Question 1

How many digits of the HSN code must I print on my tax invoices?

Accepted Answer

Under Notification 78/2020 Central Tax, taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to Rs.5 crore in the preceding financial year must mention a 4-digit HSN code on all B2B tax invoices, though it is optional on B2C invoices. Taxpayers with turnover above Rs.5 crore must mention 6-digit HSN codes on every invoice, including B2C. Eight digits are required for specified goods such as certain chemicals and for export documentation. Services follow the same rule using SAC codes, which begin with 99. Printing truncated or wrong codes on invoices creates mismatches later, so set the codes correctly in your billing software once.

Question 2

I buy electronics stock from distributors in other states. How does the IGST on purchases work for me?

Accepted Answer

Inter-state purchases carry IGST, which flows into your GSTR-2B once the distributor files GSTR-1, and it is fully available as input tax credit. When you sell locally in Tamil Nadu you charge CGST and SGST, and the law lets you use IGST credit against both, with the portal applying the set-off order automatically. There is no cost disadvantage in buying from out-of-state distributors, provided they are compliant filers; a distributor who files late delays your credit by a month. Track supplier filing discipline as part of vendor selection. Retailers in Taramani can call +91 - 9600 606 444 for a supplier compliance scorecard.

Question 3

How do I register my DSC on the GST portal, and why does the emSigner error keep appearing?

Accepted Answer

After logging in, open My Profile and select Register or Update DSC, choose the authorised signatory's PAN, and sign with the USB token; the certificate must be Class 3 and the PAN on it must match the signatory's PAN on the portal. Signing requires the emSigner utility running in the background, and the common failure to establish connection error means emSigner is not started, is blocked by the browser, or another application occupies its port. Run emSigner as administrator, keep the token connected, and use the trusted-site settings the portal recommends. We troubleshoot DSC issues for Taramani companies routinely; call +91 - 9600 606 444.

Question 4

What is the penalty for running a business without GST registration?

Accepted Answer

A taxable person who is liable to register but fails to do so faces a penalty of Rs.10,000 or the amount of tax evaded, whichever is higher, under Section 122 of the CGST Act. Beyond the penalty, the department can demand the tax for the entire unregistered period with interest at 18 percent per annum, and you cannot recover that tax from customers you billed without GST. Goods moved without registration and e-way bills, required for consignments above Rs.50,000, also risk detention. If your turnover has crossed the threshold, registering within thirty days is far cheaper than regularising later.

Question 5

What is the difference between ISD and cross-charge, and when is each used?

Accepted Answer

They solve different problems. The Input Service Distributor mechanism distributes credit on third-party input services received at the head office but consumed by branches, such as an audit fee or software licence billed centrally; the ISD passes the credit itself through ISD invoices and GSTR-6, without charging tax again. Cross-charge applies where the head office performs a service for branches using its own resources; here the head office makes an outward supply, issues a tax invoice with tax, and the branch claims ITC. With ISD distribution mandatory for common third-party input services from 1 April 2025, businesses must now run both mechanisms side by side, each for its correct category.

Question 6

We conduct training programmes and events in different cities. Which state's GST applies?

Accepted Answer

Two rules operate. For admission to an event, including tickets to exhibitions or conferences, the place of supply is where the event is held. For organising an event or providing training, the place of supply is the registered recipient's location when the client is registered; if the client is unregistered, it shifts to the venue where the event or training is actually performed. So a Taramani trainer running a workshop in Hyderabad for a registered Chennai company charges CGST plus SGST of Tamil Nadu, but the same workshop sold to unregistered individuals is taxed in Telangana. Invoice each engagement after checking the client's registration.

Question 7

How is interest calculated on a GST demand or late payment?

Accepted Answer

Interest runs at 18 percent per annum under Section 50 on tax paid after the due date, computed day-wise from the day following the due date until payment. Following amendments, interest on delayed GSTR-3B liability applies on the portion paid through the electronic cash ledger, and interest on wrongly availed ITC arises where the credit has been both availed and utilised. Interest is payable even where no penalty applies, and it cannot be waived by the officer. Because interest compounds silently over long disputes, paying the admitted tax early through DRC-03, even while contesting the rest, often saves a substantial amount.

Question 8

I deposited money under the wrong head in my GST cash ledger. Why can the amount not be used?

Accepted Answer

The cash ledger is divided into major heads, IGST, CGST, SGST and cess, and minor heads, tax, interest, penalty, fee and others. An amount deposited under one combination, say CGST-penalty, cannot be directly used to pay under another, say IGST-tax, which is why your balance appears unusable despite money lying in the ledger. The remedy is Form PMT-09, which transfers the amount to the correct head instantly without any officer approval. Many Taramani taxpayers wrongly deposit a fresh challan in this situation; a two-minute PMT-09 filing saves that duplication. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 if your ledger looks stuck.

Question 9

Our head office in Taramani 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 10

What are the current GST rate slabs after the GST 2.0 changes?

Accepted Answer

From 22 September 2025, following the 56th GST Council meeting, India moved to a simplified two-slab structure: a merit rate of 5 percent and a standard rate of 18 percent. The earlier 12 percent and 28 percent slabs were abolished. A special 40 percent rate applies to a short list of luxury and demerit goods, while the concessional rates of 3 percent on gold and silver and 0.25 percent on rough diamonds continue. Businesses in Taramani should re-verify the rate on every product they sell, because hundreds of items changed slabs on that date.

Question 11

Can I transfer cash ledger balance from one GSTIN to another GSTIN of the same PAN?

Accepted Answer

Yes, within limits. Under Section 49(10), unutilised IGST and CGST balances in the electronic cash ledger can be transferred through PMT-09 to the cash ledger of a distinct person, that is, another GSTIN registered on the same PAN in the same or another state. SGST balances cannot be moved across states in this manner. The transfer is not permitted if the transferring GSTIN has any unpaid liability standing in its electronic liability register. Multi-state businesses headquartered in Taramani use this to shift idle deposits to the branch that actually needs the cash, avoiding fresh working capital outflow.

Question 12

My shop's landlord in Taramani is not GST registered. Do I pay GST on the rent myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you are registered. With effect from 10 October 2024, renting of any immovable property other than a residential dwelling by an unregistered person to a registered person was notified under reverse charge, so a registered tenant must pay 18 percent on the rent in cash through GSTR-3B and can claim ITC subject to the usual conditions. Composition taxpayers were subsequently excluded from this entry with effect from 16 January 2025. You must also raise a monthly self-invoice since the landlord is unregistered. Many shop and godown tenants in Taramani remain unaware of this recent entry; call +91 - 9600 606 444 to regularise past months.

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