Question 1

Are there any hidden charges for e-invoice setup?

Accepted Answer

No. The fee quoted before we start is the fee you pay. Government fees, portal charges or statutory late fees, where they apply, are separate and disclosed to you in advance with the exact amount. We issue a proper GST invoice for our professional fee. If the scope of work changes — for example, an unexpected notice or additional periods — we tell you the revised fee before doing anything further.

Question 2

What documents are required for e-invoice setup in Chetpet?

Accepted Answer

For e-invoice setup you will generally need: GST portal login credentials, Turnover figures for financial years from 2017-18 onwards, Details of the billing or accounting software currently in use, Sample sales invoice with current format, HSN codes and rate list of goods or services supplied. The exact list depends on your constitution — proprietorship, partnership, LLP or company — and on the specifics of your case. Send what you have on WhatsApp to +91 - 9600 606 444 and we will confirm within the same working day exactly what else is needed, so nothing is rejected later for a missing paper.

Question 3

Is e-invoicing compulsory for my business, and at what turnover?

Accepted Answer

E-invoicing is mandatory for registered businesses whose aggregate turnover has exceeded Rs.5 crore in any financial year from 2017-18 onwards, for their B2B supplies and exports. The Rs.5 crore limit applies from 1 August 2023. Once you cross the threshold in any year, the mandate applies from the start of the next financial year and continues permanently, even if turnover later falls. Note that turnover is computed PAN-wide across all GSTINs, not branch-wise. If your books show you crossing Rs.5 crore this year, plan the IRP setup in advance rather than scrambling in April.

Question 4

How do I register on the Invoice Registration Portal and set up e-invoicing?

Accepted Answer

Registration is done on the e-invoice portal einvoice1.gst.gov.in using your GSTIN; the system verifies you through an OTP sent to your GST-registered mobile and email, after which you create IRP login credentials. Businesses already registered on the e-way bill portal can use the same credentials. You then choose how invoices will be reported: direct portal entry, the free offline utility, or API integration through your accounting software such as Tally or a GSP. ChennaiGST handles the complete setup including software configuration and staff training for businesses in Chetpet for Rs.1,999; call +91 - 9600 606 444 to schedule it.

Question 5

What exactly are the IRN and QR code on an e-invoice?

Accepted Answer

When you report an invoice to the Invoice Registration Portal, it validates the data and returns a unique 64-character Invoice Reference Number, which is a hash generated from your GSTIN, the document number and the financial year, along with a digitally signed QR code. The QR code embeds key details such as both GSTINs, invoice number and date, taxable value and the IRN, allowing anyone to verify the invoice offline. A B2B invoice issued by a mandated taxpayer without an IRN is not a valid tax invoice, and the printed copy must carry the QR code.

Question 6

What is the penalty if I am covered by e-invoicing but do not generate IRNs?

Accepted Answer

The consequences are serious. An invoice issued without an IRN by a mandated taxpayer is not a valid tax invoice, which exposes you to penalty under Section 122 of Rs.10,000 or the tax due, whichever is higher, per invoice for non-issuance, and Rs.25,000 per invoice for an incorrect invoice. Goods moving on such invoices can be detained, and, most damaging commercially, your B2B customers may lose their input tax credit and will quickly stop buying from you. Large buyers now routinely verify IRNs before releasing payments. If you have crossed Rs.5 crore and have not started, regularise immediately rather than waiting for a notice.

Question 7

Can I run different invoice series for different branches or types of sales?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The rules expressly permit one or multiple series of invoice numbers, so you can run separate series for each branch, counter or category, for example RET/001 for retail billing and EXP/001 for exports, under the same GSTIN. Each series must independently be consecutive and unique within the financial year, and all series must be reported in the documents table of GSTR-1. For businesses under the e-invoicing mandate, the IRP validates that a document number is not repeated within the year for the GSTIN, so overlapping series will cause IRN rejections. We help Chetpet businesses design clean series structures; call +91 - 9600 606 444.

Question 8

How many copies of an invoice must I prepare, and is a physical signature compulsory?

Accepted Answer

For goods, the invoice is prepared in triplicate: original for the recipient, duplicate for the transporter and triplicate for the supplier. For services, duplicate suffices: original for the recipient and duplicate for the supplier. On signatures, Rule 46 accepts either a physical signature or a digital signature of the authorised person, and no signature at all is required where the invoice is issued electronically in accordance with the Information Technology Act, which covers e-invoices carrying an IRN and system-generated invoices meeting those conditions. Businesses in Chetpet moving to paperless billing can therefore drop the ink signature once their process qualifies; call +91 - 9600 606 444 to confirm your setup.

Question 9

My supplier is delivering one order in several instalments. When can I claim the ITC?

Accepted Answer

Where goods against a single invoice are received in lots or instalments, the first proviso to Section 16(2) permits the credit only upon receipt of the last lot. So if machinery invoiced in March arrives in four consignments ending in May, the entire ITC is claimable only in May, even though the invoice is dated March. Claiming it earlier is a premature availment that can be flagged in scrutiny. Track part deliveries against invoices in your inward register, and defer the credit in your reconciliation working until the final consignment is booked. This timing point is routinely missed by businesses in Chetpet handling bulk orders.

Question 10

What is the 180-day payment rule for input tax credit?

Accepted Answer

Under the second proviso to Section 16(2) read with Rule 37, if you do not pay your supplier the invoice value including tax within 180 days from the invoice date, you must reverse the proportionate ITC in GSTR-3B, along with interest at 18 percent per annum from the date of availment. The credit can be re-availed, without any time limit, once payment is actually made. Long credit periods negotiated with vendors around Chetpet frequently breach this rule unnoticed, so your reconciliation should include an ageing of creditors mapped to ITC claimed. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 if you need this ageing built into your monthly process.

Question 11

What GST rates apply at my hardware and paint shop in Chetpet now?

Accepted Answer

The core hardware basket now sits at 18%. Cement, long the costliest line at 28%, came down to 18% from 22 September 2025, joining paints and varnishes, putty, iron and steel products, pipes, sanitaryware and hardware fittings, all at 18%. Marble and granite blocks attract 5%, while finished slabs are at 18%. For a hardware dealer in Chetpet, this means a largely single-rate counter with a few exceptions to flag in the billing master. Cement stock bought at 28% before the change retains full input credit while being sold at 18%. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 for an HSN-wise review of your inventory.

Question 12

What is the GST treatment for an event management company handling corporate events?

Accepted Answer

Event management services attract 18 percent with full input tax credit. Place of supply rules deserve attention: for organising an event for a registered client, the place of supply is the client's location, so a Chennai company organising a Goa offsite for a Bengaluru-registered client charges IGST to Karnataka. For unregistered clients, the place of supply is where the event is actually held. Admission tickets are taxed where the event takes place. Getting the state wrong means the client's credit is jeopardised and the tax may need repayment under the correct head, so event companies serving multi-state clients should map each contract before invoicing.

Question 13

What are the most common mistakes Chennai businesses make with GST refunds and ITC?

Accepted Answer

The recurring ones we see across Chetpet are: missing the two-year limitation for RFD-01, mismatches between GSTR-1, GSTR-3B and shipping bill data that stall export refunds, forgetting the April LUT renewal, claiming ITC on invoices absent from GSTR-2B, ignoring blocked credits under Section 17(5), breaching the 180-day supplier payment rule, and treating deficiency memos as rejections instead of refiling within limitation. Each of these is preventable with a simple monthly checklist and a year-end reconciliation. ChennaiGST builds exactly this discipline into its retainer engagements; call +91 - 9600 606 444 if any of these sounds familiar.

Question 14

The GST rate on my product changed. Which rate applies to pending orders and invoices?

Accepted Answer

Section 14 of the CGST Act decides this by looking at three events: the date of supply, the date of invoice and the date of payment. Broadly, if any two of the three events fall after the rate change, the new rate applies; if two fall before, the old rate applies. So goods delivered in Chetpet before 22 September 2025 but invoiced and paid for afterwards attract the new rate, while goods delivered and invoiced earlier keep the old rate even if payment came later. Document dates carefully during any transition window, because officers test these invoices in scrutiny.

Question 15

Our head office in Chetpet supports branches in other states. Is a cross-charge invoice really required?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Branches with separate GSTINs are distinct persons, and Schedule I treats supplies between them as taxable even without consideration. Services your head office renders to branches, such as accounting, IT support or management oversight, should be cross-charged through a tax invoice with IGST, which the branch claims as credit. On valuation, Rule 28 helps: where the recipient branch is entitled to full ITC, the value declared on the invoice is deemed to be the open market value, and Circular 199/11/2023 clarifies that internally generated services need not include the salary cost of head office employees. A documented cross-charge policy keeps audits short; call +91 - 9600 606 444 to set one up.

Question 16

What is the difference between the electronic cash ledger and the electronic credit ledger?

Accepted Answer

The electronic cash ledger reflects actual money you have deposited through challans, plus TDS and TCS credits you have accepted; it can pay tax, interest, penalty, late fee and any other amount. The electronic credit ledger reflects input tax credit claimed through your returns, and it can be used only for paying output tax, never for interest, penalty or late fee. Both are visible under Services, then Ledgers, after login. Refund of an excess cash balance is possible, while credit is refundable only in specified cases such as exports and inverted duty structure.

Question 17

Why are so many businesses suddenly receiving GST notices these days?

Accepted Answer

Enforcement has shifted from manual selection to data analytics. The portal now automatically compares GSTR-1 with GSTR-3B and flags tax shortfalls through DRC-01B intimations under Rule 88C, and compares GSTR-2B with GSTR-3B to flag excess ITC through DRC-01C under Rule 88D. E-way bill, e-invoice, TDS and income tax data are also cross-matched, and limitation deadlines for older financial years have pushed departments to clear pending demands in batches. The practical lesson for Chetpet businesses is that mismatches no longer go unnoticed, so month-wise reconciliation before filing is now essential hygiene rather than a year-end exercise.

Question 18

What GST rate applies to cars and two-wheelers now?

Accepted Answer

Small cars, meaning petrol cars up to 1200cc and diesel cars up to 1500cc with length not exceeding 4 metres, attract 18 percent GST, down sharply from the earlier 28 percent plus cess. Larger cars, SUVs above these specifications, attract the 40 percent rate, but with the compensation cess gone, the overall burden on most of them is still lower than before. Motorcycles up to 350cc are at 18 percent, while those above 350cc attract 40 percent. Electric vehicles continue at a concessional 5 percent. Dealers must also apply these rates to demo vehicle sales.

Question 19

Which GST office handles Chetpet businesses?

Accepted Answer

Businesses in Chetpet (PIN 600031) generally fall under the CGST Chennai North Commissionerate, with state-jurisdiction cases handled by the Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Department. Your exact division and range can be confirmed from your GSTIN on the GST portal. We regularly appear before this jurisdiction for registrations, clarifications and hearings, so we know the local practice and documentation preferences.

Question 20

Can I get e-invoice setup done online without visiting the office?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the entire process can be handled online. You share scanned documents on WhatsApp or email, we prepare and file everything on the GST portal, and you receive the acknowledgement and filed copies digitally. Businesses in Chetpet regularly complete e-invoice setup with us without a single office visit. If a physical verification or personal hearing is required by the department, we guide you through it.

Question 21

How long does e-invoice setup take in Chetpet?

Accepted Answer

1-2 working days. That assumes your documents are complete and there is no departmental query. We start the same day we receive your papers and tell you the realistic completion date upfront rather than an optimistic one. Where the GST portal or the officer causes delay — clarifications, physical verification or system issues — we track it daily and keep you informed on WhatsApp.

Aspect	With ChennaiGST	DIY / Unattended
Due-date tracking	A maintained compliance calendar with internal cut-offs days before the 11th and the 20th; we chase you for data, not the other way around.	Deadlines remembered from memory or phone alarms; one busy week and the return slips past the due date.
Refund claims	RFD-01 filed with complete statements and annexures, tracked from ARN to bank credit, with any deficiency memo answered promptly.	Incomplete claims bounce back as deficiency memos while the refund sits unclaimed for months and working capital stays blocked.
When a notice arrives	A professional drafts the reply in the department's format and files it within the statutory window, such as thirty days for ASMT-11.	You face departmental language alone, and a missed reply deadline can convert a simple query into a demand with penalty.
Record keeping	Every return, challan, acknowledgement and working paper archived in an organised folder, retrievable in minutes years later.	Documents scattered across email, downloads and old phones; assembling records for a bank or an audit takes days.
Portal credentials and data	Logins handled by a small engaged team under strict confidentiality, with credentials stored securely and never passed onward.	Passwords circulating on chats with freelancers and part-timers, and no accountability for who has accessed your business data.
Late fees and interest	Filings go in ahead of statutory dates, so the Rs.50-per-day late fee and 18 percent interest never arise.	Late fees accumulate silently every delayed day, and interest on unpaid tax runs at 18 percent per annum.

Get E-Invoice Setup Done in Chetpet

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Trade Profile and GST Jurisdiction for Chetpet

Why Chetpet Businesses Choose ChennaiGST

Extra Hands During Filing Windows

Transparent, Fixed Fees Quoted Upfront

ITC Maximisation Within the Law

Refund and Export Experience That Shows

Support Through Audits and Hearings

Every Return Reviewed by a Senior Consultant

Our E-Invoice Setup Process

Applicability check

IRP registration

Software configuration

Testing and training

Go-live and support

Documents Required for E-Invoice Setup

What E-Invoice Setup Costs in Chetpet

What You Get

Confidence During Officer Interactions

Audit-Ready Records at All Times

Smooth Scheme Transitions

Annual Returns Without the Year-End Scramble

The Lowest Tax Position the Law Allows

No More Late Fees

With ChennaiGST vs Doing It Yourself

Recent GST Law You Should Know — relevant to Chetpet businesses

Ready to cook idli, dosa and porridge mixes taxable at 18 percent

Six-digit HSN made compulsory in e-way bills

Supreme Court confirms no service tax on corporate guarantees given without consideration

Frequently Asked Questions

Related GST Services & Nearby Areas

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