How to File GST Return? Step by Step Process Explained

GST was introduced by the government as a single tax for the entire country in order to simplify the Indirect Tax System. At present, GST serves as the foundation for all tax lines, including Central Excise, Service Tax, VAT etc. With the motive of “One Nation One Tax”, this tax provision made the compliance procedure more transparent, seamless, and intuitive.

As we talk about being GST compliant, one of the most important aspects is the timely filing of online GST returns. These returns are filed to pay taxes as well as to provide data to the government relating to the transactions made by the business during the period under consideration. Once you file GST returns, you will need to pay the resulting tax liability i.e. money that you owe the government

All the Registered individuals have to get their online GST Return filing done irrespective of the type of business or turnover or profitability during the return filing period. Under the GST Regime, even a dormant business in India that has obtained GST registration must get GST return filing done.

Types of Online GST Returns

Return Form	Description	Frequency	Due Date
GSTR 1	Statement of Outward Supplies made	Monthly Quarterly (If opted under the QRMP scheme)	11th of the next month.  13th of the month succeeding the quarter.
GSTR 2 (Suspended)	Statement of Inward supplies made	Monthly	---
GSTR - 2A	Read-only documents for the recipient, to verify the details uploaded by the seller in GSTR-1.	Monthly	15th of the next month
GSTR 3 (Suspended)	Auto populated document based on the details filled in GSTR-1, GSTR-2 and tax liability of any preceding period.		---
GSTR - 3B	Inward and Outward supply summary	Monthly         Quarterly	20th of the next month from the month of January 2021 onwards   22nd or 24th of the month next to the quarter
GSTR 4	Quarterly return for composition traders.	Annually	30th of the month succeeding a financial year.
GSTR 5	Monthly return for Non-Resident taxable people.	Annually	20th of next month.
GSTR 6	Monthly return for Input Tax Distributor	Annually	13th of next month.
GSTR 7	Monthly Return for Tax Deductor.	Annually	10th of next month.
GSTR 8	Monthly return for E-Commerce Operators.	Annually	10th of next month.
GSTR 9	Annual GST return	Annually	31st December of next financial year.
GSTR 9A (Suspended)	Annual Return for Composition Scheme taxpayer	Annually until FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19	---
GSTR 9B	To be filed by the E-Commerce operator	Annually	31st December following the financial year-end.
GSTR 9C	Reconciliation Statement	Annually	31st December following the financial year-end.
GSTR 10	Final GST Return	Once, when GST registration is cancelled or surrendered.	Within 3 months of the date of cancellation or date of cancellation order, whichever is later.
GSTR 11	GST Return for UID holders	Monthly	28th of the next month in which the inward supplies are received.

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18th of the month succeeding the quarter.

Steps for Online GST Return Filing

The entire process of GST return filing is online via the portal created by the authorities. Facilities have been provided wherein taxpayers can do online GST return filing manually in which returns will be prepared offline and uploaded on the government portal GSTN by the taxpayer or a facilitation centre. Below we have explained the steps on how to file your GST returns online:

You should ensure that you have got online GST registration done and have a 15 digit GSTIN with you. It also requires a list of receipts, invoices, and bills to be kept handy.

Step 1. - Visit the GST portal, i.e., www.gst.gov.in.

Step 2-. Once you have access to your profile, head to the “Services” section and click on the “Return” tab. Now fill in the financial year and the return filing period.

Step 3-. Select the return you want to file and then click “Prepare online”.’

Step 4- Enter all the required fields and click on ‘save’.  A success message will be displayed on your screen.

Step 5- Now click on ‘submit’ at the bottom of the page to file the return. Once the status of your return changes to ‘submitted’, scroll down and click on the ‘payment of tax’ option. Mention the amount of credit you wish to use from the credit available.

Step 6-. Make your payment in the next step for the respective GST

Consequences of not filing Online GST returns

Late online GST return filing will lead to hefty fines and penalties. As per the GST Law, the late fee is Rs.100 for each day for each CGST and SGST. Thus, the total fine amount will be Rs.200 per day with a maximum of Rs. 5,000. However, this is subject to changes as notified by the government.

Aside from the late fines, you will also be denied certain facilities if your online GST return filing is not done. For instance, blocking of GSTR-1 return filing facility if two consecutive GSTR 3B is not filed, penalty @10%, restriction of E-Way bill if two consecutive GSTR 3B is not filed, and cancellation of GST registration in certain cases.

Conclusion

It is crucial for every business, irrespective of the business structure, to adhere to statutory compliance and complete all the necessary filings before the due dates to stay compliant every year. It should be noted that a taxpayer isn't required to file all the types of returns. They are required to file returns depending on the activities they undertake.

Online GST Registration | Online GST Return Filing | Online Company Registration | Online Sole Proprietorship Registration