Question 1

Who must sign GST filings with a DSC, and who can use EVC?

Accepted Answer

Companies and limited liability partnerships must authenticate registration applications and returns with a Digital Signature Certificate of the authorised signatory; the Electronic Verification Code route is not ordinarily available to them, though the government has periodically allowed EVC for companies during specified relaxation windows. Proprietorships, partnerships, HUFs and trusts can freely use EVC, an OTP sent to the authorised signatory's registered mobile and email. The DSC must be a Class 3 signature registered on the portal against the signatory's PAN. If a company's filings fail at the signing step, an expired or unregistered DSC is the usual culprit.

Question 2

How does GST work on lorry freight paid to a goods transport agency?

Accepted Answer

A goods transport agency, identified by its issue of a consignment note, is taxed in one of two ways. By default, specified recipients such as companies and registered persons pay 5 percent under reverse charge on the freight and can claim it as ITC. Alternatively, the GTA may opt to pay tax itself under forward charge, at 5 percent without ITC or 18 percent with ITC after the September 2025 rate rationalisation replaced the earlier 12 percent option, by filing the prescribed declaration for the financial year; the invoice should state this option. Transport by an individual lorry owner without a consignment note is not a GTA service and is exempt. Check each transporter's invoice wording before deciding who pays the tax.

Question 3

What is the GST rate for salons, gyms and yoga centres?

Accepted Answer

From 22 September 2025, beauty and physical well-being services, covering salons, barbers, beauty parlours, gyms, fitness centres and yoga institutes, attract 5 percent GST without input tax credit, reduced from the earlier 18 percent. The condition attached to the concessional rate is important: because credit is barred, the GST paid on your rent, equipment, cosmetics and consumables becomes part of your cost base. Service businesses in Thalambur moving to the 5 percent rate should reprice services keeping this embedded tax in mind, and must not continue charging 18 percent, since excess tax collected has to be deposited with the government.

Question 4

What are the common types of GST notices a business can receive?

Accepted Answer

The frequent ones are: REG-03 seeking clarification on a registration application; GSTR-3A for non-filing of returns; ASMT-10 pointing out discrepancies found on scrutiny of returns; DRC-01A intimating an ascertained tax liability before formal proceedings; DRC-01, the show cause notice under Section 73 or 74; ADT-01 intimating a departmental audit; REG-17 proposing cancellation of registration; RFD-08 proposing rejection of a refund claim; and summons under Section 70. Each has its own reply form and deadline, ranging from seven working days to thirty days, so identifying the notice type correctly is the first step in responding. When in doubt, call +91 - 9600 606 444.

Question 5

How is GST charged on clothes and footwear after the rate change?

Accepted Answer

The rate now turns on a per-piece price line of Rs.2,500. Apparel, made-up textile articles and footwear with a sale value up to Rs.2,500 per piece attract 5 percent GST, while pieces priced above Rs.2,500 attract 18 percent. The test applies item by item, so a single invoice from a garment shop in Thalambur can carry both rates: a Rs.1,800 shirt at 5 percent and a Rs.4,000 pair of shoes at 18 percent on the same bill. Configure the billing software to test the price of each line item automatically rather than applying one blanket rate.

Question 6

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 7

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 Thalambur 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 8

What is the GST rate on a works contract for a commercial building?

Accepted Answer

Under GST, a works contract relating to immovable property is treated wholly as a supply of services, and the standard rate is 18 percent on the contract value, with the contractor eligible for input tax credit on cement, steel and other inputs. This applies to construction, fabrication, erection, repair and renovation contracts for factories, offices and commercial buildings. The old VAT-plus-service-tax splitting of material and labour is gone; one rate applies to the whole consideration. Contractors should also note that free-issue materials supplied by the client can affect valuation, so contract drafting deserves attention before quoting.

Question 9

What falls under the 18 percent standard rate of GST now?

Accepted Answer

The 18 percent slab is the standard rate for most services and for goods that are neither essentials nor demerit items. Notably, several products that earlier suffered 28 percent moved down to 18 percent from 22 September 2025: air conditioners, televisions of all sizes, dishwashers, cement, small cars and motorcycles up to 350cc, and most auto parts. Apparel and footwear priced above Rs.2,500 per piece also fall at 18 percent. Most professional, business support and repair services billed by professional firms continue at 18 percent with full input tax credit.

Question 10

Are hospital and clinic charges exempt from GST?

Accepted Answer

Healthcare services provided by a clinical establishment, an authorised medical practitioner or paramedics are exempt from GST. This covers diagnosis, treatment and care for illness, injury, deformity or pregnancy in any recognised system of medicine in India, and includes transportation of patients by ambulance, which is separately exempt for any provider. Consultation fees, surgery charges, nursing and diagnostic services within this definition carry no GST, which is why hospitals do not charge tax on treatment bills. The exemption attaches to the nature of the service, not the size of the hospital, so both a large corporate hospital and a single-doctor clinic are covered.

Question 11

How do I document free samples and gifts given to customers?

Accepted Answer

Goods supplied genuinely free of cost to unrelated persons are not a supply, so no tax invoice is raised and no GST is charged; the movement is covered by a delivery challan marked as free samples. The cost is that input tax credit on those goods must be reversed. Two traps deserve care: gifts to related persons or between distinct GSTINs of the same PAN are taxable under Schedule I even without consideration, and promotional schemes like buy one get one are treated as a single price for two items, taxed normally with credit intact. Structure your Thalambur promotions with this distinction in mind.

Question 12

Do I have to issue an invoice for every small cash sale in my shop?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Where the value of a supply is less than Rs.200, the buyer is unregistered, and the buyer does not ask for an invoice, you may skip issuing an individual tax invoice. Instead, you must prepare one consolidated tax invoice at the close of each day covering all such small sales. The moment a customer demands an invoice, or the sale is Rs.200 or more, a proper invoice is required. Retail counters typically issue system receipts to every customer anyway, which is cleaner practice, but the daily consolidated invoice is the legal minimum for petty sales.

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