Apply for GST Registration Online — Get Your GST Number in 3-5 Working Days

What Is a GST Number (GSTIN)?

Your GST number — officially called a GSTIN — is a 15-character code that identifies your business under India's Goods and Services Tax system. It is the number Amazon asks for before you can list, the number a bank asks for before opening a current account, and the number a B2B buyer needs on your invoice before they can claim back the tax.

GST number, GSTIN and GST registration number are the same thing. Different people use different words for it. There is one number, and one certificate that carries it.

What those 15 characters mean

So 27ABCDE1234F1Z4 reads as: Maharashtra business, PAN ABCDE1234F, first registration in that state. Open a branch in Karnataka and that GSTIN starts with 29.

How to get, make or create a GST number

Two routes. Apply yourself on the government portal at gst.gov.in — it is free and the full walkthrough is in How to Apply below. Or apply through us for ₹999 and we handle the filing, document check and follow-up, with your GSTIN typically in hand within 3-5 working days.

Who Needs GST Registration?

Two reasons you might need to register — your turnover crosses a threshold, or the kind of business you run makes it mandatory regardless of what you earn.

Turnover thresholds

Special-category states are the northeastern states plus Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K.

Mandatory regardless of turnover

These need registration even at ₹1 of revenue:

• Anyone making inter-state taxable supply
• Sellers on marketplaces that collect TCS — Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and similar
• Casual taxable persons — temporary out-of-state supply at fairs and exhibitions
• Persons paying GST under reverse charge
• Non-resident taxable persons
• TDS deductors and Input Service Distributors
• OIDAR providers and online money gaming suppliers

The one exception, from October 2023

Intra-state goods sellers below the regular threshold on qualifying platforms are exempt from the e-commerce mandatory rule. In practice this mainly covers Meesho's intra-state model.

It does not cover service sellers, inter-state sellers, anyone using fulfilment warehousing in other states, or anyone above the threshold.

Voluntary registration — worth it below the threshold?

Often yes. You can claim back GST on business purchases, issue tax invoices your B2B buyers can use, list on marketplaces, and strengthen a loan application. (GST and MSME / Udyam registration are separate things — most growing businesses end up with both.)

What you actually get from a GSTIN

• You can list on marketplaces. Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and every other platform ask for a GSTIN before you can sell.
• You claim back the GST you paid. Input tax credit on raw material, packaging, shipping and services — money that is otherwise lost.
• Your B2B buyers can claim credit from your invoice. Without a GSTIN you cannot issue a tax invoice, which makes you expensive to buy from.
• You can sell across state lines legally. Inter-state supply without registration is not permitted.
• Banks and lenders take you seriously. A GSTIN plus filed returns is the cleanest proof of turnover for a current account or business loan.
• You avoid the penalty. Operating without registration when it is mandatory carries a minimum ₹10,000 fine, or 10% of tax due — whichever is higher.

Documents Required for GST Registration

Rejections are almost never about missing documents. They are about mismatched names, oversized files, or an address on the electricity bill that does not match the application.

What everyone needs

• PAN — of the business and all promoters
• Aadhaar — of all promoters and authorised signatories
• Passport photograph — of each promoter and signatory
• Address proof for your principal place of business
• Bank proof — cancelled cheque, statement or passbook
• Digital Signature (DSC) — mandatory for companies and LLPs

Extra documents by business type

Address proof — what works for which premises

How to Apply for GST Registration Online — Step by Step

The whole process runs online at gst.gov.in. No office visit, unless your state requires biometric Aadhaar verification at a GST Seva Kendra.

Part A — get your TRN

1. Go to gst.gov.in → Services → Registration → New Registration
2. Select your taxpayer type — Regular for most businesses
3. Enter state, district, legal name exactly as on PAN, PAN, email and mobile
4. Verify both OTPs — one to email, one to mobile
5. Your TRN is generated. Save it immediately. It is valid 15 days and is not re-sent. Lose it and you start over.

Part B — the 10 tabs

Aadhaar verification — OTP or biometric?

If your Aadhaar is linked to your current mobile, you get an OTP and you are done. If you are in a state notified for biometric verification — Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and others, with rollout ongoing — you visit a GST Seva Kendra in person with original Aadhaar and PAN. Skip it and your application sits pending indefinitely.

GST Registration Fees

GST registration through the government portal is completely free of cost, as per the government.

While registration itself costs nothing, connecting with GST registration consultants like eComHelp can provide valuable assistance for a nominal service charge.

What our ₹999 covers

• Document check before filing — name matches across PAN, Aadhaar and address proof; file formats and sizes; validity of your address proof. This is where most rejections come from.
• Correct HSN / SAC selection so your goods and services tabs match what you actually sell.
• Application tracking and status follow-up until your GSTIN is issued, so you are not refreshing the portal yourself.
• Clarification notice handling — if the officer asks for more, we draft and file the reply inside the 7-day window.
• End-to-end filing — we submit, track and follow through to GSTIN issuance.

No hidden charges. No renewal fee. No annual charge.

How Long It Takes & How to Check Status

Checking your application status

Go to gst.gov.in → Services → Track Application Status, and enter your ARN. Here is what each status means:

ARN and GSTIN are not the same thing. The ARN is your application reference, issued at submission. The GSTIN is your tax number, issued on approval.

GST for Online Sellers — Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho

This is where generic guides mislead people. Marketplace sellers have specific rules around mandatory registration, multi-state GSTINs and composition that do not apply to an offline shop.

One GSTIN or several?

Amazon's Fulfilment Centres count as your additional place of business. Stock in a Karnataka FC means you are operating in Karnataka and need a Karnataka GSTIN. A VPOB (Virtual Place of Business) agreement from a registered provider gives you a legitimate address without renting an office. Most states accept it; a few ask for physical verification.

TCS — the current rate is 0.5%, not 1%

Marketplaces deduct Tax Collected at Source from your settlement and deposit it with the government. Since 10 July 2024 the rate is 0.5% of net taxable value — 0.25% CGST + 0.25% SGST intra-state, or 0.5% IGST inter-state.

Most guides still say 1%. If your marketplace is deducting at 1%, raise a ticket — that is your money. It flows back into your Cash Ledger and reduces your next GSTR-3B payment.

After You Get Your GSTIN — the First 30 Days

More compliance problems happen in the month after your GSTIN arrives than at any other time, because nobody tells new registrants what comes next.

Return filing — even in months you sell nothing

Once registered you are on a filing calendar regardless of activity. Nil returns still have to be filed, and the late fee on GSTR-3B is ₹20 a day even for a nil return. Most small sellers below ₹5 crore use the QRMP scheme — quarterly returns, monthly tax payment.

GST Certificate — Download & Verify

Download your certificate

1. Log in at gst.gov.in with your GSTIN and password
2. Go to Services → User Services → View / Download Certificates
3. Download Form REG-06 as a PDF

There is no separate fee, and the certificate does not expire for regular taxpayers. Casual and non-resident registrations are valid 90 days.

Find or verify a GST number

To look up your own GSTIN or check someone else's, use Search Taxpayer on gst.gov.in. You can search by GSTIN or by PAN. It confirms whether the registration is active, the legal name, the state and the registration date. Buyers use this to confirm a vendor before claiming input credit.

Check the 10-field address carefully

The certificate uses a structured address format — Floor → Building → Premises → Road → Landmark → Locality → City → District → State → PIN. Verify every field before you send the certificate to suppliers and buyers. A mismatch creates credit disputes during audits.

Amendment, Cancellation & Suspension

Core vs non-core amendments

Cancellation

You can cancel voluntarily if the business has shut, been transferred or amalgamated, or turnover has stayed below threshold for 12 straight months. File every pending return first — GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-9. Cancellation will not go through with returns outstanding.

What triggers automatic suspension

• Returns not filed for 6 consecutive months (3 quarters for composition)
• Bank account not added within 30 days of GSTIN
• Significant GSTR-1 versus GSTR-3B mismatches flagged by the system

To revive: file all pending returns, apply for revocation, wait for officer review.

Frequently Asked Questions