GST Consultant in Delhi, Serving All India Online

GST registration is mandatory for businesses with annual turnover exceeding ₹40 lakh (₹20 lakh for services) in normal category states, and ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh for services) in special category states (NE states, Himachal, Uttarakhand, J&K). Registration is also compulsory for inter-state suppliers, e-commerce operators, casual taxable persons, non-resident taxable persons, agents of suppliers, and those required to deduct TDS/TCS under GST regardless of turnover.

The threshold for GST registration is ₹40 lakh for goods suppliers and ₹20 lakh for service providers in most states. In North-Eastern states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir, the threshold is ₹20 lakh for goods and ₹10 lakh for services. These limits apply to aggregate turnover including exempt supplies, exports, and inter-state supplies. Once you cross the threshold, you must register within 30 days. Certain businesses like inter-state suppliers must register regardless of turnover.

GSTR-1 is the outward supply return where you report all your sales invoices — it auto-populates your buyers' GSTR-2A and is used for ITC matching. GSTR-3B is the summary return where you declare your tax liability and claim input tax credit — it is a self-assessed return filed monthly or quarterly. GSTR-1 is due on the 11th and GSTR-3B on the 20th of the following month. Both returns must be filed regularly to avoid late fees and interest. The key difference is that GSTR-1 is invoice-level data while GSTR-3B is summary-level.

GST audit under Section 35(5) is mandatory for businesses with annual aggregate turnover exceeding ₹5 crore in a financial year. The audit must be conducted by a Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant, and the reconciliation statement (GSTR-9C) must be filed along with the annual return (GSTR-9). The due date is December 31st following the end of the financial year (subject to extensions). Even if your turnover is below ₹5 crore, filing GSTR-9 (annual return) is recommended for compliance hygiene.

GST registration can be cancelled voluntarily by the taxpayer or by the tax officer suo moto. For voluntary cancellation, you must file all pending returns, pay any outstanding tax liability, and then apply in Form REG-16. The officer processes the application within 30 days. If cancelled by the officer (for non-filing of returns, fraud, or violation), a show cause notice is issued in Form REG-17. You must respond within 7 working days. Post-cancellation, you must file returns for the period up to the cancellation date and surrender the GST certificate.