The True Cost of Global Practice Software for Indian Firms
Short answer: A global practice tool priced in dollars costs an Indian firm more than its converted list price. Card payments usually add a forex markup of about 2% to 3.5%, a GST-registered firm owes 18% IGST under reverse charge (paid in cash, usually claimed back), and multi-year prepayments, monthly-billing premiums, seat rules and onboarding packages add more. For a 10-person firm on Karbon Team, the US$7,080 list price becomes about US$7,257 after a 2.5% markup, plus the equivalent of US$1,274 of IGST paid upfront in rupees and claimed back as credit.
Last updated 22 October 2026. MyPract is our product, and we compare it below in US dollars against the global tools; Indian tools that cost less than MyPract are named too. Global tools are quoted in US dollars, as their vendors price them; no rupee conversions are shown. This is general information, not tax advice. See "How we checked" below.
What adds to the price of foreign practice software?
| Cost | What it is | Typical size | Real cost or cash flow? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange rate | Dollar, pound or euro price paid in rupees | Moves with the rupee | Real |
| Forex markup | Your bank's fee on a foreign-currency card payment | 2%–3.5% on cards we checked[3][4][5] | Real |
| IGST under reverse charge | GST a registered firm pays itself on imported online services[1] | 18% of the invoice value | Mostly cash flow, if credit is available |
| Multi-year prepayment | Lower rate in exchange for paying 2 or 3 years upfront | e.g. TaxDome 3-year term[7] | Real if you leave early |
| Monthly-billing premium | Higher rate if you avoid an annual commitment | Karbon Team US$79 vs US$59[6] | Real |
| Seat and plan rules | Minimum team sizes, one-user plans, client caps | e.g. Karbon monthly only for 4+ users[6] | Real |
| Onboarding | Paid setup, training or consulting packages | US$700–2,000 (Uku), US$1,500 (Jetpack)[8][10] | Real |
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Start your free trialHow much does a card forex markup add?
When you pay a foreign vendor by card, the bank converts at its rate and adds a markup. HDFC Bank's own schedule for its Purchase MoneyBack commercial card lists a 2.5% cross-currency markup on all foreign currency transactions.[3] BankBazaar lists 3.5% for most HDFC cards and 2% for premium cards such as Regalia and Infinia,[4] and 3.5% plus taxes for SBI cards.[5] Check your own card's schedule of charges, including whether GST is added to the markup.
On a US$7,080 annual subscription, the difference between a 2% card and a 3.5% card is 1.5%, about US$106 a year. Paying by bank transfer avoids the card markup but has its own exchange margin and charges, so ask your bank for both before choosing.
Do you pay GST on software bought from abroad?
Yes, in most cases. CBIC's guide to online information and database access or retrieval (OIDAR) services lists cloud services, software delivered over the internet and digital data storage as examples.[1] Who pays depends on your registration:
- GST-registered firm. CBIC says the recipient in India is liable to pay GST under reverse charge.[1] For software and IT services that is generally IGST at 18%. You self-invoice and pay it in your GSTR-3B.
- Unregistered recipient using it for non-business purposes. The foreign supplier is liable to pay the tax, through a simplified registration.[1] A practice using the tool for its profession should take advice on how this applies to it.
It has to be paid in cash. The CGST Act defines "output tax" to exclude tax payable on reverse charge, and the credit ledger can be used only for output tax, so reverse-charge tax comes out of your cash ledger.[2] You can then usually claim it back as input tax credit if the service is used for your business and the usual conditions are met. For most registered firms the 18% is a cash-flow and compliance cost rather than a final cost. For a firm that can't claim the credit, it is a real 18% on top.
Buying from an Indian vendor is different: the vendor charges GST on its invoice, you pay it as part of the bill, and you claim credit in the normal way.
How do lock-ins, seat rules and onboarding fees add up?
- Multi-year terms. TaxDome Pro is US$900 per seat a year on a 3-year term, US$950 on two years and US$1,000 on one, billed upfront.[7] Financial Cents has a 12-month agreement on all plans.[9] Uku says it has no long-term contracts.[8]
- Monthly premiums and minimums. Karbon Team is US$59 per user a month on annual billing or US$79 monthly, and monthly billing is only available for teams of four or more.[6]
- Small-plan limits. TaxDome Essentials is for one user only.[7] Uku Solo covers one member and 20 active clients.[8]
- Onboarding. Uku includes 90 minutes free, then sells packages at US$700 (up to 4 members) and US$2,000 (up to 15).[8] Jetpack Workflow's optional onboarding package is US$1,500.[10] Software Advice says Canopy charges an implementation fee.[11] Indian tools have these too: Jamku's implementation consulting is mandatory from 15 users, from ₹15,000.[12]
Worked example 1: a 10-person firm on Karbon Team
| Line | US$ equivalent |
|---|---|
| Karbon Team, 10 users × US$59 × 12, annual billing[6] | 7,080 |
| Forex markup at 2.5% (card) | 177 |
| Year-one cost after markup | 7,257 |
| IGST under reverse charge at 18%, paid to the government in rupees | 1,274 |
| Cash out in year one | 8,531 |
| Same team on monthly billing (US$79), before markup | 9,480 |
The markup and IGST are paid in rupees; the table shows their dollar equivalents. At a 3.5% markup, the markup line becomes about US$248. If your firm can claim the IGST back, the net cost is about US$7,257; if it can't, about US$8,531.
Worked example 2: TaxDome Pro on a 3-year term
Ten Pro seats at US$900 a year for three years is US$27,000, billed upfront.[7] Add a 2.5% card markup (about US$675) and 18% IGST under reverse charge (US$4,860, paid to the government in rupees before any credit). That is about US$32,535 leaving the firm at once. On the 1-year term (US$10,000 a year), three years would cost US$30,000 before markup and GST, US$3,000 more, but you could leave after any year.
Worked example 3: Uku Team in pounds, with onboarding
Ten members on Uku Team at £29 a month on annual billing is £3,480, about US$4,594 at £1 = US$1.32. Add the medium onboarding package (US$2,000) and year one is about US$6,594 before markup.[8] A 2.5% markup adds about US$165, and reverse-charge IGST adds the equivalent of US$1,187, paid in rupees. From year two, without onboarding, the licence alone is the £3,480.
How does a rupee-priced tool compare?
A tool that bills you in rupees with GST on the invoice has none of the forex or reverse-charge steps: you pay the invoice, including GST, and claim credit as usual. MyPract, a global, AI-native practice management platform, bills Indian firms this way. For a 10-person firm billed in India, MyPract costs ₹36,000 a year before GST (₹42,480 including GST), with no setup fee, annual billing and no automatic renewal. See pricing.
Compared with the global tools in their own currency, a 10-person firm outside India pays MyPract US$490 a year on the Growing plan, or US$589 in year one if the setup fee is not waived. The three worked examples above cost that team US$7,080 (Karbon Team, annual billing), US$9,000 a year (TaxDome Pro, 3-year term) and £3,480 (Uku Team, about US$4,594 at £1 = US$1.32), before onboarding, forex markup and GST.
To be fair about it:
- Cheaper rupee options exist. Jamku and ERPCA both publish a lower rupee price than MyPract for a 10-person team (ERPCA from 7 users); see the India pricing guide and the most affordable tools worldwide.
- Global tools do things MyPract does not. Karbon's email triage, TaxDome's e-signature, proposals and payments, and US or UK tax integrations are not in MyPract. If your firm serves overseas clients and needs them, the extra cost can be worth paying; see the best software for Indian firms serving US and UK clients.
For the wider shortlist, read the best practice management software for CA firms, Karbon alternatives and TaxDome alternatives for Indian firms.
What should you ask before signing a foreign subscription?
- Which currencies can we pay in, and is there a rupee price?
- What is the price on annual, monthly and multi-year terms, and is a multi-year term billed upfront?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a cap on clients or users per plan?
- Is onboarding, implementation or training charged, and is it mandatory at our size?
- Will you charge us GST, or should we pay it under reverse charge? (Ask your GST adviser too.)
- What is our bank's markup on this card, and is GST added to it?
- If we leave mid-term, is any prepaid amount refunded?
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Start your free trialHow we checked
On 14 October 2026 we read CBIC's guide to OIDAR services and the CGST Act 2017 as published by CBIC, HDFC Bank's fee schedule for its Purchase MoneyBack card, BankBazaar's HDFC and SBI international transaction pages, and the Karbon and Uku pricing pages. TaxDome, Financial Cents, Jetpack Workflow, Canopy and Jamku figures come from our comparisons, verified against vendor pages on 13 October 2026; TaxDome's pages block automated reading, so we relied on their text as shown in search results. No rupee conversions are shown for the global tools, because their vendors quote only in dollars or pounds; pounds convert to US dollars at the ECB cross rate for 13 October 2026, £1 = US$1.32. Where MyPract is set against a global tool we use its US-dollar plans against the vendor's own dollar or pound price; its rupee price is what firms billed in India pay. Worked examples apply the markup and 18% IGST to the dollar list price and show them as dollar equivalents; actual GST is computed in rupees on the value your books record, and your bank's rate will differ. MyPract facts come from our facts page. Every head-to-head comparison is on the compare page.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indian firms pay GST on software bought from a foreign vendor?
Yes. Online software and cloud services from abroad are OIDAR services. If your firm is GST-registered, you pay IGST under reverse charge, generally at 18%. If you are not registered and use the service other than for business, the foreign supplier is liable to pay the tax. Confirm your position with your GST adviser.
Can I claim input tax credit on GST paid under reverse charge?
Usually, if the service is used for your business and the normal conditions are met. But tax under reverse charge must be paid in cash, not from your credit ledger, so you fund it first and claim it back.
How much is the forex markup on a card payment to a foreign software vendor?
It depends on the card. HDFC Bank's Purchase MoneyBack commercial card charges 2.5%. BankBazaar lists 3.5% for many HDFC and SBI cards and 2% for some premium HDFC cards, and says SBI adds taxes on top.
Is a 3-year prepaid plan worth it?
Only if you are sure you will stay. TaxDome Pro is US$900 per seat a year on a 3-year term against US$1,000 on one year, but the 3-year term is billed upfront, which for 10 seats is US$27,000 before forex markup and GST.
What does MyPract cost by comparison?
For a firm billed in India, ₹36,000 a year for 10 users before GST, invoiced in rupees with GST charged on the invoice, with no setup fee, no forex markup and no reverse charge. Jamku and ERPCA both publish a lower rupee price for a team of that size (ERPCA from 7 users). Outside India, the same team pays MyPract US$490 a year in US dollars. Karbon Team charges US$7,080 and TaxDome Pro US$9,000 a year on a 3-year term for ten seats.
Sources
[1] Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, "Online Information Data Base Access and Retrieval (OIDAR) Services in GST", https://cbic-gst.gov.in/hindi/pdf/e-version-gst-fliers/OIDAR_online%20version_online%20version_20_July_2017.pdf (checked 14 October 2026).
[2] Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, "The Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017", sections 2(82) and 49(4), https://cbic-gst.gov.in/pdf/CGST-Act-Updated-30092020.pdf (checked 14 October 2026).
[3] HDFC Bank, "Purchase MoneyBack Credit Card: Fees and charges", https://www.hdfc.bank.in/commercial-credit-cards/purchase-moneyback-credit-card/fees-and-charges (checked 14 October 2026).
[4] BankBazaar, "Check HDFC Credit Card International Transaction Fee Charges", https://www.bankbazaar.com/credit-card/hdfc-credit-card-international-transactions-charges.html (checked 14 October 2026).
[5] BankBazaar, "Check SBI Credit Card International Transaction Fee Charges", https://www.bankbazaar.com/credit-card/sbi-credit-card-international-transactions-charges.html (checked 14 October 2026).
[6] Karbon, "Pricing", https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 14 October 2026).
[7] TaxDome, "Pricing", https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 13 October 2026).
[8] Uku, "Pricing", https://getuku.com/pricing (checked 14 October 2026).
[9] Financial Cents, "Pricing", https://financial-cents.com/pricing/ (checked 13 October 2026).
[10] Jetpack Workflow, "Pricing", https://jetpackworkflow.com/pricing/ (checked 13 October 2026).
[11] Software Advice, "Canopy Software Overview 2026", https://www.softwareadvice.com/product/127735-Canopy-Tax/ (checked 13 October 2026).
[12] Madrecha Solutions, "Jamku pricing", https://madrecha.com/jamku/pricing/ (checked 13 October 2026).
Related reading
- Most Affordable Practice Management Software for Accounting Firms Worldwide (2026)The cheapest practice management software for accounting firms in 2026, per user per year in local currency and US dollars, with free options and hidden costs.
- Practice Management Software Pricing in India 2026: Every Vendor in One TablePublished prices for every practice management tool we compare: Indian tools in rupees, global tools in US dollars, with year-one costs for 5, 10 and 20 users.
- Best TaxDome Alternatives for Indian CA FirmsTaxDome alternatives for Indian CA firms, ranked by what each does best: rupee pricing, data location, forex costs, and when TaxDome is still the right pick.
- MyPract vs Karbon: Collaboration-First Workflow at a Fraction of the PriceLooking for a Karbon alternative? MyPract costs US$490/yr for 10 users, offers a 3-month trial instead of a demo, and adds time approvals.
- MyPract vs TaxDome: All-in-One Breadth or AI-Native Value?Looking for a TaxDome alternative? MyPract is a global, AI-native platform that costs under 6% of TaxDome Pro for 10 users, with no multi-year lock-in.
- Best Karbon Alternatives for Accounting Firms Outside the US (2026)Karbon alternatives for firms in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India, ranked by best fit: local tax workflows, hosting, price and trial terms.
Start with the best practice management software for CA firms, or see every comparison, MyPract pricing, all features or MyPract at a glance.