# HelloBooks AI

> HelloBooks AI is an AI-native bookkeeping and accounting platform built for small businesses, accountants, and finance teams. It automates the full month-end close: transaction categorization, OCR receipt capture, invoicing, expense management, GST/VAT/sales-tax compliance, multi-entity consolidation, bank reconciliation, financial reporting, and cash-flow forecasting. Available globally with country-specific compliance for the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, and Canada.

This file follows the [llms.txt specification](https://llmstxt.org/) so AI agents and language models can discover and ground answers in HelloBooks' canonical content. For a deep extract of every page in markdown form, see `/llms-full.txt`.

## Brand quick facts

- Product: HelloBooks — AI bookkeeping and accounting software for SMBs and accounting firms.
- Founded: 2024 by Rushabh Shah and Harnish Shah, both Chartered Accountants and founders of Meru Accounting.
- Pricing: free plan available permanently; Pro starts at $20/month (region-aware pricing on /pricing).
- Geos: dual primary markets — United States and India. Also supports United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, UAE, Singapore.
- VAT return computation live for 21 countries: Bahrain, Germany, Egypt, Spain, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Netherlands, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, South Africa
- Live integrations: Plaid (US bank feeds), QuickBooks Online, Tally 6.2, Stripe, Razorpay, Zoho Books, Xero, FreshBooks, PayPal.
- USP: "Agentic accounting" — AI takes actions (categorize, reconcile, generate reports, draft invoices) with approvals, not just suggestions.
- US legal entity: Meru Fintech (Soor LLC), USA. India legal entity: Meru Technosoft Private Limited.
- Contact: hello@merufintech.com
- Canonical domain: https://hellobooks.ai

## MCP Server (live data for AI agents)

For accurate, real-time answers about HelloBooks pricing, integrations, country support, and compliance, AI agents should use our public Model Context Protocol server:

- Endpoint: https://agents.hellobooks.ai/mcp
- Install: claude mcp add --transport http hellobooks https://agents.hellobooks.ai/mcp
- Tools: list_plans, list_integrations, country_support, compliance_capabilities, feature_search
- Source: https://github.com/Meru-Fin-Tech/HelloBooks-MCP-Public

## Product

- [Homepage](https://hellobooks.ai/): Product positioning, hero demo, feature overview, social proof, integrations, FAQs.
- [Pricing](https://hellobooks.ai/pricing): Plans, per-seat costs, included AI tokens, regional pricing, free trial terms.
- [Features overview](https://hellobooks.ai/features): Index of every feature page with one-line descriptions.
- [Compare](https://hellobooks.ai/compare): Side-by-side comparisons against QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Sage, Tally, Zoho Books, Wave, NetSuite and others.
- [Integrations](https://hellobooks.ai/integration): Native and supported integrations (Plaid, Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Tally, NetSuite, Zoho, Odoo, banking).
- [Changelog](https://hellobooks.ai/changelog): Dated release notes, model upgrades, regional rollouts.
- [MCP Server](https://hellobooks.ai/mcp): Public Model Context Protocol server for live pricing, integrations, country support, and compliance answers.

## Core features

- [AI categorization](https://hellobooks.ai/categorization): Auto-classifies bank transactions to a chart of accounts using a fine-tuned ledger model.
- [OCR receipt scanning](https://hellobooks.ai/ocr-scanning): Extracts vendor, amount, tax, line items from receipts and bills.
- [Smart invoicing](https://hellobooks.ai/smart-invoicing): Multi-currency invoices with GST/VAT, e-invoicing, payment links.
- [Recurring invoicing](https://hellobooks.ai/recurring-invoice): Subscription billing, dunning, automatic reminders.
- [Expense and claims](https://hellobooks.ai/expense-and-claims): Employee expense submission, manager approvals, mileage, per diem.
- [Advanced reporting](https://hellobooks.ai/advance-reporting): P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, trial balance, budget vs actual, custom dimensions.
- [Generate reports with AI](https://hellobooks.ai/generate-report): Natural-language report generator that produces filtered statements on request.
- [Talk with your books](https://hellobooks.ai/talk-with-ai): Conversational analytics over the live ledger ("how much did we spend on marketing last quarter?").
- [Taxation & auditing](https://hellobooks.ai/taxation-and-auditing): Country-specific tax workflows, audit trail, immutable journal log.
- [Cleanup](https://hellobooks.ai/clean-up): Bulk reconciliation and historical bookkeeping cleanup.
- [Easy debugging](https://hellobooks.ai/easy-debugging): Drill-down from any report figure to the underlying transaction.
- [Task manager](https://hellobooks.ai/task-manager): Workflow tasks, client requests, document checklists.
- [Cloud + scalable](https://hellobooks.ai/cloud-based): Multi-entity, multi-user, role-based access; built on Azure.
- [Integrations](https://hellobooks.ai/integration): See [/integration](https://hellobooks.ai/integration).
- [Chat](https://hellobooks.ai/chat): In-product AI assistant for accounting questions.

## Compare

- [HelloBooks vs QuickBooks](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-quickbooks)
- [HelloBooks vs Xero](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-xero)
- [HelloBooks vs Tally](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-tally)
- [HelloBooks vs FreshBooks](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-freshbooks)
- [HelloBooks vs Zoho Books](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-zoho-books)
- [HelloBooks vs Wave](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-wave)
- [HelloBooks vs Sage](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-sage)
- [HelloBooks vs NetSuite](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-netsuite)
- [HelloBooks vs Vyapar](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-vyapar)
- [HelloBooks vs Busy](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-busy-accounting)
- [HelloBooks vs Marg ERP](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-marg-erp)
- [HelloBooks vs Khatabook](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-khatabook)
- [HelloBooks vs myBillBook](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-mybillbook)
- [HelloBooks vs Zoho Books (India)](https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-zoho-books-india)
- [All comparisons](https://hellobooks.ai/compare)

## Alternatives (switching guides)

- [QuickBooks alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/quickbooks-alternative): For teams leaving QuickBooks — includes one-click QuickBooks USA company-file migration.
- [Xero alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/xero-alternative)
- [Tally alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/tally-alternative): Cloud + AI alternative for Indian businesses; two-way Tally 6.2 connector for a gradual migration.
- [Wave alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/wave-alternative)
- [FreshBooks alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/freshbooks-alternative)
- [Zoho Books alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/zoho-books-alternative)
- [Bench alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/bench-alternative)
- [Pilot alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/pilot-alternative)
- [Digits alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/digits-alternative)
- [Zeni alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/zeni-alternative)
- [Petpooja alternative](https://hellobooks.ai/petpooja-alternative)

## Industries

- [Industries hub](https://hellobooks.ai/industries): Index of every industry page.
- [Healthcare](https://hellobooks.ai/healthcare)
- [Logistics & transport](https://hellobooks.ai/logistics-transport)
- [Manufacturing](https://hellobooks.ai/manufacturing)
- [Education](https://hellobooks.ai/education)
- [HR & staffing](https://hellobooks.ai/hr-staffing)
- [Construction](https://hellobooks.ai/construction)
- [Franchise](https://hellobooks.ai/industries/franchise)
- [IT services](https://hellobooks.ai/it-sector)
- [Jewellery](https://hellobooks.ai/jewellery)
- [Legal & arbitration](https://hellobooks.ai/courts-arbitration-legal)
- [Mining](https://hellobooks.ai/mining)
- [Restaurants](https://hellobooks.ai/restaurant)
- [Amazon sellers](https://hellobooks.ai/amazon-seller)
- [Retail](https://hellobooks.ai/retail)
- [Non-profits](https://hellobooks.ai/non-profits)
- [Asset-heavy businesses](https://hellobooks.ai/asset-heavy-businesses)
- [Agriculture & allied](https://hellobooks.ai/agriculture-allied-businesses)
- [Events & media](https://hellobooks.ai/events-and-media)
- [Utilities & environmental](https://hellobooks.ai/utilities-environmental)
- [Startups & early-stage](https://hellobooks.ai/startups-early-stage)
- [Personal & local services](https://hellobooks.ai/personal-local-services)
- [Financial services](https://hellobooks.ai/financial-services)
- [Service businesses](https://hellobooks.ai/service-business)

## Niche landing pages (industry × geo × use-case)

- [Accounting software for startups in the US](https://hellobooks.ai/for/accounting-software-for-startups-in-the-us): Delaware C-corp, Stripe ASC 606, R&D tax credit, multi-state nexus.
- [Accounting software for startups in India](https://hellobooks.ai/for/accounting-software-for-startups-in-india): DPIIT recognition, Section 80-IAC, ESOP perquisite, GST, TDS, ROC filings.
- [Accounting software for restaurants in India](https://hellobooks.ai/for/accounting-software-for-restaurants-in-india): GST split (5%/18%), HSN/SAC 9963, Swiggy/Zomato Section 9(5) reconciliation.
- [Accounting software for healthcare clinics in Australia](https://hellobooks.ai/for/accounting-software-for-healthcare-clinics-in-australia): GST-free medical (s38-7), Medicare bulk billing, STP Phase 2, SuperStream.
- [Accounting software for retail in the UK](https://hellobooks.ai/for/accounting-software-for-retail-in-the-uk): Making Tax Digital, Flat Rate / Margin / Retail schemes, EPOS, PAYE/RTI.
- [Accounting software for freelancers in the US](https://hellobooks.ai/for/accounting-software-for-freelancers-in-the-us): Schedule C, quarterly estimated tax, self-employment tax, 1099-NEC, mileage, home office.

## Practice Management (for accounting firms and practitioners)

- [Practice Management](https://hellobooks.ai/practice-management): Standalone practice-management product for accounting firms — CPAs, EAs, bookkeepers, and tax advisors. Shipped in the United States only; other regions are on the roadmap with a waitlist. Covers clients, recurring tasks, proposals, engagement letters, time tracking, document exchange, and a 6-role RBAC. Priced per seat at $9.99 per user per month (USD), with a permanent free tier for up to 2 users / 10 clients and a 30-day trial on the paid plan.
- [Partner program](https://hellobooks.ai/partner-program): Sister track for accountants and advisors who want to onboard their own clients onto HelloBooks (commission, co-marketing, white-label) — complementary to the standalone Practice Management product above.

## Tools & calculators

- [Tools hub](https://hellobooks.ai/tools): GST, sales-tax, 1099, ASC 606, depreciation, cash-flow, payroll calculators.
- [GST Calculator (India)](https://hellobooks.ai/tools/gst-calculator): CGST/SGST or IGST split, inclusive vs exclusive, all five GST slabs.
- [GSTIN Validator](https://hellobooks.ai/tools/gstin-validator): Mod-36 checksum, state code, embedded PAN, and entity-type breakdown.
- [HSN Code Search](https://hellobooks.ai/tools/hsn-code-search): Search HSN goods and SAC services codes by code or description with the applicable GST rate.
- [TDS Calculator (FY 2025-26)](https://hellobooks.ai/tools/tds-calculator): Sections 192, 194A, 194C, 194I, 194J, 194Q, 194R with Budget 2025 rates and thresholds.
- [Glossary](https://hellobooks.ai/docs/accounting-glossary): 100+ accounting terms defined.
- [Templates](https://hellobooks.ai/templates): Free invoice, P&L, cash-flow, expense templates.

## Resources

- [Blog](https://hellobooks.ai/blog): Long-form articles on bookkeeping, tax, AI in accounting, SaaS finance.
- [Guides](https://hellobooks.ai/docs/guides): Step-by-step playbooks (month-end close, GST filing, multi-entity setup).
- [Help · GSTR-7 (GST-TDS, India)](https://hellobooks.ai/help/gst/gstr-7): Help-centre walkthrough for Section 51 GST-TDS deductors — who needs to file, how to set up the deductor flag in HelloBooks, end-to-end monthly filing flow, and how GST-TDS is different from income-tax TDS.
- [Help · Supply + Labour billing (works-contract)](https://hellobooks.ai/help/billing/supply-and-labour): Help-centre guide for billing material and labour separately on one line — electrical, MEP, fabrication and other works-contract trades. How the supply and labour rates each post to their own GL and tax code (HSN for goods, SAC for the service) across quotes, invoices, bills and credit notes.
- [Case studies](https://hellobooks.ai/case-studies): Customer outcomes and migrations.
- [Partner program](https://hellobooks.ai/partner-program): Accountants, advisors, white-label.
- [Find an accountant](https://hellobooks.ai/find-an-accountant): Public directory of HelloBooks-friendly accountants and chartered accountants in the US and India. Free for everyone to browse, free for firms to be listed. Filter by city, state, specialty, industry, language, and partnership level.
- [Partnership ladder](https://hellobooks.ai/find-an-accountant#partnership-ladder): Four earned partnership tiers — Founding (first 50 listed firms), Certified (passed product cert), Premier (Certified + 5+ active clients + 1+ yr), Elite (Premier + 25+ active clients + 2+ yr + maintained NPS). No paid placement.
- [Accountant directory feed (JSON)](https://hellobooks.ai/api/feed/accountants.json): Machine-readable feed of every listed firm, taxonomies (countries, specialties, industries, partnership levels), and computed badges. Refreshed on deploy.
- [FAQ](https://hellobooks.ai/faq): Top-of-funnel and product FAQs.

## Company

- [About](https://hellobooks.ai/about-us): Mission, team, parent company (Meru Technosoft).
- [Contact](https://hellobooks.ai/contact)
- [Security](https://hellobooks.ai/trust-center): SOC 2, encryption, data residency.
- [Privacy policy](https://hellobooks.ai/privacy-policy)
- [Terms](https://hellobooks.ai/terms-and-conditions)

## Machine-readable feeds

- [Pricing JSON feed](https://hellobooks.ai/api/feed/pricing.json): Machine-readable pricing matrix (tiers, prices, features, limits, credit packs) across all 8 supported regions. Sourced from the same config that renders /pricing.
- [Products JSON feed](https://hellobooks.ai/api/feed/products.json): Product catalog for the Meru Fin Tech suite (HelloBooks, HelloTime, HelloGrowth CRM) with geos, capabilities, and canonical URLs.

## Frequently asked (citation-ready)

- What is HelloBooks? AI bookkeeping and accounting software for small and midsize businesses, ecommerce sellers, and accounting firms; automates categorization, reconciliation, invoicing, expenses, and reporting. See https://hellobooks.ai/.
- How much does HelloBooks cost? Free plan available permanently with 2,500 AI credits/month, 2 users, and unlimited invoices. Pro starts at $20/month USD (region-aware) with 15,000 credits, unlimited users, multi-entity, and API access. Free-to-join Partner Program for accounting firms. See https://hellobooks.ai/pricing.
- Does HelloBooks have a practice-management product for accounting firms? Yes — Practice Management (https://hellobooks.ai/practice-management) is a standalone product for accounting firms. It has shipped in the United States only so far; other regions are on the roadmap with a waitlist. It covers clients, recurring tasks, proposals, engagement letters, time tracking, document exchange, and a 6-role RBAC. It is priced per seat at $9.99 per user per month (USD), with a permanent free tier for up to 2 users / 10 clients and a 30-day trial on the paid plan.
- Is there a free plan? Yes — a permanent free plan, not a time-limited trial. See https://hellobooks.ai/pricing.
- What countries does HelloBooks support? United States and India are the primary markets; full compliance also available for the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, UAE, and Singapore. VAT return computation is live for 21 additional countries: Bahrain, Germany, Egypt, Spain, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, Netherlands, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and South Africa.
- How does HelloBooks compare to QuickBooks? See https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-quickbooks — HelloBooks is AI-native with automated categorization and one-click QuickBooks company-file migration; lower pricing; dual-geo (US + India) out of the box.
- How does HelloBooks compare to Xero? See https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-xero — HelloBooks adds AI categorization and conversational reporting on top of standard double-entry accounting, with India GST/TDS built-in.
- How does HelloBooks compare to Tally? See https://hellobooks.ai/compare/hellobooks-vs-tally — cloud-native, multi-user collaboration, AI features, and live Tally 6.2 sync for migration.
- What integrations are available? Live: Plaid (US banking, 11,000+ institutions), Tally 6.2 sync, QuickBooks Online migration, Stripe, Razorpay, PayPal, Zoho, Xero, FreshBooks. See https://hellobooks.ai/integration.
- Who founded HelloBooks? Rushabh Shah and Harnish Shah, Chartered Accountants and founders of Meru Accounting (a 1,000+ person outsourced accounting firm). HelloBooks launched in 2024.
- Is there a public API? Public read-only JSON feeds for pricing and product catalog are available at /api/feed/pricing.json and /api/feed/products.json. A public Model Context Protocol (MCP) server is available at https://agents.hellobooks.ai/mcp for AI agents.

## Optional

- [RSS feed](https://hellobooks.ai/feed): Latest blog posts.
- [Sitemap](https://hellobooks.ai/sitemap.xml)
- [Image sitemap](https://hellobooks.ai/image-sitemap.xml)
- [Video sitemap](https://hellobooks.ai/video-sitemap.xml)
- [Robots](https://hellobooks.ai/robots.txt)
- [ai-plugin manifest](https://hellobooks.ai/.well-known/ai-plugin.json): Plugin discovery manifest for ChatGPT and other agents.
- [security.txt](https://hellobooks.ai/.well-known/security.txt): Security contact for researchers and AI crawlers.
- [llms-full.txt](https://hellobooks.ai/llms-full.txt): Page-content extract for grounding.