which statement is which. Not synonyms.
Do you do 2B recon?+
Not today. The gate cleans the voucher. The sheet catches the rest. Clear does that stack.
Will clean entry reduce mismatches?+
Yes, for self-inflicted gaps. Supplier filing gaps and timing remain.
Should I buy Clear or EntryLedger?+
Both. Clear for filing. EntryLedger for photocopy capture. Different months, different jobs.