GST or Goods and Service Tax is an indirect tax regime, made effective July 1st, 2017, for all businesses in India. It’s a consumption-based tax, applicable for products and services sold by any business, anywhere in India.
GST replaced multiple taxes imposed by State Governments and Central Government, by introducing the concept of One Nation, One Tax.
Govt has described GST as a multistage, destination-based tax, which simplified a lot of complications from tax filing. Since it’s destination-based, the GST is charged at the point of consumption and not at the origin which was the case earlier. Multi-stage, since GST is charged at every level of production, but has provisions to be refunded back at different stages of the product, except that of the final customer.
How to Register for GST: 4 Stages
There are 4 parts involved in the GST registration process.
Part 1: Generating GST Application Form
- Step 1: Visit the GST portal, and click Services > Registration > New Registration.
- Step 2: Enter all the details such as PAN, email address, phone number.
- Step 3: You will receive OTP on your phone and email, which is valid for 10 minutes. Once OTP is entered, your Temporary Reference number will be generated.
- Step 4: Again visit the GST portal, click Services > Registration > New Registration > Temporary Reference Number (TRN) to login using your Your Temporary Reference number
- Step 5: After entering the captcha, you will need to verify once again with a new OTP
- Step 6: Once OTP is verified, you will be taken to the “My Saved Application” page, wherein you will need to fill in all the details, and submit it within 15 days, else it will be deleted.
Part 2: Filing GST Registration Form
- Click edit the form in the “My Saved Application”, and fill in the details. It’s recommended to take suggestions from your Tax Consultant/CA/Accountant for filling the details. We will provide an overview of the same here.
What You Need to Fill in GST Registration Form:
- You will need scanned copies of Your bank account no., IFSC code, proof of incorporation of business
- Deed of Partnership proof, in case of a Partnership business
- Scanned copy of the Registration Certification of your business, proof of your business location/office address
- Photographs of the promoter, founder, or Karta of HUF (Hindu Undivided Family), whichever is applicable in your case
- Authorized signature for your business (Authorized signatory)
- Proof of the appointment of the Authorized signatory for your business
- Passbook and/or Cheques of your bank account (front page for the passbook)
- Branch address, address of the account holder, and some last financial transactions
Now, the step by step process is listed below:
- Step 1: Fill in all the details, and click Save and Continue (Use your Temporary Reference number if you are logged out)
- Step 2: Fill in the details at ‘Business’ and the ‘Promoters / Partners’ tabs, if not all, then at least the mandatory fields. Submit proof related to the constitution of the business.
- Step 3: Fill in the ‘Authorized Signatory’ part. In the case of e-Sign, the mobile number and/or email of the Authorized Signatory will be used. In the case of a Digital Signature Certificate or DSC, the PAN card should be linked with the DSC.
- Step 4: Fill in the details related to the ‘Primary Place of Business’ (PPOB) Tab, ‘Goods & Services’ Tab, ‘Bank Accounts.’
Part 3: How to Register Digital Signature Certificate
Digital Signature Certificate or DSC is compulsory for all GST registrations, and the business should get DSC for the authorized signatory.
To get DSC, you need to visit www.cca.gov.in and contact any certifying authority.
Once DSC software is installed, you will get a DSC dongle as well.
GST portal recommends using Emsigner for signing the GST form using DSC, which can be downloaded at their website.
This article explains, what is a digital signature certificate and how to get it?
Part 4: Submitting GST Registration Form After Verifying
There are 3 ways to submit your GST registration application as mentioned below:
- Verifying using DSC method, for which you need to refer to Part 3 about DSC and downloading the applicable software/tools
- Verifying using eSignature, wherein an OTP is shared at your Aadhaar registered number.
- Verifying using EVC or Electronic Verification Code, wherein an OTP is shared with your registered mobile number
Once this step is done, you will receive an Application Reference Number (ARN), using which you can track your GST registration process.
For tracking, visit the GST portal, click on Services > Registration > Track Application. Once the status shows Approved, you will receive your GSTIN, via SMS and email.
A temporary user name/password will also be provided to log in to the GST portal. The GSTIN will be the username, and the password can be changed later. After 3-5 days, a maximum of 7 days, you can download your GST Registration Certificate.
For downloading this certification, follow these steps:
Visit the GST portal, click on Services > User Services > View, or Download Certificates. Once your GSTIN is generated, and you can log in to the GST portal, you can start filing GST returns.
This article explains more about GST Registration for E-Commerce.
If you need help and assistance for GST registration online and wish to know more about GST tax, and the process of GST filing, then MSMEx is there to help you out. MSMEx is a unique business advisory platform, wherein entrepreneurs, SMEs, and small businesses can book an appointment with industry stalwarts, business experts and advisors, and seek help and guidance regarding their business.
