GST Registration in India – A Comprehensive Guide

GST Registration in IndiaGoods and Services Tax (GST) registration in India is not a complicated process as its concept is grasped easily by business all around India. Nonetheless, there are certain requirements and essential documents needed as well as step by step processes that have to be carried out by businesses to be fully registered in India.

 

What is GST?

Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect tax charged on the supply of goods and services. GST exists to simplify the collection of taxes that were once imposed by Value Added Tax (VAT). This GST law, which was established on the 1st of July 2017 has replaced many indirect tax laws that had previously existed in India. Therefore, it is mandatory for GST to be registered for any business with the exemption of goods and services under certain categories such as agriculture, transportation, medical services and others

 

Who Should Register for GST?

  • Individuals registered under the Pre-GST law
  • Businesses with turnover above the threshold limit of Rs. 40 Lakhs
  • Casual taxable person
  • Non-Resident taxable person
  • Agents of a supplier & input service distributor
  • Taxpayers under the reverse charge mechanism
  • Suppliers who use e-commerce aggregators
  • All e-commerce aggregators
  • Person supplying online information and database access or retrieval services from outside of India to a person in India

 

GST Registration Checklist

The GST registration process is completely digitized and can be done online without the involvement of any physical hard copies. In addition to your convenience, there are only 3 required parts involved in the registration of GST as listed below:

Part I

  1. A valid mobile number
  2. An email address
  3. Permanent Account Number (PAN) for the business.

 

Part II – Scanned copies of the following:

  1. Valid Bank Account Number and IFSC
  2. Proof of constitution / incorporation of business
  3. Deed of Partnership (in the case of a partnership firm)
  4. Registration Certificate of the business entity
  5. Proof of primary place of business
  6. Photo of one of the followings:
    • Promoter
    • Director
    • Partner (in the case of a partnership firm)
    • Karta of Hindu undivided family (HUF)
  7. Proof of appointment of Authorised Signatory.
  8. Photo of Authorised Signatory
  9. Front / first page of bank passbook or statement which includes:
    • Bank account number
    • Branch address
    • Address of account holder
    • Latest transaction details

 

Part III – Digital Signature Certificate registration

  1. A Digital Dongle (along with a DSC software)

 

Steps to Register for GST Online

Step 1: Generate Your GST Application Form

  1. Enter this website https://www.gst.gov.in/ (Official GST Web page) and under the services tab, select Services > Registration > New Registration.
  2. When you are in the registration page, fill in the requested information (such as your PAN number, mobile number and email address).
  3. Select proceed after entering the details and you will receive two separate OTPs on both your phone and your email for verification (valid for 10 minutes).
    After the verification process, you will receive you Temporary Reference Number (TRN).
  4. To use your Temporary Reference Number (TRN), proceed to Services > Registration > New Registration option and select the TRN radio button to login using the TRN.
  5. Using the Temporary Reference Number (TRN) generated, input the number into the TRN field as well as the shown captcha text.
  6. Afterwards, you will be requested to verify using a new set of OTPs (from both your email and phone).
  7. Following the second verification process, you will be taken to “My Saved Application” on the webpage. You will then be required to complete and submit a form within 15 days. After filling in the necessary details, click on the “Edit” button and you can continue to Step 2.

 

Step 2: Filling in Your GST Application Form

It is necessary to discuss with your Chartered Accountant (CA) or Tax Consultant or GST Practitioner prior to submitting the form.

  1. Fill in the requested information, then press “Save & Continue”.
  2. Under the ‘Business’ and the ‘Promoters / Partners’ tab, fill in the required details, with the mandatory fields being highlighted. In addition, you should provide evidence on the constitution of the business.
  3. Fill in the ‘Authorized Signatory’ information. In the case where e-sign is used in the form, your mobile/email of the Authorized Signatory will be used. But do note that the PAN of your Authorized Signatory must be linked to the DSC should you choose to sign in with DSC.

 

Step 3: Digital Signature Certificate Registration

It is necessary to digitally sign the form to verify your GST application. It is essential for:

  1. For India Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is mandatory.
  2. Only Authorized Signatory mentioned in the registration form are allowed to be used for registration and as digital signatures.
  3. For other methods of verification (other than DSC), refer to Step 4.
  4. If you chose DSC as your method of verification, please have your DSC software installed onto your computer beforehand. And follow the instructions below:
  5. To acquire a DSC, certifying authorities from the website (http://www.cca.gov.in/) should be contacted for more information.
  6. Have the DSC Dongle ready as soon as you have the DSC software installed. (You would have received the dongle along with the software)
  7. You will be required to install Emsigner to sign into the GST form. (You can also install the DSC Signer from emisgner.com)

 

Step 4: Confirmation and Submission for Your GST Application

There are 3 verification approaches to submit the application:

  1. Verification with DSC: Refer to ‘Step 3’
  2. Verification with e-signature:
    Upon completion, choose a service provider. Afterwards, an OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number and email. (If you receive a “Success” message, you may skip to the next section.)
  3. Verification with EVC:
    Upon completion, choose a service provider. Afterwards, an OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number and email.
    (If you receive a “Success” message, you may skip to the next section.)

 

After the verification process, your mobile and email will acquire an Application Reference Number (ARN). This reference number can be used to monitor your application status. (Services > Registration > Track Application).

Following the completion of your application process, once “Approved” has been displayed on your Application Status, you should receive an SMS and an email. With indications of a Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTIN), a GSTIN number (your temporary user name) and your password being generated. Use the username and password provided to login to the GST website.

Upon entering the GST portal, click onto “First-time login” option in the “Login” page. You will then be recommended to alter your username and password.

Your Registration Certificate should be ready to download within 3-5 days.

(To download the certificate, log in with your valid details on https://www.gst.gov.in/)

Finally, go to Services > User Services > View or Download Certificates to download your Registration Certificate.

 

Services We Provide at 3E Accounting

At 3E Accounting, we understand that the process of applying for GST may be complicated and might be much of a hassle, which is why we recommend our services. 3E Accounting has had many years of irrefutable success of helping our clients go through the GST registration process thoroughly and efficiently. Therefore, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our dynamic team of professionals at 3E Accounting for any further inquiries or guidance.

GST Registration in India