GSTIN or GST Identification Number

GSTIN, known as GST Identification Number, is assigned to every GST registered person. Prior to the implementation of GST, each dealer registered under state VAT legislation was granted a unique TIN number by the individual state tax authorities. Similarly, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs granted service providers a service tax registration number (CBIC).

All registered taxpayers are merged onto a single platform for compliance and administration reasons under the GST regime and are allocated registration under a single authority.

Every firm operating in a state or Union territory will be granted a one-of-a-kind Goods and Services Tax Identification Number, or GSTIN.

Format of GSTN

The GSTIN is formatted as follows:

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According to the Indian Census 2011, the first two digits denote the state code. Each state has its own code. As an example,
The state code of Karnataka is 29
The state code of Delhi is 07
The next ten digits will be the PAN number of the taxpayer
The thirteenth digit will be assigned based on the number of registration within a state
The fourteenth digit will be “Z” by default
The last digit will be for the check code. It may be an alphabet or a number.

How to apply for it?

It is part of the GST Registration process. Once the application is approved by the GST officer, a unique GSTIN is allocated to the dealer.

There are two ways to register for GST:

via GST Online Portal or
via GST Seva Kendra set up by the Government of India

Details Required to apply for GSTIN

Valid Permanent Account Number (PAN)
Valid Indian Mobile Number
Place of Business
Valid e-mail address
Prescribed documents and information on all mandatory fields of Registration Application
Jurisdiction details
Valid bank account number from India
Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) number of same bank and branch
At least one Proprietor/Partner/Director/Trustee/Karta/Member with the corresponding PAN
An authorized signatory who is a resident of India with valid details, including PAN.

Cost of obtaining GSTIN

Obtaining GSTIN and registering for GST is free of cost.

GSTIN vs GSTN?

GSTIN stands for Goods and Services Tax Identification Number. The Goods and Service Tax Network (or GSTN) is an organization that oversees the GST portal’s whole IT infrastructure. The Government of India will utilize this site to track every financial activity and to give taxpayers all services – from registration to submitting taxes and preserving all tax records.