# AI CFO vs Chartered Accountant: Which Do You Need? > Kosh, an AI CFO, vs a chartered accountant: what each does, what each costs, where a CA is essential, and why most salaried people do best with both. Source: https://trykosh.com/compare/kosh-vs-chartered-accountant Compare - Kosh and a chartered accountant # Kosh vs a chartered accountant A CA and an AI CFO sound like they do the same job. They don't. A CA files, signs and defends; Kosh watches your money all year and plans. Here's an honest split of who does what. Updated 25 October 2026Written by Kosh, so read with that in mind On this page[In short](#in-short)[Side by side](#side-by-side)[Two different jobs](#two-jobs)[What a CA does that Kosh can't](#what-a-ca-does)[What Kosh does that a CA usually doesn't](#what-kosh-does)[What each costs](#cost)[When you need a CA](#when-you-need-a-ca)[How to use both](#use-both)[FAQs](#faq) **In short** - A chartered accountant files your return, answers tax notices, audits business books and gives judgement backed by a professional licence. Kosh does none of that. - Kosh works all year from your statements: it sorts spending, finds leaks, works out your tax under both regimes and plans goals, at a fraction of the cost. - If your income is a salary plus some interest and investments, Kosh covers most of the year and a CA, or the free government portal, covers filing. - If you have a business, foreign assets, a property sale, a notice or an audit, you need a CA. Kosh can still prepare the numbers you hand over. ## Side by side Kosh A chartered accountant What it is An AI CFO: software that reads your statements A licensed professional, a member of ICAI When it works All year, every statement you upload Mostly around filing, or when something goes wrong Works from Bank, card and investment statements Form 16, AIS, documents you send Tax under both regimes Yes, from your real salary, rent and investments Yes, with professional judgement Files your ITR No Yes Notices, scrutiny, appeals No Yes, and can represent you Tax audits and business books No Yes Spending, leaks, budgets, goals Yes Rarely part of the engagement Reminders before due dates Yes, by email Depends on the CA Cost Free to start; Pro INR 2,000 a month or INR 19,999 a year Per filing or per engagement; varies by city and complexity ## Two different jobs A chartered accountant is a licensed professional. When a CA prepares your return, they bring training, accountability to their institute and years of judgement about how the Income Tax Department reads a case. When something goes wrong, a notice or a mismatch or a scrutiny, the CA is the person who can respond and represent you. Kosh is an [AI CFO](/learn/what-is-an-ai-cfo). It reads the statements you upload, sorts every transaction and keeps working on your money through the year: where it goes, what leaks, what your tax looks like under each regime and what you should do before 31 March. It doesn't file returns, handle notices or sign anything. So the honest question isn't which one is better. It's which parts of your year need a professional, and which parts just need someone, or something, paying attention. ## What a CA does that Kosh can't - **Files your return** and stands behind it. A CA picks the right ITR form, reconciles it with your AIS and Form 26AS, and files it. - **Handles notices and scrutiny.** If the department questions a deduction or flags a mismatch, a CA drafts the reply and can represent you. - **Audits and keeps business books.** Businesses and professionals above the audit thresholds need a tax audit by a CA. GST returns and bookkeeping are usually a CA's work too. - **Handles complex income.** Property sales, foreign assets and income, ESOPs from an overseas parent, HUFs, inheritances, a partnership firm. These need judgement on facts, not just arithmetic. - **Gives a professional opinion.** When the answer is "it depends", a CA's view is backed by their licence. Software can lay out the options and the maths; it can't take that responsibility. ## What Kosh does that a CA usually doesn't - **Works all year, not just in July.** Upload a statement in any month and Kosh updates the picture: income, spending, debt, savings. - **Finds leaks.** Forgotten subscriptions, card interest, delivery creep, cash idling in a savings account. A CA rarely sees your card statements, let alone reads them. - **Plans your tax before the year ends.** Kosh works out your tax under both regimes from real numbers, so you can choose a regime in April and make tax-saving moves before March, not discover them at filing. Try the [old vs new regime calculator](/tools/old-vs-new-tax-regime-calculator). - **Plans goals and reminds you.** Goals become monthly SIP amounts; card due dates, SIPs, renewals and tax deadlines get an email nudge. - **Answers with your numbers.** Ask the chat CFO what you spent on travel last quarter, or whether you can afford a bigger EMI, and it answers from your statements. ## What each costs CA fees for an individual return vary widely by city, by the CA and by how complex your return is. As a rough guide, a simple salaried return with one Form 16 is often charged somewhere from under INR 1,000 to around INR 2,000, while returns with capital gains, ESOPs, rental income or foreign assets usually cost several thousand rupees. Notices, scrutiny and business work are priced separately. Treat these as ranges, not quotes. Kosh is free to start, with one statement a month, a money summary, your top recommendation and 10 questions a month. Pro is INR 2,000 a month or INR 19,999 a year, starting with a free seven-day trial. Filing your own return on the [Income Tax portal](https://www.incometax.gov.in/) costs nothing. ## When you need a CA - You've received a notice or an intimation you don't understand. - You sold property, hold foreign assets or have income from abroad. See the [NRI tax guide](/learn/nri-income-tax-india) if you live outside India. - You run a business or practice that needs books, GST returns or a tax audit. Our [freelancer tax guide](/learn/freelancer-tax-guide-india) covers the basics. - You have ESOPs or RSUs, especially from a foreign parent company. - You want someone professionally accountable for the return. ## How to use both 1. **Through the year, let Kosh keep the picture.** Upload statements as they arrive. Choose your regime in April with real numbers, and finish tax-saving moves before 31 March. 2. **In June, check the summary.** When your Form 16 arrives, compare it with what Kosh worked out, and check your AIS for interest and dividends you'd forgotten. 3. **In July, file or hand over.** If your return is simple, file it yourself with our [ITR guide for salaried people](/learn/how-to-file-itr-salaried). If not, give your CA a clean summary. Less sorting means fewer billable hours. 4. **Any time something unusual happens, call the CA.** Kosh is for the routine; the CA is for the exceptions. **Where Kosh fits** Kosh is not a CA and doesn't file returns, handle notices or audits. It is an AI CFO that works from your statements: it never asks for bank logins, can't move money and earns only from subscriptions. [Free tool**Income tax calculator**Work out your income tax for FY 2026-27 under both regimes in one go. Kosh applies the current slabs, the INR 75,000 standard deduction, the 87A rebate, surcharge with marginal relief and 4% cess.](/tools/income-tax-calculator)[Free tool**Old vs new regime calculator**Find out which regime leaves you more money this year, and exactly how many more rupees of deductions the old regime would need to catch up.](/tools/old-vs-new-tax-regime-calculator)[Free tool**HRA exemption calculator**Work out how much of your house rent allowance is tax-free, which of the three limits applies to you, and how much stays taxable.](/tools/hra-exemption-calculator)[Free tool**Advance tax calculator**Split this year's tax into the four advance-tax instalments, net of TDS, so you pay on time and avoid interest.](/tools/advance-tax-calculator)[Free tool**Capital gains tax calculator**Pick the asset, enter the purchase and sale dates and prices, and Kosh tells you whether the gain is short-term or long-term and works out the tax under the FY 2026-27 rules.](/tools/capital-gains-tax-calculator) ## Free tools to try first [Free tool**Income tax calculator**Work out your income tax for FY 2026-27 under both regimes in one go. Kosh applies the current slabs, the INR 75,000 standard deduction, the 87A rebate, surcharge with marginal relief and 4% cess.](/tools/income-tax-calculator)[Free tool**Old vs new regime calculator**Find out which regime leaves you more money this year, and exactly how many more rupees of deductions the old regime would need to catch up.](/tools/old-vs-new-tax-regime-calculator)[Free tool**Advance tax calculator**Split this year's tax into the four advance-tax instalments, net of TDS, so you pay on time and avoid interest.](/tools/advance-tax-calculator)[Free tool**Capital gains tax calculator**Pick the asset, enter the purchase and sale dates and prices, and Kosh tells you whether the gain is short-term or long-term and works out the tax under the FY 2026-27 rules.](/tools/capital-gains-tax-calculator) ## Frequently asked questions Can an AI CFO replace a chartered accountant? Not entirely. An AI CFO like Kosh handles the year-round work of tracking money, finding leaks and planning tax under both regimes. A chartered accountant is still needed to file complex returns, answer notices, handle scrutiny and audit business books. How much does a CA charge to file an ITR in India? It varies by city, by the CA and by how complex your return is. A simple salaried return is often charged from under INR 1,000 to around INR 2,000, while returns with capital gains, ESOPs or foreign assets usually cost several thousand rupees. Ask for a quote before you share documents. Does Kosh file income tax returns? No. Kosh works out your tax under both regimes from your real numbers and helps you prepare, but it doesn't file returns, respond to notices or handle audits. You can file yourself on the Income Tax portal or hand the summary to a CA. Do salaried people need a CA? Many don't. If your income is a salary plus some bank interest and mutual fund gains, you can usually file yourself on the Income Tax portal. A CA is worth it when you have property sales, foreign assets, ESOPs from abroad, business income or a notice. Is it worth using both Kosh and a CA? Often, yes. Kosh keeps your finances organised all year and plans tax before 31 March, so when you go to a CA you bring a clean summary instead of a folder of statements. That usually means a faster, cheaper engagement. ## Sources - [Income Tax Department e-filing portal](https://www.incometax.gov.in/) - [Institute of Chartered Accountants of India](https://www.icai.org/) Descriptions of other products come from their public websites as of 25 October 2026 and may have changed since. Kosh is our product. Product names belong to their owners. Kosh is an educational financial planning tool by Primedepth Labs. It is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and does not offer personalised investment advice, hold your money or execute trades. Markets carry risk; read scheme documents carefully and consult a registered adviser before acting. ## See what Kosh finds in your statements. Upload one bank or card statement. Kosh maps your money, works out your tax under both regimes and shows the one thing to fix first. It never asks for bank logins and can't move money. [Start free](/signup?via=compare-kosh-vs-chartered-accountant)