If you did not know, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a single, unified tax that you are liable to pay the central government on taxable goods and services. This new system was put in place in 2017 to replace the old tax structure that was plagued by double taxation. You will need to have a decent grip on GST and its related aspects if you want to be in the clear as a business owner in the GST era. Before we get to how to download a GST certificate, we need to touch on the subject of the GST registration process and getting a Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN).

Do I need to register for GST?

In a nutshell, if your company yields a business turnover of Rs. 40 Lakh or more in one financial year, you are liable to register for GST. The same rule is applicable to businesses situated in special category states such as Himachal Pradesh, but for a turnover of Rs. 20 Lakh or more. If your business is a part of the GST composition scheme, you are not obligated to pay GST unless your business enjoys a turnover of Rs. 1.5CR or higher.

How to track my GST application status?

If you have submitted your GST application you can expect your application to get processed in 15 days. You can track your GST application status until then using your Application Reference Number. Here’s how:

• Go to the GST portal, search for the services tab, go to the section called registration, and select the track application status option.

• Now, click on the option that reads Application Reference Number (ARN), and type the ARN you received on your phone and email address upon completing your GST registration process. Fill in the correct captcha code and click on search to track your GST application status.

• Your application status will be one of the following – Provisional, Validation Against Error, Migrated, Canceled, or Provisional.

• Provisional refers to the fact the Provisional ID was issued. However, you should know that the registration has not yet been filed. Pending for Verification means that the application for GST registration was submitted but has not yet been approved. If you get Validation Against Error, it means the Personal Account Number (PAN) details that you presented do not match with the information provided to the Income Tax department. Migrated means that your GST migration has been completed successfully. Canceled means your GST registration application did not go through, and you will have to redo the registration.

How do I download the GST Certificate and conduct Verification?

The process of downloading GST certificates is a question that comes up regularly. Here’s the process to download the GST certificate:

• Visit the official GST website and get into your account using the information submitted for GST registration.

• Now, click on the services section and hit the user services option. Once you do this, go to the download/view certificate option and click on it to download your certificate.

To verify your GST certificate, you will have to go to the GST portal to find the verification tool and GST number check option. You will find this below the tab that says search by taxpayer. Now, enter and submit the GSTIN details of the company you are dealing with.

After filling in the information, the GST database on the GST portal online will display the information you are looking for. Details like the type of taxpayer, filing table, GST status, and so on, will be displayed.

What is the format of the GST certificate?

This is how your GST certificate looks:

• The GST REG-06 has three sheets. The first sheet contains the business’ primary details like GST registration type, GST number, location of the business, and so on.

• On the next sheet, lies the Annexure-A that consists of information on various other branches of the company like the trading name, GST number, the number of branches of the company within the given state, and so forth.

On the final sheet, you will find Annexure-B, which has vital information on the individuals who are in charge of the business. You will find designations like sole proprietor, the board of directors, investors, and so on. They are required to submit their photographs as proof of identification, along with their designation.