PracticeStacks vs ClearTax for CA: Beyond Filing

ClearTax vs PracticeStacks: Filing Software vs Practice Management Platform

ClearTax has become a household name for Indian CAs — and for good reason. Its ITR filing, GST return filing, and TDS management tools are fast, reliable, and regularly updated for regulatory changes. Thousands of CA firms use it daily for return preparation.

But here's what many CA firm owners discover as they grow: filing software and practice management software are different products solving different problems. PracticeStacks is built for the second problem — managing the client relationship, the team, the workflow, and the business around the filing work.

What ClearTax Excels At

ClearTax's strength is in compliance automation:

• ITR filing — pre-filled ITR with auto-import from Form 26AS and AIS

• GST filing — GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-9 with reconciliation tools

• TDS returns — bulk TDS filing with challan management

• E-invoicing — IRP integration for businesses with turnover above threshold

• Tax computation — advanced computation for complex tax scenarios

If your primary workflow is preparing and filing returns at scale, ClearTax remains one of the most capable tools available in India.

The Gap ClearTax Doesn't Address

The problem surfaces when you look at the full lifecycle of a client engagement — not just the filing at the end:

• How do you acquire and formalise new clients? ClearTax has no proposal or engagement letter module.

• How do you onboard clients? Collecting PAN, GST credentials, Aadhaar, and bank details still happens over WhatsApp.

• How do clients track their work? There's no client-facing portal where your clients can see the status of their returns.

• How do you manage your team? No task assignment, no reviewer workflows, no visibility into who is working on what.

• How do you handle billing? ClearTax has no integrated invoicing for the CA firm itself.

• How do you chase documents? Document reminders still go out manually over WhatsApp.

What PracticeStacks Brings to the Table

PracticeStacks is designed to handle everything around the compliance work:

• Professional proposals — create detailed service proposals with fees, scope, and terms; clients approve with OTP-based digital signing

• Structured client onboarding — guided digital process to collect all required documents, credentials, and information through a secure portal

• Compliance deadline tracker — centralised dashboard showing all due dates, assigned team members, and status across every client

• WhatsApp automation — automated reminders for document submissions, due dates, and approvals — no manual follow-up

• Team management — assign tasks, set reviewers, track progress, manage employee access by module

• Client portal — clients can log in, upload documents, view their compliance status, and approve proposals

• GST invoicing — raise tax invoices with your GSTIN, track payment status, send reminders

Side-by-Side Comparison

Should You Use Both?

Many growing CA firms use ClearTax (or a similar filing tool) for return preparation and PracticeStacks to manage the client relationship, workflow, and billing. The two tools complement rather than replace each other.

However, if your pain points are around client communication, document chasing, missed deadlines, or informal billing, those won't be solved by better filing software — they require a practice management platform.

Signs Your Firm Needs PracticeStacks

• You're losing clients because they feel uninformed about their work status

• Your team has no structured way to track what's due when

• New client onboarding takes weeks because documents arrive one at a time over WhatsApp

• You send fee proposals over email with no formal acceptance process

• Invoicing is done on Word or Excel, not connected to the services delivered

Conclusion

ClearTax is an excellent filing tool. PracticeStacks is the operational layer that makes your CA firm run professionally. The most efficient firms in India don't choose between them — they use each for what it does best.

If your firm is ready to move beyond WhatsApp-based client management, PracticeStacks gives you the structure, automation, and professionalism that modern CA firms need.