Bahi-Khata Support & About
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Troubleshooting and questions

The problems people run into most, what causes each one, and how to fix it.

#The launcher says files are missing, or to extract the ZIP

The launcher was opened from inside the ZIP, or the ZIP was only partly extracted. Close it, right-click the ZIP, choose Extract All…, and open the launcher from the extracted folder. Keep the launcher and the _system folder together. See Extract the ZIP before opening anything.

#Windows blocked the launcher

Click More info, then Run anyway. If it still will not open, right-click the launcher, choose Properties and tick Unblock. See "Windows protected your PC".

#The install stopped with an error

  • "Could not download Node.js" or "could not install the app's dependencies": the first install needs the internet. Check the connection, or a work proxy or firewall, and click Install again. It carries on where it stopped.
  • "Node.js was downloaded but will not run": antivirus probably removed it. Add the app's folder to your antivirus exclusions, or install Node.js yourself from nodejs.org, then click Install again.

#"Cannot connect", a blank page, or "Needs a Quick Start"

The app is not running. Open the Bahi-Khata shortcut and click Open App; it starts the app if needed and opens the right address. You never need to type the address yourself; if its usual port is busy, the app picks another and the shortcut follows it.

#The invoice has the wrong tax split

  • Check your own state in Settings.
  • Check the client's state, or their GSTIN, which fills the state in.
  • If goods go to a different state from the client's address, set Place of Supply on the invoice.
  • For a client abroad, set their country: it is then an export, charged as IGST. For an SEZ unit, tick SEZ on the client.

See How GST is worked out.

#No GST is charged at all

The Tax % column is probably turned off under Customize. Turning it off removes GST from the invoice, and your choice carries over to new invoices. Tick it again. Bills of supply and delivery challans never charge GST.

#Something is missing from the PDF

  • Logo, signature or stamp: check it is uploaded and saved in Settings, and ticked under Customize.
  • UPI QR code: needs a UPI ID on the account, a rupee invoice, and UPI QR ticked under Customize.
  • Bank details or PAN: tick Bank details under Customize; the account needs a bank name.
  • Anything on a receipt printer: receipts leave some things out on purpose. See What a receipt leaves out.

#GSTR-1 export says "blocked"

An invoice number is too long or has characters the portal refuses, or an item has a GST rate the portal does not accept. The message names the first one. See Checks before the file is made.

#An update went wrong

Your data folder is never changed by an update, and a backup was saved in Documents\FreeGSTBill Backups before it started. Run the update again, which fixes most problems. If it still fails, download the ZIP and extract it over the app folder by hand.

#It says VAT instead of GST, or the other way round

Change Region in Settings, and check your country in Company Details. Tax names follow the seller's country.

#Reading a bill photo failed

Use a sharp, straight, well-lit JPG or PNG under 8 MB, cropped to the bill. If it still fails, reload the page with Ctrl + F5 and try again, or enter the bill by hand.

#Can I use it on my phone or another computer?

The app runs on the computer it is installed on, and only that computer can open it. It has no login, so it is deliberately not shared over your network, where anyone connected could read your books. To work on another computer, move your data there.

#Does it need the internet?

Only to install and to update. Invoices, reports, GST returns and even reading bills from photos all work offline. Google Drive upload uses the internet too.

#Is my data sent anywhere?

No. There is no account, no tracking and no server of ours. Your data stays in the app's folder unless you choose Google Drive, which copies files into your own Drive.

#Reporting a problem

Write to [email protected] or WhatsApp +91 99993 56536 with a screenshot, the version from Settings, App Updates, and what you did just before it happened. Fixes and new versions come from these reports.