GST Return Filing
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is applicable in India from 1st July 2017. Under the new GST regime, nearly 1.4 crore businesses in India have obtained GST registration. All entities having GST registration are required to file GST returns every month. GST return filing is mandatory for all entities having GST registration, irrespective of business activity or sales or profitability during the return filing period. Hence, even a dormant business that obtained GST registration must file GST return.
GST Registration
Persons or entities in India involved in the supply of goods or services must obtain GST registration when the threshold limit for registration is crossed. In most states, GST registration is mandatory when a person supplies services or goods over Rs.20 lakhs per year. In addition to the turnover limit, GST registration is compulsory for all persons undertaking eCommerce sales.
Who should file GST Return?
GST registration holders are required to file GSTR-3B return every month providing details of sales and purchases made in a month to the Government. GSTR-3B return is due on the 20th of each month. Form GSTR-3B is a simplified summary return and the purpose of the return is for taxpayers to declare their summary GST liabilities for a particular tax period and discharge these liabilities. A normal taxpayer is required to file Form GSTR-3B returns for every tax period.
Note : Taxpayer has to file Form GSTR-3B even if there is no business activity. (Nil Return).
Amendment of Form GSTR-3B is not allowed.
In addition to GSTR-3B return, businesses registered under GST must file GSTR-1 return. GSTR-1 return must be filed every month by businesses having annual revenue of over Rs.1.5 crores. In case a business has a yearly revenue of less than Rs.1.5 crores, GST return should be filed every quarter. For the taxpayers who have opted to file Form GSTR-1 on monthly frequency, the system computed GSTR-3B will be generated and will be available on their GSTR-3B dashboard page after Form GSTR-1 has been filed by them.
This facility at present, has been enabled only for those taxpayers who have opted to file Form GSTR-1 at monthly frequency. GSTR-1 is a monthly Statement of Outward Supplies to be furnished by all normal and casual registered taxpayers making outward supplies of goods and services or both and contains details of outward supplies of goods and services.
Every registered taxable person, other than an input service distributor/composition taxpayer/persons liable to deduct tax u/s 51 persons liable to collect tax u/s 52 is required to file GSTR-1, the details of outward supplies of goods and/or services during a tax period, electronically on the GST Portal.
Penalty for late filing of GST returns
GST Cancellation
Failure to file GST returns on time to can lead to penalties and cancellation of GST registration. If GST return is continuously not submitted for six months, then the GST registration would be cancelled, and the person would not be able to obtain another GST registration - unless all the late filing penalty is paid.
NIL Filings
The penalty for late filing GST return is different for persons having NIL return and persons having turnover. In case a person has no business, NIL GST return must be filed. Failure to file NIL GST return can lead to a penalty of Rs.20 per day for each of the GSTR-3B return and GSTR-1 return. Penalty of Rs. 50 applicable if there are any sales liability.
Interest on Penalty
In addition to the above late filing fees, the person would also have to pay interest at the rate of 18% on GST payment remitted late to the Government. Subscribe to our accounting services to avoid late penalty fees in GST.
