Goods and service tax, the little bud sowed into the Indian Taxation System, roughly 2 years ago, today has changed the compliance game in India. Prior to the GST regime, businesses were given Tax identification number (TIN) or Service Tax Registration number, along with numerous other compliance procedures to follow. The businessperson was not only required to maintain and manage their own business but also had to keep up with numerous taxation compliances applicable. Thus, in order to save these taxpayers from such hassles, GST was introduced, and it all started with the GSTIN

GSTIN

GSTIN is an abbreviation for Good and Service Tax Identification Number, which is a 15 digit, unique registration number given to every taxpayer registered under GST.

There are 2 ways to get your GSTIN (to get GST registration)

• Through GST Portal
• Via GST Seva Kendra authorised by the Government.

P.S GSTIN is often confused with GSTN.  GSTIN is the unique registration code given to a dealer/supplier by the GSTN (GST Network) which is the official GST portal.

Structure of GSTIN

Every taxpayer under GST is provided with a State + PAN-based 15-digit Goods and Services Taxpayer Identification Number (GSTIN)

Breakdown of GSTIN

The general structure of GSTIN be broken down into 3 parts, as given below

00 PANNUMBERS 1Z0

1. State code: The first two digits of the GSTIN consist of the state code (assigned to every state as per Indian Census 2011).
   P.S The state code of every state has been given below for your reference
2. Taxpayer’s Pan: The second part of the GSTIN consist of 10 digits of the taxpayer’s PAN number.
3. Registration based: the remaining 3 numbers are provided by the GSTN as follows:
   • The 13th digit is assigned on the number of registration within the state
   • The 14th digit is Z by default
   • The 15th digit is a check code. It can be an alphabet or a number.

Documents Required
To register under GST, you are required to present the following documents

• Valid PAN Card
• Aadhar Card
• Bank Account Details
• Photograph of the owner
• Address proof of principal place of business

For in detailed information, you can also read our article, “Exhaustive List of Documents Required for GST Registration”

Registration fees for GST

Registration for GST is free of cost, thus a taxpayer is not required to pay anything to get his GSTIN.

To get step by step assistance on GST registration, you can read our article How to Register for GST Online in 12 Simple Steps.

Compliance Tracking with GSTIN

The Goods and Service Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) is one of the most crucial aspects for any business. The GSTIN holds details regarding your business transactions and compliance history. It can also be used to determine the credibility and reliability of your business.

To check the compliance history and score of your counterparties and dealers, you can download the IRIS Peridot app from Playstore and Appstore on your Android and Apple phones respectively. RIS Peridot is a free compliance tracking solution (Mobile Application) developed by IRIS GST, a leading GST Suvidha Provider in India. The Peridot app offers its user with a quick overview of the given GSTIN’s tax filing status and crucial business details. With IRIS Peridot, checking GST Evasion is at common man’s fingertips, quite literally!

For any queries in regards to GST, feel free to write to us at support@irisgst.com.

IRIS GST is an official GSP (GST Suvidha Provider), that has been built with a vision to help businesses file their GST compliances without any hassle. To know more about our products, IRIS Sapphire (GST Returns), IRIS Topaz (Eway Bill) and IRIS Peridot (GSTIN Search).