GST Return Filing: How to File GST Returns Online?

The implementation of GST return filing in India shall roll out by 2016, overhauling the entire indirect taxation regime. The proposed GST would subsume levies like excise, VAT, and service tax, as well as other local levies. GST filing shall make the process of starting and managing a business easy in India (Know more about GST benefits). Just like present service tax or VAT regulations, GST would also require the periodic filing of GST returns. In this article, we shall look at the types of GST return forms and how to file GST returns online.

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What are GST returns?

GST returns are electronic documents mandated for businesses registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. These returns summarise your business activity for a specific period, detailing outward supplies (sales made), inward supplies (purchases made), tax collected on sales, tax paid on purchases (claimed as Input Tax Credit), and your resulting tax liability. Essentially, they provide the government with a comprehensive picture of your tax activities and determine the net tax you owe. Timely filing of GST returns is crucial to avoid penalties and interest charges.

Who should file GST Returns?

Businesses with an aggregate annual turnover of above Rs.5 crore and not opted for the Quarterly Return and Monthly Payments (QRMP) scheme must file one annual return and two monthly returns. And taxpayers whose annual turnover upto Rs.5 crore can choose to file their returns under the QRMP scheme. Remember, QRMP filers must file on a monthly basis, though they file quarterly.

Types of GST Return forms

Find the 13 types of GST returns forms, its description, filing frequency, and the details to be furnished,

GST return form	Description	Filing frequency	Details to furnish
GSTR-1	Reports outward supplies (sales) made during a month.	Monthly	Invoice details, recipient information, HSN/SAC code, taxable value, tax rate, and total tax liability.
GSTR-3B	Summarizes monthly outward & inward supplies, tax liability, and ITC claimed.	Monthly (except GSTR-8 filers)	Summary of outward supplies, inward supplies, tax liability (CGST, SGST, IGST), and ITC claimed.
GSTR-4 (Composition)	Declares tax liability under the composition scheme for a quarter.	Quarterly	Details of outward supplies made under the composition scheme, tax liability at the composition rate, and tax paid during the quarter.
GSTR-5	Input Tax Credit (ITC) for purchases from unregistered dealers.	Monthly (if ITC claimed on purchases from unregistered dealers)	Details of purchases made from unregistered dealers, taxable value, tax rate, and ITC claimed.
GSTR-5A	Details purchases reported in GSTR-5 by suppliers.	Monthly (if you are a supplier who made sales to a taxpayer filing GSTR-5)	Details of sales made to a taxpayer filing GSTR-5, including invoice details, taxable value, tax rate, and ITC claimed by the buyer.
GSTR-6	Input Tax Credit (ITC) on inward supplies received from overseas suppliers.	Monthly (if ITC claimed on imports)	Details of imports made, taxable value, tax rate (IGST), and ITC claimed.
GSTR-7	Reports inward supplies (purchases) made during a month and ITC claimed.	Monthly (over ?1.5 crore turnover)	Invoice details, supplier information, HSN/SAC code, taxable value, tax rate, and ITC claimed.
GSTR-8 (E-commerce)	Details supplies made on the platform, tax collected at source (TCS), and deposited TCS.	Monthly	Details of supplies made through the e-commerce platform, tax collected at source (TCS) on such supplies, and details of TCS deposited with the government.
GSTR-9 (Annual)	Reconciles GSTR-3B info with financial statements for a year.	Annual	Reconciliation of information filed in GSTR-3B with your financial statements, including details of inward and outward supplies, tax liability, ITC claimed, and any adjustments required.
GSTR-10 (Final)	Reports are the remaining period's supplies and tax liability after registration cancellation or closure.	Once	Details of outward and inward supplies made during the remaining period after registration cancellation or business closure, along with the tax liability for that period.
GSTR-11 (UIN)	Claims refund for inward supplies UIN holders receive (e.g., embassies).	As applicable	Details of inward supplies received and refund claimed by persons holding a Unique Identity Number (UIN), typically foreign diplomatic missions and embassies not liable to pay tax in India.
CMP-08 (Composition)	Declares self-assessed tax for composition scheme for a quarter.	Quarterly	Taxable value of outward supplies made during the quarter and tax liability at the composition rate.
ITC-04 (Composition)	Declares stock details upon exiting the composition scheme.	Once (on exiting the composition scheme)	Details of opening stock of inputs and finished goods held on the date of exiting the composition scheme.

GST Return Filing Due Dates

To avoid late fees for GST return filing, you must know the specific deadlines based on your taxpayer category. Below is a list of different taxpayer types and their respective due dates for GST payments:

Taxpayer Type	Due Date
GSTR-3B (Nil Return)	20th of the next month
Composition Dealer (CMP-08)	18th of the month after the end of the quarter Annual return before 30th April
Non-Resident Taxpayer (GSTR-05)	20th of the next month
Input Service Distributor (GSTR-6)	13th of the next month
TDS Deductor (GSTR-7)	10th of the next month
TCS Collector (GSTR-8)	10th of the next month

GST Return Filing Late Fees

If a taxpayer misses the GST payment due date, the next step is determining the total amount of the late fee. The late fee varies depending on the return form, the due date, and the taxpayer type. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the GST late fees for various GSTR forms:

GSTR Form	Who Files	Late Fee
GSTR-3B	GSTR-3B is filed by every registered GST taxpayer, even if there are no transactions during the period.	Late Fee: Rs. 20 per day (Rs. 10 CGST + Rs. 10 SGST) for NIL returns (no transactions but with acquisitions). Rs. 50 per day (Rs. 25 CGST + Rs. 25 SGST) for all other scenarios. Maximum Penalty: Rs. 10,000 per return (Rs. 5,000 CGST + Rs. 5,000 SGST). Important Note: Late payments for GSTR-3B for a month are charged in the next month. You cannot file a month’s return unless you have paid the prior month’s GST late fee.
GSTR-1	Registered taxable suppliers file details of outbound supplies of taxable goods and services under this form.	Late Fee: Rs. 200 per day (Rs. 100 CGST + Rs. 100 SGST). Note: Currently, the government is not accepting late payments for GSTR-1 as it is not included in the GST return late fee calculator.
GSTR-9 and GSTR-9A	Registered taxable persons file under this form.	Late Fee: Rs. 200 per day (Rs. 100 CGST + Rs. 100 SGST). Maximum Penalty: Up to 0.50% of turnover (0.25% CGST + 0.25% SGST).
GSTR-9C	Every registered person under GST whose turnover during a financial year exceeds the prescribed limit of Rs. 5 crores.	Late Fee: Rs. 200 per day for each day of delay (Rs. 100 CGST + Rs. 100 SGST). Maximum Penalty: 0.5% of turnover.
GSTR-10	Every taxable person whose registration has been cancelled or surrendered must file under this form.	Late Fee: Rs. 200 per day (Rs. 100 CGST + Rs. 100 SGST). No Maximum Penalty: The late fee continues until compliance is met.

Interest on Late Payment of GST

If a taxpayer fails to pay GST on time, an interest charge is applied to the overdue amount. The interest rate for late GST payments is 18% annually, calculated for each day beyond the due date. Let's assume a taxpayer has an outstanding GST amount of INR 50,000, which was due on June 20th but remains unpaid by July 10th. The interest will be calculated from June 21st until the payment date. For a delay of 20 days, the interest accrued would be Rs. 493.

Penalty for Missing the GST Due Date

Missing the GST due date or failing to file GST returns attracts a penalty. The maximum penalty that can be imposed is Rs. 5,000.

Interest on Late GST Payment

In addition to the penalty for late filing, taxpayers are required to pay interest on the overdue GST amount at an annual rate of 18%. This interest is calculated from the day after the filing deadline until the day the payment is made.

Exemption for IGST

Notably, integrated GST (IGST) is exempt from late fees if the return submission is delayed. This exemption provides some relief for taxpayers dealing with IGST.

How to file GST Returns?

The following is the general process for filing GST returns online:

Login to the GST Portal: Access the GST portal using your GSTIN and login credentials.
Navigate to the "Returns" Section: Locate the "Services" tab and click on "Returns Dashboard."
Select the Return Period and Type: Choose the financial year and the specific return you want to file.
Prepare Online or Upload Offline Data: The portal offers pre-filled information based on previous filings. You can edit or upload data from your accounting software.
Review and Submit: Carefully review the entered details. Once satisfied, digitally sign and submit the return.
Payment of Tax Liability (if applicable): If your return reflects tax liability, pay online using a challan or net banking option.

Can GST Return be Revised?

There would be no procedure or revision of a GST Return. All unreported invoices of the previous tax period must be included in the returns for the current month, and interest, if any, would be applicable.

Latest Update: Archival of GST Returns Data on GST Portal

New Archival Policy: As per Section 39(11) of the CGST Act, 2017, effective from October 1, 2023, and notified through Notification No. 28/2023 - Central Tax dated July 31, 2023, taxpayers will no longer be able to file GST returns after a period of three years from the due date of the return. This decision aims to ensure timely compliance and reporting.
Data Retention Policy: In alignment with the GST portal's data policy, taxpayer data will be retained for viewing purposes for a maximum of seven years. After this period, the GST return data will no longer be accessible.
Monthly Archival Schedule: Starting August 1, 2024, return data from July 2017 has been archived, and data from August 2017 will be archived on September 1, 2024. This archival process will continue monthly; hence, the data from September 2017 will be removed from the GST portal on October 1, 2024.
Action Required: Taxpayers are advised to download and save their GST return data from the portal for future reference before it is archived. This will help avoid any inconvenience related to accessing historical data.

Below, we have attached the notification outlining the archival of GST returns data on the GST Portal, [pdf-embedder url="https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Archival-of-GST-Returns-data-on-GST-portal.pdf" title="Archival of GST Returns data on GST portal"]

Conclusion

Understanding GST return filing is crucial for businesses registered under Goods and Services Tax (GST). This article has covered the basics, including what GST returns are, who needs to file them, the different return forms, the penalty for late filing, and the step-by-step process for online filing. Remember, timely filing ensures you avoid penalties and interest charges. IndiaFilings experts can help you file your GST return on time and avoid penalties.

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