The Ultimate Tour To Gst Portal And The Process Of Enrollment

Since the day it became active, the GST portal has been a subject of discussion not only for businesses filing GST but also for the common man. The fact is, this is one of the most systematic arrangements for the payment of indirect taxes.

This portal has not just eased the process of payment of taxes, but it has also enabled the authorities to improve tax compliance in the country. Designed and implemented by the Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN), the GST portal is a smooth interface for prompt communication of the taxpayers with the central and state governments.

Unlike the past, the taxpayer does not need to report to the nearest registered office either for first time application or for filing of returns. To understand what you can do with this user-friendly portal, let us take a tour of the portal.

Services Under The Portal Before Login

When you first go to the portal, you will see the following options.

• Services – This tab will lead you to register for the first time. You can check the application status here. The dropdown also has options for making payments, claiming refunds, and seeking other user services.
• GST Law – You will find all the latest amendments to GST, circulars, and notifications here. This will also take you to the state tax websites and other CBIC links.
• Download- This will be of help to people who choose the offline mode of filing GST. From Proposed Return Documents to GST Statistics and Offline Tools, this tab is a one-stop solution to all types of resources that you will need for offline filing.
• Search Taxpayer – This section will allow you to find a taxpayer with their PAN number.
• Help – To be able to file your GST Returns from a system, there are certain hardware and software specifications that the system must meet. These details will be found here. You will also find a list of FAQs, user manuals, and videos to help you with the filing.
• e-Way billing system – As the name suggests, this will take you directly to e-way billing.
• News, Updates, Events – You will find this option on the bottom of your screen. Here details like amendment in due dates, changes in process, etc. will be mentioned.
• Important Dates – The date of filing upcoming GST returns will be first notified here.

This is the basic gist of the GST portal. Once you log in to the GST portal, you will be taken to your dashboard which will have details such as your orders, notices, and general profile information. Not only can you file your returns from the dashboard, but there is a provision of generating your tax payment challan there.

Services Under The Portal Post Login

Another major change that you will notice post logging in is that the ‘Services’ tab will have a lot more options now. ‘Amendment of Registration Non-Core Fields’ is an extra option that will be seen under the ‘Registration’ tab. Similarly, you will see a host of options populating under the ‘User Services’ option in the ‘Services’ menu.

The ‘Services’ dropdown will also have a ‘Ledgers’ tab with multiple sub-options. The ‘Returns’ dropdown will allow you to track the status of your returns, see your ITC, Transition and final return forms and a lot more.

Enrolling for GST

Now that you have a clear picture of how the portal looks like let us take a look at how you can enrol yourself here.

• Step 1: Go to the portal and log in with your provisional credentials. The provisional ID will be shared with you by the state tax authorities. If you haven’t received it, you may either walk up to their office or send a mail to them. While sending the mail, make sure that your Excise R C number is mentioned in the body.
• Step 2: On successfully entering these details on the login page, you will have to enter the characters asked in the box. Then, you will be taken to the second stage wherein you will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number and email address. On authentication, you will be taken to a page where you need to set your new username and password for the GST portal.
• Step 3: The next page will ask you to set some password recovery questions. For each question, you will have to write the answer in the dialogue box below it. Click on ‘Submit’ to complete the registration. Now, log in to the GST portal with the new credentials that you have saved.
• Step 4: Upon logging in, a window with a welcome message and a ‘Dashboard’ would come up. You are logged in to the goods and service tax portal and can now file your returns and do other things in it.

Verifying GSTIN online

Now that you have enrolled yourself, you might want to verify the GST Identification Number (GSTIN) of your suppliers before you mention that in your GST Returns.

The unique GST number that is allotted to vendors registered in the GST portal is a 15-digit PAN-based number. So, the first step in checking the authenticity of a GSTIN is to count the number of digits.

Now, many business people operate in more than one state or union territory. In such cases, the person will have a GSTIN each for every state or union territory of operation. Luckily for you, gst number verification online is a simple process and does not take more than a couple of minutes.

You should go to the portal and enter the GSTIN that has been provided to you by your vendor. Clicking on the ‘Search’ option will show you who this ID is tagged to. Remember, being alert and validating all details before filing your taxes is the key to being a legally aware citizen.

Conclusion

The concept of GST came into the picture to do away with the complicated indirect tax regime of the country and make things easier for the common man.

By investing some amount of time in finding out the different features of this portal, you will be able to stay on the right side of law and fulfil your responsibilities towards your nation and your business.