Question 1

How long does GSTR-9 annual return take in Alandur?

Accepted Answer

5-7 working days; statutory due date 31 December. 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.

Question 2

Are there any hidden charges for GSTR-9 annual return?

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 3

My turnover is Rs.1.2 crore. Is GSTR-9 compulsory for me?

Accepted Answer

No. For taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to Rs.2 crore, filing GSTR-9 has been made optional through CBIC notifications, and this relaxation has been continued year on year. If you do not file by the due date, the return is deemed furnished. That said, many businesses in Alandur still choose to file voluntarily because the exercise reconciles the year's GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, books and GSTR-2B, and surfaces excess credit claims or unreported liability before the department finds them. We offer a reduced fee for voluntary GSTR-9 filings, starting at Rs.4,999.

Question 4

What is the late fee for filing GSTR-9 after the due date?

Accepted Answer

From FY 2022-23 onwards, the late fee is turnover-linked. For turnover up to Rs.5 crore it is Rs.50 per day (Rs.25 CGST plus Rs.25 SGST) capped at 0.04 percent of turnover; for turnover between Rs.5 crore and Rs.20 crore it is Rs.100 per day with the same cap; and above Rs.20 crore it is Rs.200 per day capped at 0.5 percent of turnover. The fee accrues until the date of filing, so delays get expensive for larger businesses. Filing before 31 December avoids the entire cost.

Question 5

What is the last date to file GSTR-9 for a financial year?

Accepted Answer

GSTR-9 for a financial year is due by 31 December of the following financial year. For example, the annual return for FY 2024-25 is due by 31 December 2025, unless the government extends the date by notification. The reconciliation statement GSTR-9C, where applicable, has the same due date and is filed after GSTR-9. Since annual return preparation involves reconciling twelve months of returns with books, we recommend starting by October rather than December. Businesses in Alandur can call +91 - 9600 606 444 to book an early slot with our annual returns team.

Question 6

Who has to file the GSTR-9 annual return?

Accepted Answer

GSTR-9 is the annual return for regular taxpayers, consolidating the outward supplies, input tax credit and tax paid reported through the year's GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filings. As per CBIC notifications, filing is optional for taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to Rs.2 crore for the relevant financial year, and mandatory above that. Composition taxpayers file GSTR-4 instead, and e-commerce operators collecting TCS under Section 52 file GSTR-9B. Even where optional, filing GSTR-9 is often advisable because it locks your annual position before any departmental scrutiny. We prepare GSTR-9 for businesses across Alandur every year.

Question 7

What information is needed to prepare my GSTR-9?

Accepted Answer

The portal auto-drafts GSTR-9 from your filed GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B, and provides a system-computed summary along with GSTR-2A/2B data for credit tables. To verify and complete it we need your audited or finalised financial statements, sales and purchase registers, input tax credit ledger, details of RCM payments, HSN-wise summaries, and any DRC-03 payments made during the year. Differences between books and returns must be explained and, where needed, paid. Sharing these by early November gives enough time for a clean filing before 31 December. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 for our standard checklist.

Question 8

Can I revise GSTR-9 after filing if I find an error?

Accepted Answer

No, GSTR-9 cannot be revised once filed. This makes pre-filing reconciliation critical, because the annual return is the department's primary reference during scrutiny and audit. If you discover unpaid liability after filing, it can be paid voluntarily through Form DRC-03 with interest, which mitigates penalty exposure. If credit was short-claimed, the annual return itself cannot fix it, since input tax credit claims are governed by the time limits in Section 16(4). Our process in Alandur involves a line-by-line reconciliation and a client sign-off before we submit anything.

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 Alandur handling bulk orders.

Question 10

A client paid me an advance. Do I raise an invoice or something else?

Accepted Answer

On receiving an advance, you issue a receipt voucher under Rule 50, not an invoice; the tax invoice follows when the service is actually supplied. GST is payable on advances received for services in the period of receipt, and the receipt voucher documents that liability. Advances for the supply of goods are not taxed at receipt for normal taxpayers under Notification 66/2017. If the rate is not determinable when the advance arrives, tax is paid at 18 percent, and if the nature of supply is not determinable, it is treated as inter-state. Service firms in Alandur with retainer billing should map this into their monthly cycle.

Question 11

What is GSTR-2B and why does my consultant match it before filing?

Accepted Answer

GSTR-2B is an auto-drafted statement of the input tax credit available to you, generated on the 14th of every month from the GSTR-1 and IFF filings of your suppliers. Input tax credit in GSTR-3B can only be claimed for invoices appearing in GSTR-2B, so matching your purchase register against it before filing is essential. If a supplier has not uploaded an invoice, the credit must be deferred and the supplier followed up. This monthly reconciliation is included in our return filing service for businesses in Alandur.

Question 12

What is the default place of supply rule for services within India?

Accepted Answer

Section 12(2) of the IGST Act sets the general rule for domestic services: if the recipient is registered, the place of supply is the recipient's location; if unregistered, it is the recipient's address on your records, and failing that, the supplier's own location. So a consultant in Alandur advising a registered company in Hyderabad charges IGST, while the same advice to a local walk-in individual attracts CGST plus SGST. This default yields only to the specific rules for immovable property, events, transportation, and a few other categories, so always check whether a specific rule captures your service before falling back on the general one.

Question 13

What does a GST consultant in Alandur typically charge for refund and compliance work?

Accepted Answer

Fees vary with complexity. Simple filings such as an LUT or an excess cash ledger refund are usually fixed-fee assignments, while export and inverted duty refunds involve invoice statements, formula workings and departmental follow-up, so they may be priced as a fixed fee or a small percentage of the refund secured. Monthly reconciliation and return packages are subscription-based. ChennaiGST publishes transparent pricing starting at Rs.4,999 with no percentage cut on straightforward claims, and you pay only after the scope is agreed in writing. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 for a quote specific to your turnover and refund type.

Question 14

Is GST payable under reverse charge on payments made to our company directors?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the capacity in which the director is paid. CBIC Circular 140/10/2020 settles the position: remuneration to a whole-time or executive director who is an employee, paid as salary with TDS under Section 192, is outside GST entirely as an employer-employee transaction. In contrast, sitting fees, commission and professional charges paid to independent or non-executive directors, typically suffering TDS under Section 194J, are taxable and the company pays 18 percent under reverse charge, claiming ITC. Companies in Alandur should split their director payments ledger accordingly, issue self-invoices for the RCM portion, and keep board resolutions and TDS treatment consistent as supporting evidence.

Question 15

Is GST still charged on health insurance premiums?

Accepted Answer

Not on individual policies. With effect from 22 September 2025, premiums on all individual life insurance policies and individual health insurance policies, including family floater and senior citizen plans, are exempt from GST, along with their reinsurance. Earlier these attracted 18 percent, so the change directly reduces the premium outgo for households. Group policies taken by businesses for employees continue to be taxable, and the input tax credit position on such group covers still depends on whether the cover is statutorily obligatory. When renewing policies, check that the insurer has passed on the exemption rather than merely repricing the premium.

Question 16

I have taken a house on rent and I am GST registered. Does reverse charge hit my house rent?

Accepted Answer

Only in defined situations. From 18 July 2022, renting of a residential dwelling to a registered person attracts 18 percent under reverse charge in the tenant's hands. However, where a registered proprietor rents the dwelling in a personal capacity for use as his own residence, and on his own account rather than for the business, the exemption applies and no tax arises. If a company takes a flat as a guest house or for employee accommodation, RCM applies, and note that ITC on such rent may face challenge as a personal consumption expense. Document the purpose of the tenancy in the rent agreement so the correct treatment is defensible.

Question 17

What is self-invoicing under RCM and is there a time limit for it?

Accepted Answer

When you receive supplies liable to reverse charge from an unregistered supplier, Section 31(3)(f) requires you, the recipient, to issue an invoice on yourself, because the supplier cannot issue a tax invoice. You must also issue a payment voucher when paying the supplier. From 1 November 2024, Rule 47A prescribes a firm deadline: the self-invoice must be issued within thirty days of receiving the supply. This document is not a formality; the time limit for claiming the RCM credit is reckoned from the self-invoice, and its absence can cost you the credit besides inviting penalty. Maintain a monthly self-invoice series covering rent, freight, legal fees and similar unregistered-supplier heads.

Question 18

Our small lodge in Alandur gets bookings through online travel apps. Who pays the GST?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your registration status. If the lodge is registered, you charge GST on the accommodation and the platform collects TCS on payments routed through it, which you claim back on the portal. If the lodge is not liable to be registered, the law shifts the liability to the e-commerce operator itself under Section 9(5), so the app pays the tax on accommodation booked through it and the small lodge need not register merely because it lists online. Direct walk-in business remains within your threshold computation. Keep the platform agreements and statements, since they determine who reported the tax.

Question 19

What documents are required for GSTR-9 annual return in Alandur?

Accepted Answer

For GSTR-9 annual return you will generally need: All GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filed copies for the financial year, GSTR-2A and GSTR-2B data for the year, Audited or finalised financial statements, Sales register and purchase register for the full year, Input tax credit register with capital goods classification. 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 20

Which GST office handles Alandur businesses?

Accepted Answer

Businesses in Alandur (PIN 600016) generally fall under the CGST Chennai South 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 21

How much does GSTR-9 annual return cost in Alandur?

Accepted Answer

Our fee for GSTR-9 annual return in Alandur starts at Rs.4,999 and is quoted in full before we begin — there are no hidden charges added later. The fee covers professional work end to end: document review, preparation, filing and follow-up until completion. Government fees or portal charges, where applicable, are separate and always shown to you upfront. For an exact quote based on your turnover and business type, call +91 - 9600 606 444 and a consultant will confirm it on the call.

Aspect	With ChennaiGST	DIY / Unattended
Annual return preparation	Monthly reconciliations roll naturally into GSTR-9, filed comfortably before 31 December with figures already agreed through the year.	Twelve months of unmatched data reconstructed in December, with differences discovered too late to be corrected cleanly.
Risk of notices	GSTR-1, GSTR-3B and GSTR-2B reconciled before filing, removing the mismatches that trigger most scrutiny notices.	Inconsistent figures across returns quietly build a mismatch history that surfaces later as ASMT-10 scrutiny or a demand notice.
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.
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.
Time cost	Roughly an hour a month to send data and approve drafts; the portal work, reconciliation and follow-up are ours.	Hours every month lost to portal errors, JSON files, OTP failures and reworking figures — usually on the due date itself.
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.

Trusted GSTR-9 Annual Return Support in Alandur

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Trade Profile and GST Jurisdiction for Alandur

Why Alandur Businesses Choose ChennaiGST

Ledger Housekeeping on the Portal

Reverse Charge Tracked, Not Forgotten

We Work with Your Existing Software

A Real Local Office You Can Walk Into

One Dedicated Point of Contact

Support Through Audits and Hearings

Our Annual Return Process

Data compilation

Turnover reconciliation

ITC reconciliation and bifurcation

Draft review and differential tax

Filing and closure

Documents Required for GSTR-9 Annual Return

What GSTR-9 Annual Return Costs in Alandur

What You Get

Advances Treated Correctly

Supplier Risk Caught Early

A Clean GSTIN That Stays Active

Compliance That Continues When You Travel

Bank and Tender Readiness

Slips Settled Before They Become Notices

With ChennaiGST vs Doing It Yourself

GST Rulings and Notifications That Affect You — relevant to Alandur businesses

Annual return made optional for small taxpayers for 2017-18 and 2018-19

Hotel room rates linked to actual transaction value from 1 October 2019

Old GST returns are being archived and removed from the portal

Frequently Asked Questions

Related GST Services & Nearby Areas

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