GST Return Filing in India

Goods and services Tax Return Filing

What is GST return filing?

A GST return file is a document that contains information about a taxpayer's earnings that must be filed with the tax authorities. Tax officials use this to figure out the tax liability. GST-registered businesses must file GST returns on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, depending on the type of their business operations.

The specifications of the sales or purchases of goods and services, as well as the tax collected and paid, must be included here. In India, the deployment of a holistic income tax system like GST has assured that taxpayer services like registrations, returns, and conformity are all in line and completely linked.

Filing GST return is compulsory in India for all organizations that have a valid GST registration, regardless of their business activity, sales, or profitability during the accounting periods. As a result, even an inactive business with a legitimate GST registration is required to file GST returns.

Individual taxpayers must file four forms of GST returns for supply, returns for products purchased, monthly returns, and yearly returns.

Eligibility for filing GST returns

• GST returns must be filed by any business that is registered with the Indian tax administration.
• For any business whose annual turnover exceeds Rs. 20 lakhs per annum, it is mandatory for them to obtain GST registration and file GST returns.
• For special states, the turnover limit is Rs. 10 lakhs

Types of GST returns:

Various types of GST returns filed by normal taxpayers are:

GSTR 1	Description of the taxable goods and/or services that were supplied outward	Monthy or Quarterly(if opted under QRMP scheme i.e., Quarterly Return Filing and Monthly Payment of Taxes (QRMP) scheme)
GSTR 3B	GSTR 3B is a self-declaration filed on a monthly basis. It provides a summary of the following information: All supplies made outward Input tax credit claimed Liability for taxes Taxes that have been paid.	Monthy or Quarterly(if opted under QRMP scheme i.e., Quarterly Return Filing and Monthly Payment of Taxes (QRMP) scheme)
CMP 08	A taxpayer enrolled under the composition system under Section 10 of the CGST Act can use a statement cum challan to make a tax payment.	Quarterly
GSTR 4	Section 10 of the CGST Act mandates the filing of returns by taxpayers who are enrolled under the composition scheme.	Annually
GSTR 5	The GSTR-5 form is for non-resident foreign taxpayers who conduct business in India. What are the ramifications of these returns? They include the following information: Outward supplies done Arrival of inbound supplies	Monthy
GSTR 6	To disburse the eligible input tax credit, the input service distributor must file this form.	Monthy
GSTR 7	Persons who are obligated to deduct TDS under GST must file Form GSTR-7. "Tax deducted at source" is what TDS stands for. This is filed by the government authorities.	Monthy
GSTR 8	Filed by e-commerce operators	Monthy
GSTR 9	Taxpayers registered under GST	Annually
GSTR 9C	Statement of certified reconciliation	Annually
GSTR 10	Is filed by those whose GST registration was surrendered or cancelled.	If GST registration is cancelled or surrendered.
GSTR 11	For refund claims by foreign diplomatic missions and embassies.	Monthy

GST calendar with due dates for filing GST returns

Type of GST return	Due date
GSTR 1	The 11th of the following month/the 13th of the following quarter.
GSTR 3B	The 20th of the subsequent month/ 22nd or 24th of the subsequent quarter.
CMP 08	The 18th of the month after the quarter.
GSTR 4	18th of the month succeeding the quarter
GSTR 5	20th of the following month
GSTR 6	13th of the subsequent month
GSTR 7	10th of the subsequent month
GSTR 8	10th of the next month
GSTR 9	31st December of the coming financial year
GSTR 10	Three months from the date of cancellation order, whichever succeeds the other.
GSTR 11	The 28th of the month following the month for which the statement is being filed.

The procedure for filing GST return online:

Every year, all taxpayers, from manufacturers and suppliers to dealers and consumers, must file tax returns with the GST administration. The new GST regime has simplified the process of filing tax returns.GST returns could be filed online utilizing GSTN software or apps, which will auto-fill the details on each GSTR form. The following mentioned procedure describes the steps for filing a GST return online:

• Step 1: Go to the GST website (www.gst.gov.in).
• Step 2:A 15-digit GST identity number will be assigned to you based on your state code and PAN number.
• Step 3: Upload invoices to the GST website or software. An invoice reference number would be given to each invoice.
• Step:4 After submitting invoices, you must complete an outward return, an interior return, and a cumulative monthly return online. If necessary, you can fix any mistakes and resubmit the returns.
• Step:5 On or before the 10th of the following month, file the outward supply returns in GSTR-1 form using the information part of the GST Common Portal (GSTN).
• Step:6 The recipient will get details of outbound supply provided by the supplier in GSTR-2A.
• Step:7 The recipient must verify, authenticate, and alter the specifics of outgoing supplies, as well as file credit or debit note information.
• Step 8: The recipient must enter information about inward supplies of taxable goods and services on the GSTR-2 form.
• Step:9 The provider has the option of accepting or rejecting the recipient's GSTR-1A adjustments to the specifics of inward shipments.

Documents required for filing GST return:

The list of documents required for filing GST return are:

1. B2B Invoices is a listing of all invoices issued to anyone who has a valid GSTIN. The GSTN must be used to upload these invoices. The document does not have to be included in the invoice when it is uploaded to GSTN. In the GSTN-accepted format, only the following information regarding a B2B invoice must be uploaded: Customers GSTIN Invoice Category Location of Supply Number of Invoices Date of Invoice Value Subject to Taxation Rate of GST The amount of IGST that applies The amount of CGST that applies The amount of SGST that applies The amount of GST that will be charged If there is a GST Reverse Charge applicable

List of all invoices (B2C services)List of all invoices sent to non-GSTIN individuals (B2C invoices) with an invoice value greater than Rs.2.5 lakhs. The GSTN must receive details of all B2C invoices having a value of more than Rs.2.5 lakh. The B2C large invoice information listed below must be uploaded to the GSTIN. Number of the invoice Date of invoice The invoice's total value Value subject to taxation The applicable GST rate is The amount of IGST that applies The amount of CGST that applies The amount of SGST that applies The amount of GST that will be charged Location of Supply

Consolidated intra-state and inter-state sales.

All export bills must be submitted with the GSTN. For all export invoices issued, the following information must be included in the GSTR1 report. Customers GSTIN Invoice Category Number of Invoices Date of Invoice Number on the Shipping Bill Date of Bill of Lading Code of the Port Value Subject to Taxation Rate of GST The amount of IGST that applies The amount of CGST that applies The amount of SGST that applies The amount of GST that will be charged

HSN wise summary details of all goods sold

Summary of documents issued during the tax period i.e., credit note, debit note, amendments, and advance receipts

GST return filing under composition scheme:

The GSTR-4 form is just the annual return form for taxpayers who have chosen the GST Composition scheme as part of the new indirect tax regime. Taxpayers will only have to file one return every fiscal year under the GST composition scheme.

In addition, taxpayers will be required to complete Form CMP-08 for payment every quarter of the year. Every CMP-08 submission is due on the 18th of the following quarter. A GST return filed by a supplier under the composition scheme must include the following information:

• According to the invoice the Inter-State and intra-State inward supplies received from registered and unregistered individuals
• The consolidated details about outward supplies.

Furthermore, if a taxable person chooses to pay tax under the composition scheme from the start of a financial year, the taxpayer must file monthly GST returns on the 10th, 15th, and 20th of each month, and monthly returns until the due date of providing the return for the month of September of the following financial year, or the furnishing of the previous financial year's annual return, whichever comes first. As a result, even if a GST taxable person chooses the composition scheme beginning in April, the taxpayer must continue to file monthly GST returns until September.

Penalties on late filing/ defaulting of GST returns

Return filing is compulsory under GST. A NIL return must be filed even if there is no transaction. Not filing a GST return within the stipulated time period (including extension) is seen as non-compliance with the law and it attracts strict penalty costs. The amount charged for late fees varies depending upon the type of return filing. The 3 types are:

• Late fee charged for non-annual GST returns
• Late fee charged on annual GST returns
• Late fee applicable on filing NIL returns.

The description of these is as follows:

• Late fee charged on non-annual GST returns: If somehow the taxpayer fails to submit the GST return on time, the CGST Act poses a late fine of Rs. 100 and the SGST Act imposes a late fine of Rs. 100. As a result, a daily late fee amount of INR 200 is charged. Every day until the taxes are filed and the late fees are paid, this fee accumulates. The total amount collected cannot exceed INR 5000. For the interstate goods also, the per day and maximum charges apply.
• Late fee charged on annual GST returns: Annual GST GST returns, similar to non-annual GST returns, are subject to late penalties of INR 100 per day under CGST law and INR 100 per day under SGST law. As a result, a total of INR 200 per day is payable until late fees are paid. The maximum penalty amount in a given financial year cannot go beyond 0.25 percent of the taxpayer's total turnover.
• Late fee applicable on filing NIL returns: A NIL return must be filed within the specified time period even when there is no GST return amount to be paid to the tax authority. If the deadline for filing NIL returns is missed, then a late fee is charged on a per-day basis. INR 50 is charged every day under the CGST Act, while INR 50 is applicable per day under the SGST Act. In total, a late cost of INR 100 per day is charged for the late filing of NIL returns until the date of fee payment.

Due to some technical difficulties that businesses were facing on the GST portal and frequent amendments of the GST clauses, CBIC has temporarily reduced the late fee amount as

• For intra-state supplies: INR 25 per day under CGST and INR 25 under SGST, totaling Rs. 50 per day instead of Rs. 200 charged earlier.
• For inter-state supplies: Monthly filing: IGST totaling Rs. 50 per day
• Nil return: CGST has decreased the penalty for late filing of NIL returns to INR 10 per day, and SGST has similarly reduced the penalty to INR 10. For failing to file NIL returns on time, a fine of INR 20 per day is imposed. Late fees have also been decreased to INR 20 per day under the IGST.

Interest rate on late filing of GST returns

Interest rate shall be filed by a GST registered member if they fall under the below-mentioned category:

• Paying GST after the due date has passed
• Claiming excess ITC( Input Tax Credit)
• Reducing excess Output Tax Liability

GST must be paid monthly while filing GSTR-3B and on a quarterly basis when filing GSTR-4.

• In addition to the late fee, interest is imposed on late fees that are not paid on time. The interest rate charged is as follows:
• If the tax is paid after the due date, the penalty is 18%.
• If there is an excess ITC claim or an excess reduction in Output Tax, tax at a rate of 28% would be charged.

If a taxpayer does not file a GST return for a certain month, he or she will be unable to file a GST return for the following month. Furthermore, if a taxpayer fails to file their GSTR-1 return by the 10th, they will be unable to file their GSTR-2 return on the 15th. As a result, late GST return submission will have a cascading impact, resulting in significant fines and penalties.