How to apply for GST registration?

Want to start your business legally and grow faster? Learn How to apply for GST registration? It’s simple and quick. Register today to collect GST, claim input tax credit, and build trust with customers. Start your GST registration process now! 

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How to Apply for GST Registration in India: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing one, understanding how to Apply for GST Registration is one of the most important compliance steps you will take. GST — Goods and Services Tax — is India’s unified indirect tax system, and registering under it is mandatory for most businesses once they cross the prescribed turnover limit.

What is GST and Why Does It Matter?

Introduced on 1 July 2017, the Goods and Services Tax replaced a complex web of central and state-level taxes — VAT, service tax, excise duty, and others — with a single, streamlined system. Today, GST governs nearly every commercial transaction in India, from a local kirana store selling groceries to a technology company exporting software services.

Being GST-registered does more than just keep you on the right side of the law. It allows you to collect tax from customers, claim input tax credits (ITC) on your purchases, and project credibility to vendors and clients who prefer to deal with registered businesses. Without a valid GST registration, you cannot legally charge GST on your invoices or recover the tax you have paid on inputs.

Who Needs to Register for GST?

The government has set turnover thresholds that determine whether registration is mandatory. These thresholds have been revised over the years, so always verify the current limits on the official GST portal.

Business CategoryAnnual Turnover Threshold
Goods suppliers (regular states)₹40 lakh
Service providers₹20 lakh
Special category states (NE, Hill)₹10 lakh
E-commerce operators / sellersMandatory regardless of turnover
Casual taxable persons / NRI taxpayersMandatory regardless of turnover

Even if your turnover is below the threshold, voluntary GST registration can be beneficial — particularly if you supply goods or services to large businesses that require tax invoices for their own Input Tax Credit claims.

Important: 
Businesses involved in interstate supply of goods must register under GST regardless of their annual turnover. Similarly, e-commerce sellers and platform operators must register before making their first taxable supply.

Documents Required Before You Apply for GST

Before you begin the process of how to Apply for GST registration, gather the following documents. Having them ready will make the online application smooth and significantly reduce the chances of rejection.

  1. PAN card of the business or applicant
  2. Aadhaar card (for individuals / proprietors)
  3. Proof of business registration / incorporation certificate
  4. Identity & address proof of promoters / directors
  5. Bank account details (cancelled cheque or bank statement)
  6. Proof of business address (electricity bill, rent agreement)
  7. Photographs of proprietors / partners / directors

Documents should be clear, legible scans in PDF or JPEG format. The GST portal has specific file size restrictions — generally under 1 MB per file — so compress large scans before uploading.

How to Apply for GST Registration: Step-by-Step Process

The entire GST Registration Process is online through the government’s official portal at gst.gov.in. Here is a detailed walkthrough of every step.

1. Visit the GST portal

Go to gst.gov.in and click on "Services" → "Registration" → "New Registration".

2 Fill Part A of Form REG-01

Enter your PAN, mobile number, and email. An OTP will be sent to both for verification.

3 Receive your TRN

After OTP verification, you receive a Temporary Reference Number (TRN) valid for 15 days.

4. Fill Part B using TRN

Log in with your TRN to fill the detailed Part B — business details, promoter info, bank details, and document uploads

5. Aadhaar authentication

Opt for Aadhaar authentication to avoid a physical inspection visit by a GST officer.

6 Submit with DSC or EVC

Companies must use a Digital Signature. Proprietors and partnerships can use the Electronic Verification Code (EVC) sent to their registered mobile

7. Receive ARN

On successful submission, you get an Application Reference Number (ARN) to track your registration status.

8. Get your GSTIN

If documents are in order, your 15-digit GSTIN is issued within 7 working days via email and SMS.

Understanding the Application Form: Form GST REG-01

Form GST REG-01 is the primary application form for new GST registration. It is divided into two parts.

Part A — Basic details

This section captures your PAN, legal name (auto-fetched from the Income Tax database), state, district, email, and mobile number. The PAN-linked details are non-editable — if there is a mismatch, you must first correct your PAN information with the income tax department before applying for GST.

Part B — Detailed business information

Part B is the main body of the application. You will need to fill in details about your business trade name, constitution of business (sole proprietorship, partnership, company, etc.), the principal place of business with full address, additional places of business if applicable, details of goods and services you deal in (along with their HSN and SAC codes), bank account information, and details of all promoters, partners, or directors.

What Happens After You Submit?

Once you submit the application, the process moves into the government’s review queue. Here is what to expect.

If you have completed Aadhaar authentication and your documents are clean, the system can issue the GSTIN automatically without manual intervention — often within 3 to 7 working days. If Aadhaar authentication was not completed or the officer has queries, you will receive a notice in Form GST REG-03 requesting clarifications. You must respond within 7 working days using Form GST REG-04, providing additional information or documents.

In some cases, an officer may conduct a physical verification of your place of business before approving the application. If the officer is satisfied, registration is granted via Form GST REG-06. If rejected, you will receive a rejection order in Form GST REG-05 with the reasons, giving you the opportunity to reapply after addressing the issues.

Composition Scheme: A Simpler Alternative for Small Businesses

If your annual turnover is below ₹1.5 crore (₹75 lakh for special category states and service providers under ₹50 lakh), you may be eligible for the GST Composition Scheme. Under this scheme, you pay GST at a flat rate on your turnover rather than the standard rate, and you file returns quarterly instead of monthly.

However, composition taxpayers cannot collect GST from customers on invoices, cannot claim input tax credit, and are restricted from making interstate supplies. If these limitations do not affect your business model, the scheme significantly reduces your compliance burden.

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A GST Number (GSTIN — Goods and Services Tax Identification Number) is a unique 15-digit code assigned by the Government of India to every registered business. The first 2 digits represent your state code, the next 10 match your PAN, and the remaining 3 are entity-specific identifiers. You need it to legally charge GST on sales, issue GST-compliant invoices, file returns, and claim Input Tax Credit (ITC) on your purchases.
GST registration is mandatory if your annual aggregate turnover exceeds ₹40 lakh (goods-only businesses in 28 normal states), ₹20 lakh (service providers or mixed businesses), or ₹10 lakh in special category states like Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. Additionally, registration is compulsory — regardless of turnover — if you sell on e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Shopify), make inter-state supplies of goods, are a casual or non-resident taxable person, or are liable to pay tax under Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM).
Generally required documents include: PAN Card of the business or applicant; Aadhaar Card of the authorised signatory; proof of principal place of business (electricity bill, rent agreement, or property tax receipt); bank account details (cancelled cheque or bank statement); business registration proof (e.g., partnership deed or certificate of incorporation); photographs of the authorised signatory; and a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for companies and LLPs. As per a February 2025 GSTN advisory, Aadhaar biometric authentication is mandatory for timely ARN generation.
Step 1: Visit gst.gov.in and click Services → Registration → New Registration.

Step 2: Fill Part A with your PAN, mobile number, and email — verify both via OTP.

Step 3: Note the Temporary Reference Number (TRN) emailed to you.

Step 4: Log in with TRN and complete Part B — business details, authorised signatory, address, bank account, and document uploads.

Step 5: Verify using Aadhaar OTP, DSC (companies), or EVC.

Step 6: Submit to receive your Application Reference Number (ARN).

Step 7: Track the ARN on the portal — GSTIN is typically issued within 3–11 working days.
GST registration on the official portal (gst.gov.in) is completely free for most taxpayers — no government fee is charged. Exceptions include non-resident taxable persons and casual taxable persons, who pay a ₹5,000 registration fee and must deposit an advance against their estimated GST liability. Any fees paid to a CA or GST consultant are professional charges, not a government requirement.
With clean documents and successful Aadhaar authentication, approval typically takes 3–7 working days. The overall average (including cases with officer queries) is 9–11 working days. If the GST officer raises a clarification notice (Form REG-03), you have 7 working days to respond. If no action is taken within 7 working days for Aadhaar-authenticated applications (or 30 days for physical verification cases), registration is deemed approved automatically and a GSTIN is generated on the portal.
The most common reasons for rejection in 2026 include: Aadhaar/PAN name mismatch (the leading cause, accounting for about 40% of first-time rejections); business name not matching the PAN record exactly; blurry, expired, or unsupported document formats; incorrect or missing bank account details (mandatory within 30 days of registration per a November 2025 advisory); address proof not matching the address entered; and invalid DSC for companies or LLPs. Always verify that your PAN name and business legal name match exactly before submitting.
Yes. You can use your residential address as the principal place of business. Submit ownership proof (electricity bill, property tax receipt, or property documents in your name). If you are a tenant or using someone else's property, provide a rent/lease agreement and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the property owner. This is a common approach for freelancers, home-based sellers, and small business owners.
Freelancers must register for GST if their annual service income exceeds ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh in special category states). Freelancers providing OIDAR services (Online Information and Database Access or Retrieval) must register regardless of turnover. Below the threshold, registration is voluntary — but many freelancers register voluntarily to pass on ITC to their clients and build business credibility.
Failure to register when liable attracts a penalty of 10% of the tax due, with a minimum of ₹10,000. In cases of deliberate tax evasion, the penalty can be 100% of the tax amount. You are also required to display your GSTIN at your principal place of business — failure to display can attract a penalty of up to ₹25,000 under Section 125 of the CGST Act.
A Regular Taxpayer files monthly/quarterly returns (GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B), can claim Input Tax Credit, make inter-state sales, and charge GST separately on invoices. The Composition Scheme is for small businesses with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore — they pay GST at a flat reduced rate, file returns once a year (with a quarterly CMP-08 challan), but cannot claim ITC, cannot sell outside their state/UT, and cannot collect GST from customers. Choose Regular if you deal with inter-state sales or need to offer ITC to your buyers.
Go to gst.gov.in → Services → Registration → Track Application Status and enter your ARN (Application Reference Number). Possible statuses are: Pending for Processing (under review), Pending for Clarification (REG-03 query raised — respond within 7 working days via REG-04), Approved (GSTIN issued, download REG-06 certificate), or Rejected (REG-05 issued with reason). If your application has been pending beyond 7 working days with no action or query, deemed approval should trigger automatically.

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