What is GST Return?

What is GST Return?

A return is a document containing details of income which a taxpayer is required to file with the tax administrative authorities. This is used by tax authorities to calculate tax liability.

Under GST, a registered dealer has to file GST returns that include:

• Purchases
• Sales
• Output GST (On sales)
• Input tax credit (GST paid on purchases)

To file GST returns, GST compliant sales and purchase invoices are required. You can generate GST compliant invoices for free on ClearTax BillBook.

2. Who should file GST Returns?

In the GST regime, any regular business has to file two monthly returns and one annual return. This amounts to 26 returns in a year.

The beauty of the system is that one has to manually enter details of one monthly return – GSTR-1. The other return GSTR 3B will get auto-populated by deriving information from GSTR-1 filed by you and your vendors.

There are separate returns required to be filed by special cases such as composition dealers.

3. What are the types of GST Returns?

Here is a list of all the returns to be filed as prescribed under the GST Law along with the due dates.

3.1. Any regular business:

As per the CGST Act ( Note : subject to change by Notifications /orders)

Return Form	Particulars	Interval	Due Date
GSTR-1	Details of outward supplies of taxable goods and/or services affected from July 2018 to March 2019 ( Taxpayers whose turnover is more than Rs. 1.5 Crores in previous year)	Monthly*	11th of the next month**
GSTR-2	Details of inward supplies of taxable goods and/or services effected claiming input tax credit.	Monthly*	15th of the next month (Suspended now )
GSTR-3	Monthly return on the basis of finalization of details of outward supplies and inward supplies along with the payment of amount of tax.	Monthly*	20th of the next month
GSTR-9	Annual Return	Annually	31st December of next financial year
GSTR-3B	Return for the months of up to March 2019	Monthly	20th of the next month

** Details of outward supplies of taxable goods and/or services affected till June 2018 will be 10th of the next month.

** Taxpayers whose turnover was less than Rs. 1.5 Crores in the previous financial year has the option to file a quarterly GSTR-1 by end of the next month affected July 2018 to March 2019.

3.2. A dealer opting for composition scheme :

A composition dealer will enjoy the benefits of lesser returns & compliance along with payment of taxes at nominal rates. A composition dealer will file only 2 returns:

Return Form	Particulars	Interval	Due Date
GSTR-4	Return for compounding taxable person	Quarterly	18th of the month succeeding quarter**
GSTR-9A	Annual Return	Monthly	31st December of next financial year

3.3. Returns to be filed by certain specific registered dealers:

Return Form	Particulars	Interval	Due Date
GSTR-5	Return for Non-Resident foreign taxable person	Monthly	20th of the next month***
GSTR-5A	Return for Non-resident persons providing OIDAR services	Monthly	20th of the next month***
GSTR-6	Return for Input Service Distributor	Monthly	13th of the next month***
GSTR-7	Return for authorities deducting tax at source.	Monthly	10th of the next month
GSTR-8	Details of supplies effected through e-commerce operator and the amount of tax collected	Monthly	10th of the next month
GSTR-10	Final Return	Once. When registration is cancelled or surrendered	Within three months of the date of cancellation or date of cancellation order, whichever is later.
GSTR-11	Details of inward supplies to be furnished by a person having UIN and claiming refund	Monthly	28th of the month following the month for which statement is filed