Accountant interview questions

Accountant interview questions and answers

Accountant interviews in India test accounting basics, GST and TDS, and practical work in Tally or ERP software. These are the questions asked most, with what each one checks.

What to revise before the interview

  • Golden rules of accounting and journal entries
  • Accrual vs cash basis
  • Trial balance, P&L and balance sheet
  • Bank reconciliation statement
  • Depreciation: straight-line vs written-down value
  • GST: CGST, SGST, IGST, input tax credit, returns
  • TDS: deduction, deposit and returns
  • Tally Prime or ERP vouchers and reports

  1. 1.What are the golden rules of accounting?

    What they're checking
    Foundation - asked in nearly every fresher interview.
    How to answer
    Personal accounts: debit the receiver, credit the giver. Real accounts: debit what comes in, credit what goes out. Nominal accounts: debit expenses and losses, credit incomes and gains.

  2. 2.Pass the journal entry for rent paid in cash.

    What they're checking
    Applying the rules.
    How to answer
    Rent account debit (nominal - expense), cash account credit (real - goes out). Be ready for entries like salary payable, purchase on credit and depreciation.

  3. 3.Accrual vs cash basis of accounting?

    What they're checking
    Core concept.
    How to answer
    Accrual records income and expenses when earned or incurred, regardless of payment; cash basis records them when money moves. Companies generally follow accrual.

  4. 4.What is a bank reconciliation statement, and why do differences arise?

    What they're checking
    Daily accounting work.
    How to answer
    It matches the cash book with the bank statement. Differences come from cheques issued but not presented, deposits not yet credited, bank charges and interest, and errors.

  5. 5.Straight-line vs written-down value depreciation?

    What they're checking
    Fixed asset accounting.
    How to answer
    Straight-line charges the same amount each year; written-down value charges a fixed percentage on the reducing balance - higher in early years.

  6. 6.Explain CGST, SGST and IGST.

    What they're checking
    GST is part of almost every accounting job in India.
    How to answer
    Within a state, the tax is split into CGST (centre) and SGST (state). Between states, IGST applies. Give an example of an intra-state and an inter-state sale.

  7. 7.What is input tax credit?

    What they're checking
    GST working knowledge.
    How to answer
    GST paid on business purchases can be set off against GST collected on sales, if conditions are met - such as having a valid invoice and the supplier having filed and paid. Know which items are blocked.

  8. 8.What is TDS, and what are your responsibilities around it?

    What they're checking
    Compliance.
    How to answer
    Tax deducted at source on payments like salary, rent and professional fees at prescribed rates. The company deducts it, deposits it by the due date and files TDS returns; check current rates and thresholds before answering numbers.

  9. 9.What do you do at month-end closing?

    What they're checking
    Practical experience.
    How to answer
    Record accruals and prepaid adjustments, reconcile bank and ledger accounts, post depreciation, review vendor and customer balances, and prepare the trial balance and reports.

  10. 10.Which vouchers do you use in Tally?

    What they're checking
    Software readiness.
    How to answer
    Payment, receipt, contra, journal, sales and purchase vouchers - and credit and debit notes. Say what you've done in Tally Prime or another ERP and which reports you prepared.

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Frequently asked questions

What should a B.Com fresher prepare for an accountant interview?

Journal entries, final accounts, bank reconciliation, depreciation, GST and TDS basics, and Tally. Practise entries out loud - interviewers often ask several in a row.

Is Tally still asked in interviews?

Yes, for many small and mid-size companies. Larger companies may use SAP or Oracle, but the accounting concepts are the same.

Do I need to know current GST and TDS rates?

Know the common ones for the roles you're applying to, and check them before the interview - rates and thresholds change with budgets and notifications.

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