Question 1

Which GST office handles ICF Colony businesses?

Accepted Answer

Businesses in ICF Colony (PIN 600038) 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 2

Are there any hidden charges for new GST registration?

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

I want to sell products on Amazon and Flipkart from ICF Colony. Is GST registration compulsory?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you supply goods through an e-commerce operator that collects tax at source, GST registration is mandatory irrespective of turnover; the Rs.40 lakh threshold does not protect you. The marketplaces themselves will not activate your seller account without a GSTIN. You will file GSTR-1 by the 11th and GSTR-3B by the 20th monthly, or use the QRMP scheme if turnover is up to Rs.5 crore, and you can claim credit of the TCS the platform deducts. We set up many online sellers in ICF Colony with registration plus first-year filing support; call +91 - 9600 606 444 for a package quote.

Question 4

What is the government fee for GST registration? How much will it cost me?

Accepted Answer

The Government charges no fee at all for GST registration; applying on the GST portal is completely free. What you pay a professional for is accuracy and speed: correctly classifying your business, choosing the right HSN or SAC codes, preparing compliant premises proof, completing Aadhaar authentication, and handling any REG-03 clarification so the application is not rejected. Our registration package for businesses in ICF Colony is Rs.1,499, covering document preparation, filing, follow-up until GSTIN allotment, and basic guidance on your first return due dates. Beware of anyone claiming a government charge exists; there is none.

Question 5

I am putting up a stall at a trade fair in ICF Colony for two weeks. Do I need GST registration?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A person who occasionally supplies goods or services in a state where they have no fixed place of business is a casual taxable person, and registration is mandatory regardless of turnover, with no threshold exemption for goods suppliers. Apply at least five days before starting business and deposit an advance tax equal to your estimated liability for the exhibition period. The registration is valid for the period you specify, up to ninety days, and can be extended by a further ninety days on request. We regularly arrange casual registrations for exhibitors; call +91 - 9600 606 444 well before your event.

Question 6

I just received my GSTIN. What returns do I need to start filing?

Accepted Answer

From your first tax period, a regular taxpayer files GSTR-1, the outward supplies statement, by the 11th of the following month, and GSTR-3B, the summary return with tax payment, by the 20th. If your expected turnover is up to Rs.5 crore, you can opt for the QRMP scheme: returns become quarterly, GSTR-3B is due by the 22nd of the month after the quarter for Tamil Nadu, monthly tax is paid by challan, and the optional IFF by the 13th lets you pass credit to buyers monthly. Returns are mandatory even for nil turnover; the nil late fee is Rs.20 per day. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 and we will set up your filing calendar.

Question 7

What proof do I give if I own the property where my business runs?

Accepted Answer

For owned premises, any one ownership document is sufficient: the latest property tax receipt, a municipal khata copy, or a copy of the electricity bill in the owner's name. If the property is in the name of a family member, treat it like consented premises and attach a consent letter or NOC from that relative along with their ownership proof. The GST portal accepts PDF or JPEG uploads within the prescribed size limits. Many home-based businesses in ICF Colony register at their residential address this way, since GST law does not require a commercial property for registration.

Question 8

Is Aadhaar authentication compulsory for GST registration?

Accepted Answer

Aadhaar authentication is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended. When the promoter and authorised signatory complete Aadhaar OTP authentication, the application is processed on the fast track and deemed approval applies if the officer does not act within seven working days. Without Aadhaar authentication, the department treats the application as higher risk, physical verification of the business premises is usually ordered, and approval can take up to thirty days. Most applicants in ICF Colony finish the OTP step in minutes, so there is rarely a reason to skip it unless the Aadhaar-linked mobile number is inactive.

Question 9

I pay franchise fees for my food brand outlet. Can I claim credit of the GST charged on royalty?

Accepted Answer

Usually not. Franchise fees and royalty attract 18% GST charged by the franchisor, but a restaurant paying tax at 5% under the no-credit scheme cannot claim any input tax credit, including on franchise fees, rent and equipment. That 18% therefore becomes a pure cost and should be factored into your menu pricing and franchise negotiations. Only restaurants in specified premises hotels charging 18% with credit can absorb it through ITC. Before signing a franchise agreement for an outlet in ICF Colony, have the GST cost modelled properly; the difference changes outlet economics significantly. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 for a working.

Question 10

How should I raise invoices on foreign clients and report them in my returns?

Accepted Answer

You may invoice in foreign currency, but your GST records must state the value in rupees. An export invoice under LUT should carry the endorsement that the supply is meant for export under Letter of Undertaking without payment of integrated tax, along with your GSTIN, SAC code and the recipient's overseas address. In GSTR-1, these invoices go into Table 6A marked without payment of tax, and the turnover flows into GSTR-3B as zero-rated supplies. Match every invoice to a FIRC or bank credit. Our filing package for exporters in ICF Colony includes this export documentation at Rs.1,499 per month.

Question 11

How do I add a new authorised signatory to my GST registration?

Accepted Answer

Adding or changing an authorised signatory is a non-core amendment, so it needs no officer approval. Log in, go to Services, then Registration, then Amendment of Registration Non-Core Fields, and open the Authorised Signatory tab. Click Add New, enter the person's name, PAN, Aadhaar, mobile, email and photograph, upload the authorisation letter or board resolution, and submit with DSC or EVC. The new signatory's mobile and email are verified by OTP. Businesses in ICF Colony should do this the moment an accountant or director handling GST changes, because every notice alert and filing OTP flows to the signatory on record.

Question 12

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 13

Which food items became completely tax-free under GST 2.0?

Accepted Answer

From 22 September 2025, UHT milk, pre-packaged and labelled paneer and chena, and all Indian breads including roti, chapati, paratha and khakhra attract nil GST. In the pharma space, thirty-three notified lifesaving drugs and medicines for cancer and rare diseases also moved to nil rate. Remember that selling nil-rated goods still has compliance effects: you issue a bill of supply instead of a tax invoice for such items, and input tax credit attributable to nil-rated supplies must be reversed proportionately under Rules 42 and 43. Grocery retailers in ICF Colony commonly need help splitting mixed billing correctly.

Question 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

When can goods move on a delivery challan instead of a tax invoice?

Accepted Answer

Rule 55 permits movement on a delivery challan where the transportation is not itself a supply: sending inputs or capital goods for job work, taking goods to an exhibition or for approval where the sale is not yet certain, supplying liquid gas where the quantity is unknown at removal, and moving goods in semi-knocked-down form in multiple consignments, where the full invoice travels with the first lot. The challan is prepared in triplicate and an e-way bill is still required where value thresholds are crossed. Goods sent on approval must be invoiced within six months, failing which tax becomes payable.

Question 19

What is the process for new GST registration?

Accepted Answer

The process runs in clear stages: Document collection; Application preparation; Filing and Aadhaar authentication; Query handling. A senior consultant reviews your file at each stage rather than passing it to a data-entry desk, and you receive a confirmation with the filed documents once it is complete. You always know which stage your work is at — we update you on WhatsApp instead of leaving you to follow up.

Question 20

Can I get new GST registration 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 ICF Colony regularly complete GST registration 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 much does new GST registration cost in ICF Colony?

Accepted Answer

Our fee for new GST registration in ICF Colony starts at Rs.1,499 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.
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.
Input tax credit	Purchase register matched against GSTR-2B each period, with defaulting suppliers chased so eligible credit is actually captured.	Credit claimed from books alone; mismatches with GSTR-2B mean lost credit or excess claims that invite departmental queries.
Supplier defaults	Suppliers who stop uploading invoices are identified within the period and pursued before their default becomes your blocked credit.	Missing supplier invoices surface only when credit is denied, by which time recovering the amount from the vendor is difficult.
Keeping up with changes	Rate changes, portal updates and new thresholds such as the Rs.5 crore e-invoice limit are tracked by us and applied to your case proactively.	Changes are discovered after the fact — often through a rejected filing, a blocked e-way bill or a departmental letter.
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.

Local New GST Registration Support near 19th Street, ICF Colony

Get a Free GST Consultation

Trade Profile and GST Jurisdiction for 19th Street, ICF Colony

Why 19th Street, ICF Colony Businesses Choose ChennaiGST

WhatsApp Updates at Every Stage

QRMP Managed Properly, Not Just Opted Into

Multi-GSTIN and Branch Coordination

Refund and Export Experience That Shows

Handholding for First-Time Registrants

GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C Handled In-House

Our GST Registration Process

Document collection

Application preparation

Filing and Aadhaar authentication

Query handling

GSTIN delivery and handover

Documents Required for New GST Registration

What New GST Registration Costs in ICF Colony

What You Get

Annual Returns Without the Year-End Scramble

Confidence During Officer Interactions

Notices Answered Within the Time Limit

No Money Idling in the Cash Ledger

Clarity on What You Actually Owe

Waiver Benefits Never Missed

With ChennaiGST vs Doing It Yourself

GST Support on 19th Street, ICF Colony

GST Rulings and Notifications That Affect You — relevant to ICF Colony businesses

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Ladies hostel rent: AAR taxed it, Madras High Court exempted it

Gujarat High Court reads down mandatory one-third land deduction for GST on construction

Frequently Asked Questions

Related GST Services & Nearby Areas

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