If you are unaware, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced in 2017 to subsume the indirect taxes that were present under the previous tax regime. It is a single indirect tax levied on all taxable providers of goods and services. If you are a provider of goods and services, you will have to complete your GST registration process and receive a Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) and GST certificate.

Should you register for GST?

If your company has an annual turnover of Rs. 40 Lakh, you will need to register for GST. However, the threshold for the same is Rs. 20 Lakh in special category states like Himachal Pradesh and some of the North-Eastern states. Aside from this, if you are a trader under the GST composition scheme, you can get away without paying GST unless you have a turnover of Rs. 1.5 CR or more.

Tracking your GST application status

You want to track your GST application, but you are unsure about how you will go about it. Here’s how:

• First, log on to the GST portal online, look for services, go to the registration section, and click on the track application status option.

• Next, you will have to select the option that says Application Reference Number (ARN) and enter the ARN that you’ve received on your registered phone and email address. Fill in the captcha code that is displayed and hit search to check your GST application status.

• Once this is done, one of the following statuses will be displayed – Provisional, Pending for Verification, Validation Against Error, Migrated or Canceled.

• Provisional means the Provisional ID was issued. However, the registration is not filed. Pending for Verification means the application for GST registration was submitted but has not been approved yet. Validation Against Error implies that Personal Account Number (PAN) details that you’ve provided do not match with those sent to the Income Tax department. Migrated implies that your GST migration is done. Canceled means your GST registration application got terminated.

What is the Format of the GST Certificate?

You’re probably wondering what the GST certificate looks like. Here’s what you can expect:

• There are three sheets in the GST certificate’s GST REG-06 form. Sheet 1 gives you the essential details on the business, including the Goods and Services Tax Number (GSTIN), type of GST registration, validity duration, business constitution, when the certificate was issued, business location, and so forth.

• On sheet 2, you will find Annexure-A wherein you will find information on the other branches of the business, such as the trading name, number of companies within the given state, GSTIN, legal name, and so on.

• On sheet 3 of the GST certificate lies Annexure-B, which contains essential details on the individuals who run the business in question. Examples include the managing committee, board of directors, investors, and sole proprietor. These individuals must submit their photographs as proof of ID, designation name, and the GST number of the business.

Downloading the GST Certificate and Verification

Follow these steps if you do not know how to download the GST Certificate.

• Go to the official GST website and log into your account with the information you used for the GST registration.
• Go to the ‘Services’ tab and choose the ‘User Services’ option. After this, go to download/view certificate from the list of displayed options and click on download.

As far as verification goes, visit the GST portal and look for a GST number check and verification tool option that you will find below the ‘Search By Taxpayer’ option. Submit the GSTIN details of the business in question to verify its credibility. After you enter the GSTIN, the GST database on the GST portal will display the specifics that you want. These specifics are type of taxpayer, filing table, GST status, legal and trading names of said company, and so on.

Conclusion

There it is – a quick, easy-to-comprehend tour of the GST certificate that newbies and amateurs can look up to get a decent grip on the fundamentals of the GST certificate. Be sure to register your business under GST without delay.