Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what finance leaders ask us most.
What does Expertese do?
We run the complete finance, tax, payroll and compliance function for a foreign company's Indian subsidiary or GCC in Hyderabad: bookkeeping, AP, intercompany billing, close and MIS, TDS, GST, EDF, treasury, payroll, company secretarial, FEMA and audit support.
How much does it cost?
USD 8,000 a month, excluding taxes, for the standard scope: one Hyderabad entity, SAP as ERP, payroll up to 100 employees and all 11 monthly services. Setup and registrations are quoted separately, and government fees are additional.
Is there a minimum term?
Yes. The minimum term is 12 months, then 2 months' notice. Year-2 fees are agreed before the end of year 1. We invoice monthly in arrears.
Do you perform the statutory audit?
No. Statutory, tax and transfer pricing audits are performed by an independent chartered accountant firm that your company appoints and that bills you directly. We prepare schedules and respond to every audit query.
What happens if a filing is late?
We commit to 100% on-time statutory filings and deposits for the services in scope. If a penalty or interest arises from our default, we reimburse it, capped at one month's fee per contract year. Late inputs, portal outages and deferral instructions are outside this commitment.
Do you work in our SAP?
Yes. SAP is the system of record. You provide licences, access and connectivity; your SAP team configures it; we review the India configuration and flag issues.
Can we take the function in-house later?
Yes. We document every process so you can bring the function in-house when you are ready.
What is the EDF and why does it matter?
From 1 October 2026, RBI replaced the Softex form with the Export Declaration Form for software and services exports. Correct declarations and realisation evidence support your FEMA compliance and the GST refund of your accumulated input credit.
Do you handle GST refunds?
GST refund claims are handled under a separate engagement, quoted on request. The monthly fee covers the returns, reconciliations and credit control that a refund depends on.
What do you need from us?
Timely approvals, parent funding, funds for statutory payments by the cut-off dates, inputs through SAP or the agreed channel, payroll inputs by the cut-off, a resident director and a registered office.
How is employee data protected?
Payroll data is processed on our payroll platform under a data-processing agreement aligned to the DPDP Act, 2023. We disclose the platform's name, hosting location and certifications before signing.
Which time zones do you cover?
We are in Hyderabad (IST). Overlap hours with your team in the US, UK, Europe or APAC are agreed at onboarding.
Still have a question?
Ask us directly. We reply within one business day (IST).