This new functionality has been launched on 5th October 2024 in Kerala, Nagaland, and Telangana.

  After submitting Form GST REG-01, applicants receive OTP-based Aadhaar Authentication or Appointment booking link for Biometric-based Aadhaar Authentication at a GST Suvidha Kendra (GSK)

  After booking appointment, applicants receive a confirmation e-mail. The applicant must visit the GSK on the scheduled date with all required documents, including Aadhaar and PAN.

  ARNs will be generated once the Biometric-based Aadhaar Authentication process and document verification are completed.

  Indian Railways Parcel Management System (PMS) is now integrated with the E-Way Bill (EWB) system via APIs, enabling seamless data transfer for better traceability and compliance.

  Taxpayers must enter the correct Railway Receipt (RR) or Parcel Way Bill (PWB) number

  The RR No./PWB must follow the format: PXXXRRNo, where "P" represents PMS, "XXX" is the station code, and "RRNo" is the Railway Receipt number.

  RR numbers should be entered exactly as shown in the RR receipt.

  Correct entry of the RR No./PWB ensures smooth goods tracking, timely validation

  The newly launched GSTN e-Services app enhances user convenience by replacing the previous e-Invoice QR Code Verifier App.

  It offers features such as e-Invoice verification, GSTIN search, return filing history access, and multiple input methods (text, voice, scan), along with result sharing capabilities.

  Available soon on Google Play Store and App Store, the app requires no login, and a detailed manual will be provided shortly.

  The Central Government, based on the GST Council's recommendations, has empowered the Principal Bench of the Appellate Tribunal (under Section 109 of the GST Act) to assess whether input tax credits or tax rate reductions have resulted in a corresponding decrease in the prices of goods and services. This notification will take effect from October 1, 2024.

  From April 1, 2025, the designated Authority under Section 171 will no longer accept requests to examine if input tax credits or reductions in tax rates have resulted in corresponding reductions in the prices of goods or services. The notification comes into effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

  The recent updates to the GST registration process involve new measures for applicant identification based on biometric Aadhaar authentication and document verification, as per Rule 8 of the CGST Rules, 2017.

  This functionality has been introduced in Odisha from 28th September 2024.

  After submitting Form GST REG-01, applicants will receive an OTP-based Aadhaar authentication or book appointments at designated GST Suvidha Kendras (GSKs) for biometric verification.

  At the time of the visit of GSK, the applicant is must to carry the required documents & Aadhaar Card and PAN Card (Original Copies), etc.

  The ARN will be generated only after successful completion of the biometric authentication and document verification processes.

  Return data is archived from the GST portal after seven years, as per the data archival policy.

  Data for July 2017 was archived on 1st August 2024. Data for August 2017 was archived on 1st September 2024.

  However, in view of the requests received from the trade due to the difficulties faced, data has been restored back on the portal.

  Taxpayers are advised to download and save necessary data, as archival will be re-implemented after prior notice.

  It states that sections 118, 142, 148, and 150 of the Act will take effect from the date the notification is published in the Official Gazette, while the remaining provisions-sections 114 to 117, 119 to 141, 143 to 147, 149, and 151 to 157 will come into force on November 1, 2024.

  The documents issued by tax officers on the common portal (e.g., SCNs or Orders) are valid even if the PDF versions downloaded from the portal lack a visible digital signature.

  This is because the officers log into the portal using their digital signatures, which ensures the authenticity of the documents generated. Thus, the lack of a visible signature on the downloaded PDF does not affect the document's legitimacy, as its authenticity is ensured through the secure, digitally signed login process.

  Section 39(11) of the CGST Act, 2017, effective from October 1, 2023, imposes a strict three-year deadline for taxpayers to file their GST returns from the due date.

  The GST portal taxpayer data for up to seven years for viewing purposes. Thus, return data will not be available to view beyond 7 years for taxpayers.

  Accordingly, on 01st August 2024 return filed for July 2017 has been archived and on 01st September 2024, data for August 2017 has been archived. Further, this data archival is going to be a monthly activity hence on 01st October, 2024 data of September 2017 shall be taken down from the GST portal.

  Taxpayers are advised to download and store any relevant data from the GST portal before it is archived, for any future reference or compliance needs.

  The GST Common Portal introduced the Invoice Management System (IMS), allowing recipient taxpayers to interact more efficiently with invoices.

  Taxpayers can seamlessly accept, reject, or keep invoices pending within the system, which helps streamline their reconciliation process.

  The IMS helps taxpayers match their records with suppliers’ invoices, ensuring accurate Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims.

  The government introduced changes in GSTR-3B through Notification No. 14/2022 to streamline the reporting of Input Tax Credit (ITC) reversal and re-claim.

  A new "Electronic Credit Reversal and Re-claimed Statement" was launched on the GST portal in August 2023 to help taxpayers report ITC reversals accurately.

  Taxpayers have an extended deadline from 15^th September to 31^st October 2024 to report their cumulative ITC reversals as an opening balance.

  Amendments to the declared opening balance can be made until 30^th November 2024.

  The circular provides clarification on the treatment of advertising services provided by Indian companies to foreign clients under GST. Indian advertising companies providing comprehensive services to foreign clients are not intermediaries; their services qualify as exports with the place of supply outside India.

  This Circular clarifies the availability of Input Tax Credit (ITC) for demo vehicles under the Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017. It states that ITC is generally available for demo vehicles used by authorized dealers for promoting the sale of similar vehicles, as these are considered to be used for "further supply" of motor vehicles. However, ITC is not available if the vehicles are used for other purposes, like transportation of staff, or if the dealer merely provides marketing services without selling the vehicle directly.

  The circular clarifies that data hosting services provided by Indian service providers to overseas cloud computing service providers are not considered intermediary services or services related to goods or immovable property under the IGST Act. Therefore, the place of supply for these services is determined by the default rule in section 13(2) of the IGST Act

  The circular clarifies that if a registered person initially imports inputs without paying IGST and compensation cess under specific exemptions but later pays these taxes with interest and gets the Bill of Entry reassessed, the refund of IGST on exports won't be considered a violation of sub-rule (10) of rule 96 of CGST Rules. The payment of IGST and compensation cess retroactively corrects the initial exemption, allowing the exporter to claim a refund legally.

  The 54th GST Council was held on 9^th September, 2024 in New Delhi. It was chaired by the Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister and was attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Ministers of Goa and Meghalaya; Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana; besides Finance Ministers of States & UTs (with legislature) and senior officers of the Ministry of Finance & States/ UTs.

  This notice informs taxpayers about recent changes to the GST registration process, emphasizing the introduction of Biometric-based Aadhaar Authentication.

  This new functionality, developed by GSTN, was launched on 6^th September 2024 in Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, and Punjab.

  At the time of the visit of GSK, the applicant is required to carry the required documents

  Applicants must complete biometric verification within the specified period to generate the Application Reference Number (ARN).

  The Government, through Notification No. 12/2024 – Central Tax dated 10th July, 2024, has reduced the threshold for reporting inter-state taxable outward supplies to unregistered dealers from 2.5 lakh to 1 lakh

  These details must be reported in Table 5 of Form GSTR-1 and Table 6 of GSTR-5.

  Until the new functionality is available, taxpayers should continue reporting invoice-wise details for supplies over 2.5 lakh in the respective tables.

  A new communication process on the GST portal to help taxpayers address invoice corrections and amendments with suppliers.

  IMS will assist taxpayers in matching their records with supplier invoices for accurate Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims.

  Taxpayers can accept, reject, or keep invoices pending for later action.

  The IMS will be available to taxpayers starting October 1st on the GST portal.

  The recent amendments to Rule 8 of the CGST Rules, 2017 have introduced Biometric-based Aadhaar Authentication and enhanced document verification for GST registration in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Chandigarh

  This new functionality, developed by GSTN, streamlines the registration process by allowing applicants to either complete OTP-based Aadhaar Authentication or schedule a biometric verification appointment at a GST Suvidha Kendra (GSK).

  Applicants must carry the appointment confirmation email, jurisdiction details, Aadhaar, PAN, and original documents to the GSK.

  Appointment for biometric verification must be booked within the permitted period to generate the ARN.

  Starting from September 1, 2024, taxpayers must provide valid bank account details in their GST registration to file GSTR-1 or use the Invoice Furnishing Facility (IFF) for the August 2024 tax period and onwards.

  This requirement, under Rule 10A of the CGST Rules, 2017, was initially introduced in 2019 and mandates that bank account details be furnished within 30 days of registration or before filing GSTR-1/IFF, whichever is earlier.

  Taxpayers who have not yet updated their bank account information should do so by navigating to Services > Registration > Amendment of Registration Non-Core Fields on the GST Portal. Without valid bank account details, GSTR-1/IFF filing will not be possible.

  The new "RCM Liability/ITC Statement" on the GST Portal, introduced for tax periods from August 2024 onwards, enhances accuracy and transparency by capturing Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) liabilities and corresponding ITC claims.

  Taxpayers must report any excess RCM liabilities or ITC not yet balanced in their returns. Opening balances for RCM ITC should be reconciled up to July 2024 for monthly filers and up to Q1 FY 2024-25 for quarterly filers, with declarations due by 31.10.2024.

  Amendments can be made until 30.11.2024, with three opportunities for corrections.

  The notification specifies the effective dates for the implementation of different sections of the Act. The provisions of Section 13 of the Finance Act, 2024, will come into force on October 1, 2024. The provisions of Sections 11 and 12 of the Finance Act, 2024, will come into force on April 1, 2025.

  The GST Council has announced a reduction in the TCS rate from 1% to 0.5%, effective from July 10, 2024, as per Notification No. 15/2024. Period from July 1 to July 9, 2024 the old TCS rate of 1% applies. From July 10, 2024, onwards the revised TCS rate of 0.5% will be in effect

  GSTN has rolled out this Biometric-based Aadhaar Authentication and document verification system in Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal on 2nd August 2024

  After submitting Form GST REG-01, applicants will receive a link for OTP-based Aadhaar Authentication. If receiving the OTP link, applicants follow the existing process.

  Applicants must bring Appointment confirmation email (hard/soft copy),Jurisdiction details (from intimation email),Original Aadhaar and PAN Cards. ARNs will be generated after completing the authentication and verification

  Applicants can now be identified via biometric-based Aadhaar authentication and document verification. This functionality was launched in Uttarakhand on 28^th July 2024.

  After submitting Form GST REG-01, applicants will receive either a link for OTP-based Aadhaar authentication or a link.

  Applicants must carry the appointment confirmation email, original Aadhaar and PAN cards, and original documents uploaded with the application.

  The Biometric authentication and document verification must be completed within the permissible period, and ARNs will be generated post-verification.

  FORM GSTR-1A is an optional facility introduced for taxpayers to add or amend supply details for the current tax period, which were missed or incorrectly reported in FORM GSTR-1, before filing FORM GSTR-3B.

  FORM GSTR-1A will be available from August 2024. Changes made will reflect in FORM GSTR-3B for the same period.

  Available from the due or actual filing date of FORM GSTR-1 until FORM GSTR-3B is filed. Amendments auto-populate in FORM GSTR-3B.

  Available quarterly after filing FORM GSTR-1 (Quarterly) or its due date. Amendments auto-populate in FORM GSTR-3B (Quarterly).

  On July 23, 2024, the Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Finance Bill, 2024, proposing various amendments to tax and corporate laws. The Bill initiates simplifications in several areas, including the tax regime for charities, the TDS rate structure, provisions for reassessment and searches, and capital gains taxation. In the Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed to reduce the corporate tax on foreign companies from 40% to 35%. Individuals earning Rs 3-7 lakh will now pay a 5% tax rate, while those earning Rs 7-10 lakh and Rs 10-12 lakh will face 10% and 15% tax rates respectively.

  Circular No. 227/21/2024-GST issued by the GST policy wing outlines procedures for Canteen Stores Departments (CSDs) to apply for GST refunds using the newly developed online functionality on the GST portal. The circular specifies prerequisites, relevant dates, and detailed instructions for filing refund applications in FORM GST RFD-10A. Applicants must adhere to sequential filing for tax periods and submit NIL refund claims where applicable. Any issues encountered during the process should be reported via the Grievance redressal portal:https://selfservice.gstsystem.in

  The integrated services from NIC's e-invoice-1 and e-invoice-2 portals will be available on sandbox on 18th July 2024 and production on 1st August 2024.Both the portals (NIC-IRP 1 & 2) provide the web and API modes for e-invoice related services. Printing, downloading, and cancelling e-invoices can be done on either portal. Additional e-invoice portals (IRP-3/IRP-4/IRP-5/IRP-6) are also available for similar services.

  GST Council has approved the processing of refund applications for additional IGST paid due to price increases after exports.

  Notification No. 12/2024-Central Tax has been issued, and a refund category is being developed in FORM GST RFD-01.

  Required documents are detailed in Paragraph 6 of Circular 226/20/2024-GST.

  Any issues with filing the refund application should be reported on the GST Portal: "selfservice.gstsystem.in"

  Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, has amended Notification No. 02/2018-Integrated Tax dated September 20, 2018. The amendment replaces the tax rate from "one per cent." to "half per cent."

  The GSTN has announced an increase in the maximum upload size for documents related to the Principal Place of Business and Additional Places of Business during New Registration and Amendments. Taxpayers can now upload documents up to 500 KB.