Voucher Types in Tally

A voucher in Tally is the record you create for each business transaction. The main voucher types are Payment (F5), Receipt (F6), Contra (F4), Sales (F8), Purchase (F9) and Journal (F7). Each one has a shortcut key and a clear purpose: money going out is a Payment, money coming in is a Receipt, and so on. Picking the correct voucher is the difference between clean books and a confused mess.

What a voucher is

Every time money moves or a sale or purchase happens, you tell Tally by passing a voucher. It's the digital version of writing an entry in a register. The voucher type you choose tells Tally what kind of transaction it is, so it can put the amounts in the right accounts.

The main voucher types

When to use each, in one line

• Payment (F5): you paid rent, salary, a supplier, electricity.
• Receipt (F6): a customer paid you, you got interest or other income.
• Contra (F4): you deposited cash into the bank, or withdrew cash from it.
• Sales (F8): you raised a sales invoice to a customer.
• Purchase (F9): you recorded a purchase bill from a supplier.
• Journal (F7): a non-cash adjustment, like charging depreciation.

How to open a voucher

1. From Gateway of Tally, choose Vouchers (or press Alt + G, type "Voucher").
2. Press the function key for the type you want, e.g. F5 for Payment.
3. Set the date with F2 if needed.
4. Enter the ledgers and amounts, then save with Ctrl + A.

Worked example

You pay ₹5,000 office rent in cash:

• Voucher: Payment (F5)
• Debit: Rent ₹5,000
• Credit: Cash ₹5,000

A customer pays you ₹8,000:

• Voucher: Receipt (F6)
• Debit: Cash ₹8,000
• Credit: the customer's ledger ₹8,000

Accounting vs inventory vouchers

The six above are accounting vouchers. Tally also has inventory vouchers (like Stock Journal, Delivery Note) for goods movement without immediate accounting impact. Beginners should master the accounting vouchers first.

Pro tips

• Learn the function keys early. Switching with F5, F6, F8, F9 is much faster than menus.
• Use F2 inside any voucher to change the date before entering.
• If you can't find a voucher type, it may be hidden; enable it under Voucher Types configuration.

Common mistakes

• Using Payment for a purchase on credit. If you didn't pay yet, it's a Purchase (F9) on credit, not a Payment.
• Recording a sale as a Receipt. A Receipt is money coming in; the sale itself is a Sales (F8) voucher. They're often two separate entries.
• Journal for cash transactions. Journal (F7) is for non-cash adjustments. Cash in/out should be Payment or Receipt.

Key takeaways

• A voucher records one transaction; the type tells Tally what kind.
• Contra F4, Payment F5, Receipt F6, Journal F7, Sales F8, Purchase F9.
• Money out = Payment; money in = Receipt; cash↔bank = Contra.
• Sales and Purchase record the invoice; Receipt and Payment record the money.

Practice task

In your practice company, pass these: a Payment for ₹2,000 electricity, a Receipt of ₹10,000 from a customer, and a Contra depositing ₹5,000 cash into the bank. Check each one uses the right function key.

Get confident with every voucher type, hands-on, in the ADFA program at HCI.