 |
For the vast majority of businesses, government agency certification equates to legitimacy. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a much more complicated tax structure than most companies are used to. As a result, many business owners have a high degree of scepticism when it comes to applying for or receiving a GST registration certificate. However, in this day and age of digital transformation and e-commerce, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must have access to an electronic marketplace for goods and services. This article defines a GST registration certificate, the benefits of obtaining one, and how to determine whether your business is properly registered.
GST Registration Process: Outline
The following is the general procedure for registering a company under GST with Zolvit :-
- The applicant prepares an application with relevant documents with the help of the legal experts at Zolvit; –
- The application is then presented for approval on the GST portal with the help of Zolvit experts to the tax authorities;
- The relevant department then issues a notice that the application has been approved; The tax authorities then issue a tax registration certificate;
- Thereafter the applicant is required to pay tax if any, as required.
GST Registration Process: How to Download GST Registration Certificate?
Because the government does not distribute hard copies of GST registration certificates, registered taxpayers must download the certificate from the GST portal. Only by logging onto the GST portal can the GST certificate be downloaded. You cannot download the GST certificate with just a GSTIN.
The following are three basic steps for downloading your GST certificate:
Step 1 – In order to download the GST registration certificate, you must first have access to your GST account. Once you’ve logged into your GST account using your GST Portal account information, do the following:
Step 2 – Select ‘Services,’ then ‘User Services,’ and finally the ‘View/Download Certificate’ page.
Step 3 – Finally, click on the ‘Download’ icon under the ‘GST REG-06’ option.
Validity of GST Registration Certificate: How to be Sure of its Authenticity?
The registration certificate is only accessible for download on the GST Portal, and no physical certificates are issued by the government. Every successful GST registration recipient receives a GST registration certificate in Form GST REG-06. It includes the GST Identification Number (GSTIN), as well as the primary and secondary locations of business.
One can verify the validity of a GST registration certificate by checking the validity of the GSTIN displayed on it.
To check the validity of a company’s GSTIN –
- Visit the following link to the official GST portal: https://services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp
- Enter the GSTIN/UIN of the Taxpayer in the space provided
- View the GSTIN status.
One can also verify the validity of a GST registration certificate by checking the following information is displayed on the registration certificate.
The GST registration certificate includes the main certificate as well as two annexures, Annexures A and B.
The following is displayed on the GST registration certificate’s main portion:
- The taxpayer’s GSTIN
- Trade Name and Legal Name
- Business Constitution Type (Eg: Partnership, Company, Proprietorship, Trust, etc)
- Principal Place of Business Address
- Liability Date
- Validity Period. ‘From date’ is usually followed by a date. Regular taxpayers, on the other hand, will not see a date for ‘To date.’ This might be found in circumstances of casual taxpayers or non-resident taxpayers.
- Registration Type
- Name, designation, jurisdictional office, and signature of the approving authority (usually digitally signed).
- The date the certificate was issued
Annexure-A contains the following information:
- GSTIN
- The Formal Name
- The Brand Name (if found)
- Additional Business Locations
Annexure-B contains the following information:
- GSTIN
- The Formal Name
- The Brand Name (if applicable)
- Information on the proprietor, partners, Karta, managing and full-time directors, the board of trustees, and so on, such as a photo, name, designation, or status, and where they live.
Who All Must Have a Valid GST Registration Certificate?
The following categories of individuals and organisations must mandatorily undergo GST enrollment in India.
- Businesses involved in the inter-state supply of goods and services
- Non-resident taxable person
- Casual taxable person
- Taxpayers under the reverse charge mechanism
- Businesses registered under old tax services, such as VAT, excise, and service tax
- Any business engaged in the supply of goods whose turnover in a fiscal year exceeds ₹40 lakhs for states in the Normal Category who have opted for the new threshold (₹20 lakhs for special category states and those in states which have not opted for the new threshold, for example, the state of Telangana)
- Any business engaged in the rendering of services whose turnover in a fiscal year surpasses ₹20 lakhs in normal category states (₹10 lakhs for special category states)
- Agents of a supplier
- Input service distributors
- Businesses that supply online information, database access, and/or retrieval services from outside India to a person/business within the country
- E-commerce aggregators
- Businesses that supply through an e-commerce aggregator
- Other individuals and businesses as notified by the central/state govt, on recommendation by the GST Council.
Also, Read: