GST: Best Ways to File GST Return Online in India

The implementation of GST is a significant taxation reform in India, which began in 2017 with the mission of “One Nation, One Tax.”

GST has streamlined the tax return filing process by combining information about goods and services from sellers and buyers. In collaboration with the Finance Ministry, the GST Council developed a GSTN (goods and services tax network) mechanism in which taxpayers report all details about invoices, purchases, sales, dates, and locations.

What is GST?

GST is a comprehensive tax levied on the supply of goods and services that replaces all other indirect taxes such as central excise duty, state VAT, central sales tax, purchase tax, etc. So, whether you are a trader, a manufacturer, or a service provider, you must register with GST to file returns.

What is GST return?

A GST declaration is a document that contains all GST invoices, payments, and receipts for a particular time period. Taxpayers are required to report all transactions related to the company’s income, based on which the authorities calculate the amount of tax the company will pay.

Business owners can submit GST online on the official GSTN portal. When submitting a GST return, the registered trader needs the following information regarding the relevant period:

• Total sales
• Total purchases
• Output GST (GST paid by customers)
• ITC or input tax credit (GST paid by the business for investments).

Once submitted, the registered seller can check the status of GST returns online and meet the requirements accordingly.

Ten steps to file GST return online

1. Ascertain that you are GST-registered and have the 15-digit GST identification number based on your state code and PAN. If you do not already have this number, you must first register online to obtain it.
2. Then, go to the GST portal.
3. Select the ‘services’ option.
4. Click on ‘returns dashboard’ and select the fiscal year and return filing period from the drop-down menus.
5. Now, choose the return you want to file and click the ‘prepare online’ button.
6. Enter all of the required values, including the amount and, if applicable, the late fee.
7. Once you’ve completed all of the fields, click ‘save’ to see a success message appear on your screen.
8. Now, click ‘submit’ to file the return at the bottom of the page.
9. Once the status of your return changes to ‘submitted’, scroll down and click on the ‘payment of tax’ tile. Then, click ‘check balance’ to view the cash and credit balances so that you are aware of these details before paying tax for the respective minor heads. To clear your liabilities, you must first specify how much credit you want to use from the already available credit. Then, to make the payment, select ‘offset liability’. When the confirmation message appears, click on ‘ok’.
10. Finally, check the box next to the declaration and choose an authorised signatory from the drop-down menu. Now, select ‘file form with DSC’ or ‘file form with EVC’ and then ‘proceed.’ In the following step, pay your respective GST.

How to check GST Returns Status?

You can check the status of your GST Returns using the official GST Login Portal. There are three methods for doing the same thing. The procedures are as follows:

1. Use the ‘Return Filing Period’ option to track the status.
2. Use the ‘ARN’ option to track the status. This ARN status appears when the applicant successfully submits a GST registration application on the GST India Portal.
3. Use the ‘Status’ option to track the status.