GST Return
A GST return is a document containing details of all income/sales and/or expenses/purchases that a GST-registered taxpayer (every GSTIN) is required to file with the tax administrative authorities. This is used by tax authorities to calculate net tax liability.
Under GST, a registered dealer has to file GST returns that broadly include:
- Purchases
- Sales
- Output GST (On sales)
- Input tax credit (GST paid on purchases)
Who should file GST Returns
Under the GST regime, regular businesses having more than Rs.5 crore as annual aggregate turnover (and taxpayers who have not opted for the QRMP scheme) have to file two monthly returns and one annual return. This amounts to 25 returns each year.
Taxpayers with a turnover of up to Rs.5 crore have the option to file returns under the QRMP scheme. The number of GSTR filings for QRMP filers is 9 each year, which include 4 GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B returns each and an annual return. Note that QRMP filers have to pay tax on a monthly basis even though they are filing returns quarterly.
There are also separate statements/returns required to be filed in special cases such as composition dealers where the number of GSTR filings is 5 each year (4 statement-cum-challans in CMP-08 and 1 annual return GSTR-4).
Returns under GST?
There are 13 returns under GST. They are the GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-4, GSTR-5, GSTR-5A, GSTR-6, GSTR-7, GSTR-8, GSTR-9, GSTR-10, GSTR-11, CMP-08, and ITC-04. However, all returns do not apply to all taxpayers. Taxpayers file returns based on the type of taxpayer/type of registration obtained.
Eligible taxpayers, i.e. with a turnover exceeding Rs.5 crore are also required to also file a self-certified reconciliation statement in Form GSTR-9C.
Besides the GST returns that are required to be filed, there are statements of input tax credit available to taxpayers, namely GSTR-2A (dynamic) and GSTR-2B (static). There is also an Invoice Furnishing Facility (IFF) available to small taxpayers who are registered under the QRMP scheme to furnish their Business to Business (B2B) sales for the first two months of the quarter. These small taxpayers will still need to pay taxes on a monthly basis using Form PMT-06.
| Return Form | Description | Frequency | Due Date |
| GSTR-1 | Details of outward supplies of taxable goods and/or services affected. | Monthly | 11th of the next month. |
| Quarterly (If opted under the QRMP scheme) | 13th of the month succeeding the quarter. | ||
| IFF (Optional by taxpayers under the QRMP scheme) | Details of B2B supplies of taxable goods and/or services affected. | Monthly (for the first two months of the quarter) | 13th of the next month. |
| GSTR-3B | Summary return of outward supplies and input tax credit claimed, along with payment of tax by the taxpayer. | Monthly | 20th of next month. |
| Quarterly(For taxpayers under the QRMP scheme) | 22nd or 24th of the month succeeding the quarter*** | ||
| CMP-08 | Statement-cum-challan to make a tax payment by a taxpayer registered under the composition scheme under Section 10 of the CGST Act. | Quarterly | 18th of the month succeeding the quarter. |
| GSTR-4 | Return for a taxpayer registered under the composition scheme under Section 10 of the CGST Act. | Annually | 30th of the month succeeding a financial year. |
| GSTR-5 | Return to be filed by a non-resident taxable person. | Monthly | 20th of next month.(Amended to 13th by Budget 2022; yet to be notified by CBIC.) |
| GSTR-5A | Return to be filed by non-resident OIDAR service providers. | Monthly | 20th of next month. |
| GSTR-6 | Return for an input service distributor to distribute the eligible input tax credit to its branches. | Monthly | 13th of the next month. |
| GSTR-7 | Return to be filed by registered persons deducting tax at source (TDS). | Monthly | 10th of next month. |
| GSTR-8 | Return to be filed by e-commerce operators containing details of supplies effected and the amount of tax collected at source by them. | Monthly | 10th of next month. |
| GSTR-9 | Annual return by a regular taxpayer. | Annually | 31st December of the next financial year. |
| GSTR-9C | Self-certified reconciliation statement. | Annually | 31st December of the next financial year. |
| GSTR-10 | Final return to be filed by a taxpayer whose GST registration is canceled. | Once, when the GST registration is canceled 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 a refund | Monthly | 28th of the month following the month for which statement is filed. |
| ITC-04 | Statement to be filed by a principal/job-worker about details of goods sent to/received from a job-worker | Annually(for AATO up to Rs.5 crore) Half-yearly(for AATO > Rs.5 crore) | 25th April where AATO is up to Rs.5 crore. 25th October and 25th April where AATO exceeds Rs.5 crore. (AATO = Annual aggregate turnover) |