Odoo 20 for India: GST, TDS and Payroll Changes to Test Before You Upgrade

Odoo 20 was unveiled at Odoo Experience in September 2026, and a press article published on 13 October describes new India-specific compliance features. That article is sponsored content, not an official Odoo publication, so treat what follows as a preview and confirm it against Odoo's release notes before you plan an upgrade.

What has been reported

GST

• Support for the GST Composition Scheme, including CMP-08 and GSTR-4 returns
• QRMP (quarterly return, monthly payment) workflows

Imports and costing

• A Bill of Entry flow for imported goods
• Customs duty included in inventory costing through landed costs

Accounting

• Credit notes for price adjustments
• Financial statements formatted under Schedule III, Division I of the Companies Act

TDS

• Flexible processing: "TDS & Payment", "TDS Only" or "Payment Only"
• Monthly TDS challans and quarterly return generation (the article names Form 138)

Payroll

• TDS declarations raised from the employee profile
• New gratuity and EPF reports
• Sandwich leave options, a notice period tab and full-and-final settlement payslips
• A salary configurator and an HDFC eNET file export

The article does not mention e-invoicing or e-way bills, so check the release notes if you depend on them.

Who is most likely to benefit

• Small traders and dealers on the composition scheme
• Importers who currently calculate landed costs by hand
• Companies with many TDS deductions each month
• Growing teams that run payroll inside Odoo

How to test safely

1. Upgrade a copy, never production. Use a staging database with real data.
2. Re-run a past GST period and compare totals with what your chartered accountant actually filed.
3. Walk one import shipment end to end, from purchase to Bill of Entry to landed cost, and check the stock valuation.
4. Try each TDS mode and confirm the challan amounts match your books.
5. Run one month of payroll in parallel and compare net pay, EPF, gratuity and settlement figures with your current process.
6. Test the bank file with your bank. A format built for one bank will not necessarily work for another.
7. Keep your CA in the loop. Software can support compliance, but filings remain your responsibility.

Pick the right moment

Avoid upgrading close to GST filing dates, quarterly TDS returns or the financial year-end. A quiet month with time for parallel runs is far safer.

Need help?

KalzTech implements, customises and upgrades Odoo for Indian businesses, including GST, TDS and payroll setups. If you want a staging upgrade and a test plan before you commit, talk to our team.