1. What is GST Return?

A return is a document containing details of income which a taxpayer is required to file with the tax administrative authorities. This is used by tax authorities to calculate tax liability.

Under GST, a registered dealer has to file GST returns that include:

• Purchases
• Sales
• Output GST (On sales)
• Input tax credit (GST paid on purchases)

2. Who should file GST Returns?

In the GST regime, any regular business has to file two monthly returns and one annual return. This amounts to 26 returns in a year.

The beauty of the system is that one has to manually enter details of one monthly return – GSTR-1. The other return GSTR 3B will get auto-populated by deriving information from GSTR-1 filed by you and your vendors.

There are separate returns required to be filed by special cases such as composition dealers.

3. What are the different types of GST Returns?

Here is a list of all the returns to be filed as prescribed under the GST Law along with the due dates.

As per the CGST Act subject to changes by CBIC Notifications

Return Form		Particulars	Frequency	Due Date
GSTR-1		Details of outward supplies of taxable goods and/or services affected	Monthly	11th* of the next month with effect from October 2018 Previously, the due date was 10th
GSTR-2 Suspended		Details of inward supplies of taxable goods and/or services affected claiming the input tax credit.	Monthly	15th of the next month
GSTR-3 Suspended		Monthly return on the basis of finalization of details of outward supplies and inward supplies along with the payment of tax.	Monthly	20th of the next month
GSTR-3B		Simple Return in which summary of outward supplies along with Input Tax Credit is declared  and payment of tax is affected by taxpayer	Monthly	20th of the next month
GSTR-4		Return for a taxpayer registered under the composition levy	Quarterly	18th of the month succeeding quarter
GSTR-5		Return for a Non-Resident foreign taxable person	Monthly	20th of the next month
GSTR-6		Return for an Input Service Distributor	Monthly	13th of the next month
GSTR-7	Return for authorities deducting tax at source.		Monthly	10th of the next month
GSTR-8	Details of supplies effected through e-commerce operator and the amount of tax collected		Monthly	10th of the next month
GSTR-9		Annual Return for a Normal Taxpayer	Annually	31st December of next financial year
GSTR-9A		Annual Return a taxpayer registered under the composition levy anytime during the year	Annually	31st December of next financial year*
GSTR-10		Final Return	Once, when GST Registration is cancelled or surrendered	Within three months of the date of cancellation or date of cancellation order, whichever is later.
GSTR-11		Details of inward supplies to be furnished by a person having UIN and claiming a refund	Monthly	28th of the month following the month for which statement is filed

 

 1. GSTR-1

GSTR-1 is the return to be furnished for reporting details of all outward supplies of goods and services made, or in other words, sales transactions made during a tax period, and also for reporting debit and credit notes issued. Any amendments to sales invoices made, even pertaining to previous tax periods, should be reported in the GSTR-1 return.

GSTR-1 is to be filed by all normal taxpayers who are registered under GST. It is to be filed monthly, except in the case of small taxpayers with turnover up to Rs.1.5 crore in the previous financial year, who can file the same on a quarterly basis.

2. GSTR-2A

GSTR-2A is the return containing details of all inward supplies of goods and services i.e. purchases made from registered suppliers during a tax period. The data is auto-populated based on data filed by the suppliers in their GSTR-1 return. GSTR-2A is a read-only return and no action can be taken.

3. GSTR-2

GSTR-2 is the return for reporting the inward supplies of goods and services i.e. the purchases made during a tax period. The details in the GSTR-2 return are auto-populated from the GSTR-2A. Unlike GSTR-2A, the GSTR-2 return can be edited.

GSTR-2 is to be filed by all normal taxpayers registered under GST, however, the filing of the same has been suspended ever since the inception of GST.

4. GSTR-3

GSTR-3 is a monthly summary return for furnishing summarized details of all outward supplies made, inward supplies received and input tax credit claimed, along with details of the tax liability and taxes paid. This return is auto-generated on the basis of the GSTR-1 and GSTR-2 returns filed.

GSTR-3 is to be filed by all normal taxpayers registered under GST, however, the filing of the same has been suspended ever since the inception of GST.

5. GSTR-3B

GSTR-3B is a monthly self-declaration to be filed, for furnishing summarized details of all outward supplies made, input tax credit claimed, tax liability ascertained and taxes paid.

GSTR-3B is to be filed by all normal taxpayers registered under GST.

6. GSTR-4 / CMP-08

GSTR-4 is the return that was to be filed by taxpayers who have opted for the Composition Scheme under GST. CMP-08 is the return which has replaced the now erstwhile GSTR-4. The Composition Scheme is a scheme in which taxpayers with turnover up to Rs.1.5 crores can opt into and pay taxes at a fixed rate on the turnover declared.

The CMP-08 return is to be filed on a quarterly basis.

7. GSTR-5

GSTR-5 is the return to be filed by non-resident foreign taxpayers, who are registered under GST and carry out business transactions in India. The return contains details of all outward supplies made, inward supplies received, credit/debit notes, tax liability and taxes paid.

The GSTR-5 return is to be filed monthly for each month that the taxpayer is registered under GST in India.

8. GSTR-6

GSTR-6 is a monthly return to be filed by an Input Service Distributor (ISD). It will contain details of input tax credit received and distributed by the ISD. It will further contain details of all documents issued for the distribution of input credit and the manner of distribution.

9. GSTR-7

GSTR-7 is a monthly return to be filed by persons required to deduct TDS (Tax deducted at source) under GST. GSTR 7 will contain details of TDS deducted, the TDS liability payable and paid and TDS refund claimed, if any.

10. GSTR-8

GSTR-8 is a monthly return to be filed by e-commerce operators registered under the GST who are required to collect tax at source (TCS). GSTR-8 will contain details of all supplies made through the E-commerce platform, and the TCS collected on the same.

The GSTR-8 return is to be filed on a monthly basis.

11. GSTR-9

GSTR-9 is the annual return to be filed by taxpayers registered under GST. It will contain details of all outward supplies made, inward supplies received during the relevant previous year under different tax heads i.e. CGST, SGST & IGST and HSN codes, along with details of taxes payable and paid. It is a consolidation of all the monthly or quarterly returns (GSTR-1, GSTR-2A, GSTR-3B) filed during that year.

GSTR-9 is required to be filed by all taxpayers registered under GST*, except taxpayers who have opted for the Composition Scheme, Casual Taxable Persons, Input Service Distributors, Non-resident Taxable Persons and persons paying TDS under section 51 of CGST Act.

The 37th GST Council meeting took the decision to make GSTR-9 filing optional for businesses with turnover up to Rs.2 crore in FY 17-18 and FY 18-19.

12. GSTR-9A

GSTR-9A is the annual return to be filed by taxpayers who have registered under the Composition Scheme in a financial year*. It is a consolidation of all the quarterly returns filed during that financial year.

GSTR-9A filing for Composition taxpayers has been waived off for FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19 as per the decision taken in the 27th GST Council meeting.

13. GSTR-9C

GSTR-9C is the reconciliation statement to be filed by all taxpayers registered under GST whose turnover exceeds Rs.2 crore in a financial year. The registered person has to get their books of accounts audited by a Chartered/Cost Accountant. The statement of reconciliation is between these audited financial statements of the taxpayer and the annual return GSTR-9 that has been filed.

GSTR-9C is to be filed for every GSTIN, hence, one PAN can have multiple GSTR-9C forms being filed.

14. GSTR-10

GSTR-10 is to be filed by a taxable person whose registered has been cancelled or surrendered. This return is also called a final return and has to be filed within 3 months from the date of cancellation or cancellation order, whichever is earlier.

15. GSTR-11

GSTR-11 is the return to be filed by persons who have been issued a Unique Identity Number(UIN) in order to get a refund under GST for the goods and services purchased by them in India. UIN is a classification made for foreign diplomatic missions and embassies not liable to tax in India, for the purpose of getting a refund of taxes. GSTR-11 will contain details of inward supplies received and refund claimed.

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