How to Create a Company in Tally ERP 9 (Step-by-Step with Shortcut)
Quick answer: To create a company in Tally ERP 9, open Tally and go to Gateway of Tally > Alt+F3 (Company Info) > Create Company. Enter the company name, mailing details, state, financial year start date and an optional TallyVault password. Then press Enter (or Ctrl+A) to save. The whole process takes under 5 minutes.
Key takeaways
- The shortcut to create a company in Tally ERP 9 is Alt+F3, then C.
- The Financial Year and TallyVault password are the two fields you cannot afford to get wrong.
- A TallyVault password is case-sensitive and cannot be recovered if you forget it.
- Tally ERP 9 still works in 2026, but it no longer receives statutory updates. New users should consider TallyPrime.
Creating a company is the first thing you do in Tally ERP 9. Every ledger, voucher and report you make later lives inside a company, so getting the setup right saves you hours of corrections. You can create as many companies as you need, for example one per business, branch or financial year.
This guide walks you through every step and every field on the Company Creation screen. It also covers how to alter, select, shut and delete a company, a practice example, common errors, and what changed for Tally ERP 9 users in 2026.
Before You Start
Keep these details ready before you open the Company Creation screen. Having them at hand means you can finish in one go.
- Legal or trade name of the business
- Full address, state and PIN code
- Phone number, email ID and website (optional)
- Financial year start date (in India, usually 1 April)
- Date your books begin, if different from the financial year start
- GSTIN, if you plan to enable GST later
- A strong password, if you want to use TallyVault or Security Control
- The folder where you want to store company data
Also confirm which version you have. Look at the product name on the startup screen or the window title: if it says Tally.ERP 9, follow this guide. If it says TallyPrime, see the TallyPrime section further down.
How to Create a Company in Tally ERP 9: Step by Step
You can reach the Company Creation screen from the menu or with a shortcut. Both paths open the same screen.
- Launch Tally ERP 9. Double-click the Tally.ERP 9 icon on your desktop. The Gateway of Tally screen opens.
- Open Company Info. Press Alt+F3, or click F3: Cmp Info on the right button bar. If no company exists yet, the Company Info menu opens automatically.
- Select Create Company. Press C or click Create Company. The Company Creation screen appears.
- Fill in the company details. Enter the directory, name, mailing details, financial year, security options and base currency. Each field is explained in the tables below.
- Save the company. Press Enter until you reach the Accept prompt, then press Y or Enter. You can also press Ctrl+A to accept at any point. Tally loads the new company and returns you to the Gateway of Tally.
Shortcut summary
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open Company Info | Alt+F3 |
| Create Company | Alt+F3, then C |
| Accept and save the screen | Ctrl+A |
| Quit without saving | Esc |
| Select (load) a company | F1 at Gateway of Tally |
| Shut a company | Alt+F1 at Gateway of Tally |
For the full list, see our guide to Tally shortcut keys for TallyPrime and ERP 9.
Company Creation Screen: Every Field Explained
The Company Creation screen has five parts: Directory and Name, Primary Mailing and Contact Details, Books and Financial Year Details, Security Control, and Base Currency Information. Only the company name and the financial year dates are mandatory.
| Field | What to enter | Example | Required? |
| Directory | Folder where Tally stores the company data. Press Backspace to change it. Default is C:\Users\Public\Tally.ERP9\Data | C:\TallyData | Yes (auto-filled) |
| Name | Name used to identify the company inside Tally | Sharma Traders Pune | Yes |
| Mailing Name | Name printed on invoices, ledgers and reports. Copied from Name by default | Sharma Traders Pvt Ltd | Yes (auto-filled) |
| Address | Full postal address, printed on invoices and reports | 12 FC Road, Shivajinagar | No |
| Country | Country whose statutory features you need. Sets the base currency | India | Yes |
| State | Your state. Needed for GST calculations later | Maharashtra | Yes for India |
| Pincode | Postal PIN code | 411005 | No |
| Telephone, Mobile, Fax | Contact numbers | 9876543210 | No |
| Business email ID | [email protected] | No | |
| Website | Business website | sharmatraders.in | No |
| Financial year beginning from | Start of your 12-month accounting year | 1-4-2026 | Yes |
| Books beginning from | Date of your first entry. Same as the financial year unless the business started mid-year | 1-4-2026 | Yes |
Financial year tip: In India the financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. If your business started on, say, 15 August, keep the financial year as 1 April and set Books beginning from to 15 August. Tally will not accept vouchers dated before the books start.
Directory tip: Store company data outside the C drive, or back it up regularly. If Windows needs to be reinstalled, data in the default folder is easy to lose.
Base Currency Information Fields
Base Currency Information sits at the bottom of the Company Creation screen. Tally fills it automatically from the country you select, so most Indian users can leave it unchanged.
| Field | What it does | Default for India |
| Base currency symbol | Symbol shown next to amounts | ₹ |
| Formal name | Full name of the currency | INR |
| Suffix symbol to amount? | Yes places the symbol after the amount, for currencies written that way (for example, 5000 Yen). No places it before | No |
| Add space between amount and symbol? | Yes shows ₹ 500; No shows ₹500 | No |
| Show amount in millions? | Yes displays reports in millions instead of lakhs and crores | No |
| Number of decimal places | Decimals used for amounts. Can be set from 0 to 4 | 2 |
| Word representing amount after decimal | Name of the decimal unit used when amounts are printed in words | paise |
| No. of decimal places for amount in words | Decimals used when amounts are printed in words. Must be equal to or less than the number of decimal places | 2 |
Common mistake: Many guides say Suffix symbol to amount puts the symbol before the amount. It does the opposite. Leave it at No for rupees.
Security Control, TallyVault and Tally Audit
Tally ERP 9 offers three security options on the Company Creation screen. They solve different problems, so it helps to know what each one does before you switch it on.
| Option | What it does | Use it when |
| TallyVault password | Encrypts the company data so it cannot be read without the password, even outside Tally | The data is sensitive or the computer is shared |
| Use Security Control | Creates an administrator login and lets you set user-level access rights | Several people use Tally and need different permissions |
| Use Tally Audit features | Lets the administrator or an auditor track changes to vouchers and masters | You want a record of who changed what |
| Disallow opening in educational mode | Stops the company from opening in the free educational version | You want to stop the data being opened on an unlicensed copy |
Warning: The TallyVault and administrator passwords are case-sensitive. If you forget them, Tally Solutions cannot recover them, and neither can anyone else. Write the password down and store it somewhere safe before you accept the screen.
About educational mode: The free educational version of Tally ERP 9 lets you record vouchers only on the first and last day of a month. It is fine for learning, but not for real accounts.
Practice Example: Create a Sample Company
The fastest way to learn is to create a practice company. Use the details below, then delete the company when you are done.
| Field | Value to enter |
| Name | Sunrise Electronics Pvt Ltd |
| Address | 45 MG Road, Andheri East, Mumbai |
| Country | India |
| State | Maharashtra |
| Pincode | 400069 |
| Mobile | 9800012345 |
| [email protected] | |
| Financial year beginning from | 1-4-2026 |
| Books beginning from | 1-4-2026 |
| TallyVault password | Leave blank for practice |
| Use Security Control | No |
After you press Ctrl+A, the Gateway of Tally should show Sunrise Electronics Pvt Ltd as the current company with the period 1-Apr-2026 to 31-Mar-2027. If you see that, your company is created correctly.
Next practice step: Create two ledgers (a bank account and a sales account) and record one sales voucher. This confirms the company works end to end.
How to Select, Shut, Alter and Delete a Company
Once your company exists, you will manage it from the Gateway of Tally. Here are the four tasks you will need most often.
How to select (load) a company in Tally ERP 9
- At the Gateway of Tally, press F1 or click F1: Select Cmp.
- Pick the company from the List of Companies and press Enter.
- Enter the TallyVault or user password if prompted.
You can load more than one company at a time in Tally ERP 9. Press F1 again to add another.
How to shut a company
- At the Gateway of Tally, press Alt+F1 or click Shut Cmp.
- Select the company to close and press Enter.
How to alter a company
- Load the company, then press Alt+F3 to open Company Info.
- Select Alter and press Enter.
- Choose the company from the List of Companies.
- Change the required fields on the Company Alteration screen.
- Press Ctrl+A to save.
You can change the name, address, state, contact details and passwords at any time. Changing the financial year start after you have entered vouchers is not recommended.
How to delete a company
- Load the company you want to delete.
- Press Alt+F3, select Alter and choose the company.
- On the Company Alteration screen, press Alt+D.
- Confirm with Yes.
Warning: Deleting a company is permanent. Take a backup first (Gateway of Tally > Alt+F3 > Backup) in case you need the data later.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
Most company creation problems come from the data folder, dates or passwords. Here are the issues readers hit most often.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
| Create Company option is missing | A company is already loaded and Company Info shows other options | Press Alt+F3; Create Company is always the first option in the menu |
| Vouchers rejected with a date error | Voucher date is before Books beginning from | Alter the company and correct Books beginning from, or change the voucher date |
| Company not shown in List of Companies | Data is stored in a different directory | On the Select Company screen, change the data path to the correct folder |
| Cannot open company after setting a password | TallyVault password typed with wrong case | Check Caps Lock; passwords are case-sensitive and cannot be reset |
| Can only enter vouchers on certain dates | Tally is running in educational mode | Activate a licence; educational mode allows entries only on the first and last day of a month |
| Company data missing after Windows reinstall | Data was in the default C drive folder | Restore from backup; in future store data on another drive |
Tally ERP 9 vs TallyPrime: Company Creation Differences
The fields you fill in are almost the same in both versions. What changes is how you reach the screen.
| Tally ERP 9 | TallyPrime | |
| Path to create a company | Gateway of Tally > Alt+F3 > Create Company | Alt+K (Company menu) > Create |
| Shortcut | Alt+F3, then C | Alt+K, then C |
| Menu style | Button bar on the right side | Top menu bar with Company, Data, Exchange and more |
| Loading several companies | Press F1 repeatedly | Select companies one at a time, or set them to load on startup |
| Statutory updates (GST, e-invoicing) | Stopped | Active |
Is Tally ERP 9 still supported in 2026?
Tally ERP 9 still opens and works, but it is a legacy product. Release 6.6.3 was the final build, and Tally Solutions no longer issues statutory updates for it. From 16 August 2026, Tally Solutions discontinued TSS (Tally Software Services) renewals for Tally ERP 9 licences.
What this means for you:
- Learning Tally for a course or job interview? Tally ERP 9 is fine, and the concepts carry over to TallyPrime.
- Running a GST-registered business? Move to TallyPrime. ERP 9 will not keep up with GST portal and e-invoicing changes.
- Migrating? Back up every ERP 9 company first. Data converted to TallyPrime cannot be opened in Tally ERP 9 again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut key to create a company in Tally ERP 9?
Press Alt+F3 at the Gateway of Tally to open Company Info, then press C for Create Company. In TallyPrime, the shortcut is Alt+K, then C.
Can I create multiple companies in Tally ERP 9?
Yes. There is no limit on the number of companies you can create with one licence. Each company keeps its own ledgers, vouchers and reports.
What happens if I forget my TallyVault password?
You lose access to that company’s data. TallyVault passwords cannot be recovered or reset, even by Tally Solutions. Your only option is to restore an older backup taken without the password.
Can I change the financial year after creating a company?
You can alter it from Alt+F3 > Alter, but avoid it once vouchers are entered. To move to a new year, use Change Period (Alt+F2) or split the company data instead.
Where does Tally ERP 9 store company data?
By default, in C:\Users\Public\Tally.ERP9\Data. Each company gets a numbered folder, such as 10000 or 10001. You can change the location in the Directory field.
How do I create a company in Tally ERP 9 with GST?
Create the company first with the correct state. Then go to Gateway of Tally > F11: Features > Statutory and Taxation, set Enable Goods and Services Tax (GST) to Yes, and enter your GSTIN.
Can I open Tally ERP 9 data in TallyPrime?
Yes. TallyPrime converts ERP 9 data when you open it. The conversion is one-way, so keep a backup of the original ERP 9 data.
Tally me company kaise banaye?
Gateway of Tally par Alt+F3 dabayein, phir Create Company (C) chunein. Company ka naam, address, state aur financial year bharein, phir Ctrl+A dabakar save karein.
Conclusion: What to Do After Creating Your Company
Creating a company in Tally ERP 9 takes one shortcut (Alt+F3, then C) and about five minutes. Get the financial year, state and password right, and the rest of your accounting will rest on a clean setup.
Your next steps:
- Enable GST from F11: Features if your business is registered.
- Create ledgers for bank, cash, sales, purchases and parties.
- Record your first voucher and check the Day Book.
- Take a backup and store it off your computer.
If you are setting up accounts for a live business in 2026, consider starting directly in TallyPrime, since it is the version that still receives statutory updates.
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