Question 1

Are there any hidden charges for GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B monthly filing?

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 is the process for GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B monthly filing?

Accepted Answer

The process runs in clear stages: Monthly data collection; GSTR-1 preparation and filing; ITC reconciliation with GSTR-2B; Tax computation and confirmation. 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 3

Is there a late fee for filing GSTR-1 after the 11th?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Late fee for GSTR-1 is Rs.50 per day of delay, and Rs.20 per day where there are no outward supplies, subject to caps linked to your turnover. Although the portal historically collected GSTR-1 late fees through the next GSTR-3B, the liability arises the moment the due date passes. Delayed GSTR-1 also hurts your customers, because your invoices miss their GSTR-2B and their input tax credit gets deferred, which can strain business relationships. Filing by the 11th every month avoids both the cost and the friction.

Question 4

Why is the portal not letting me file GSTR-1?

Accepted Answer

Under Rule 59(6) of the CGST Rules, the portal blocks GSTR-1 filing if the GSTR-3B of the preceding tax period has not been filed. GST returns are sequential, so a single skipped GSTR-3B stops the entire chain. The fix is to file the pending GSTR-3B along with its late fee and interest, after which GSTR-1 opens up again. If you are unsure which period is pending, we can check your dashboard and clear the sequence for you the same day from our office near Sholinganallur.

Question 5

How does an ISD actually distribute credit among branches?

Accepted Answer

Distribution follows Section 20 read with Rule 39. Credit attributable to a single branch goes only to that branch; credit for common services is distributed among operational branches in the ratio of their turnover in the preceding financial year. The ISD issues an ISD invoice to each recipient GSTIN and reports the distribution in GSTR-6 by the 13th of the following month, after which the credit appears in each branch's GSTR-2B. IGST credit is distributed as IGST, while CGST and SGST credit is distributed as IGST to branches in other states. Excess distribution is recoverable from the recipient with interest, so the turnover ratios must be computed carefully each year.

Question 6

Our institute charges one fee covering classes, study material and hostel. How is it taxed?

Accepted Answer

A single price for naturally bundled components is a composite supply, taxed at the rate of the principal supply. For a coaching institute, coaching is the principal supply, so the entire lump sum, including printed materials and boarding provided as part of the package, attracts 18 percent. Printing separate invoices for books at nil rate out of a bundled fee is a known audit red flag and is routinely rejected. If the institute genuinely sells optional printed books to anyone at a separate price, those standalone sales can take the book's own treatment. Structure the fee schedule deliberately, not after the demand arrives.

Question 7

When is GSTR-1 due for my business in Sholinganallur?

Accepted Answer

GSTR-1, the statement of outward supplies, is due on the 11th of the following month for taxpayers filing monthly. If you have opted for the QRMP scheme, the quarterly GSTR-1 is due on the 13th of the month after the quarter ends. Filing on time matters because your invoices flow into your buyers' GSTR-2B, which decides their input tax credit. Our team in Sholinganallur tracks these dates for every client so nothing slips. Call +91 - 9600 606 444 if you need a filing reminder set up.

Question 8

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 Sholinganallur.

Question 9

Is ITC available on food, catering and canteen expenses for our factory staff?

Accepted Answer

Section 17(5)(b) blocks credit on food, beverages and outdoor catering, but with two useful exceptions. First, where you use catering as an input for making an outward supply of the same category, such as a caterer subcontracting another caterer, credit is allowed. Second, where providing the facility is obligatory for the employer under any law, credit is allowed; the classic case is a statutory canteen required under the Factories Act for factories employing more than 250 workers. Even then, credit is typically restricted to the cost borne by the employer, not amounts recovered from employees. Factories around Sholinganallur should keep the statutory obligation documented in their credit file.

Question 10

My business had zero sales this month. Do I still need to file GST returns?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every registered taxpayer must file returns for every tax period, even when there are no sales, no purchases and no tax liability. In that case you file nil GSTR-1 and nil GSTR-3B. Failure to file nil returns attracts a late fee of Rs.20 per day per return, capped at Rs.500 per return, and breaks the sequential filing chain. Prolonged non-filing can lead to suspension and eventually cancellation of your GSTIN. Our nil return plan for dormant businesses in Sholinganallur starts at just Rs.749 per month.

Question 11

I am selling old machinery on which ITC was claimed. Do I have to pay anything back?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under Section 18(6) read with Rule 44, on supply of capital goods on which credit was taken, you must pay the higher of two amounts: the ITC originally availed reduced by five percent per quarter or part thereof from the invoice date, or the tax on the transaction value of the sale. For example, machinery held for three full years has its credit reduced by sixty percent, and you compare the remaining forty percent with the actual tax on the sale price. Refractory bricks, moulds, dies, jigs and fixtures sold as scrap need tax only on transaction value. Compute both figures before invoicing the buyer.

Question 12

If I open a bulk bag and sell rice loose by weight, is that sale taxable?

Accepted Answer

No. The 5% levy on specified food items applies only when they are supplied in pre-packaged and labelled form in packs up to 25 kilograms. When a retailer opens bulk stock and weighs out loose quantities against each customer's order, the supply is not of a pre-packaged commodity, so it remains exempt. What you cannot do is sell an intact labelled retail pack and bill it as loose. Keep purchase records showing bulk procurement and maintain the loose counter separately from the packed shelf, because officers test this distinction during inspections of grocery businesses. When in doubt on a product, call +91 - 9600 606 444.

Question 13

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 14

By when must I issue a tax invoice when I sell goods?

Accepted Answer

For goods, Section 31 requires the tax invoice to be issued before or at the time of removal of the goods, where the supply involves movement, or before or at the time of delivery or making the goods available in other cases. In simple terms, the invoice must travel with the goods; a lorry leaving your Sholinganallur godown without an invoice is exposed to detention even if the e-way bill exists. For continuous supplies of goods with successive statements or payments, the invoice must be issued when each statement is issued or each payment is received.

Question 15

Is the late fee charged on delayed returns the same thing as a penalty?

Accepted Answer

No, they are legally distinct. Late fee under Section 47 is an automatic, fixed daily charge for filing a return after its due date, computed by the portal and payable in cash before the return is accepted; no officer discretion or notice is involved. Penalty, under provisions such as Sections 122 to 125, is imposed through adjudication for specified offences, requires a show cause notice and hearing, and can be contested or reduced. Interest under Section 50 is a third, separate levy compensating for delayed payment. A delayed return with tax due can therefore attract all three simultaneously, each on its own footing.

Question 16

What are the rules for numbering GST invoices?

Accepted Answer

The invoice serial number must be consecutive, must not exceed sixteen characters, and may contain alphabets, numerals and the special characters hyphen and slash, in one or multiple series. Each number must be unique for a financial year, so most businesses restart their series every April with a year prefix such as 2026-27/001. Gaps in a series invite questions during audit because officers may suspect unreported invoices, and cancelled invoice numbers should be retained in records with the cancelled copy. The document series you use must also be declared in Table 13 of GSTR-1 each period.

Question 17

Which educational services are actually exempt from GST?

Accepted Answer

The exemption is confined to an educational institution as defined, meaning one providing pre-school education, education up to higher secondary school or equivalent, education as part of a curriculum for obtaining a qualification recognised by Indian law, or an approved vocational education course. Services by such institutions to their students, and specified input services to schools such as transport, catering and security, are exempt. Everything outside this boundary is taxable: private tuition, test preparation, hobby classes, skill courses without recognised certification, and training by ed-tech companies. The recognition of the qualification under Indian law is the decisive test, not the subject taught.

Question 18

What details must a GST tax invoice compulsorily contain?

Accepted Answer

Rule 46 of the CGST Rules prescribes the mandatory contents: your name, address and GSTIN; a consecutive serial number not exceeding sixteen characters, unique for the financial year; the date of issue; the recipient's name, address and GSTIN if registered; the HSN or SAC code; description, quantity and unit; total and taxable value; any discount; the rate and amount of CGST, SGST or IGST shown separately; place of supply with the state name for inter-state supplies; a declaration where tax is payable on reverse charge; and signature or digital signature of the supplier. Missing fields make the invoice defective and can jeopardise your buyer's credit.

Question 19

Do you provide gst return filing for small businesses and proprietorships in Sholinganallur?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A large share of our clients in Sholinganallur are proprietors, small traders, shop owners, freelancers and family businesses rather than large companies. The fee of Rs.749/month and the process are the same regardless of size, and we explain the compliance position in plain language — in Tamil or English — so you understand what is being filed on your behalf and why.

Question 20

How long does GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B monthly filing take in Sholinganallur?

Accepted Answer

Filed before the 11th and 20th of every month. 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 21

Can I get GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B monthly filing 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 Sholinganallur regularly complete monthly returns with us without a single office visit. If a physical verification or personal hearing is required by the department, we guide you through it.

Aspect	With ChennaiGST	DIY / Unattended
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.
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.
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.
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.
Goods in transit	E-way bills generated correctly and matched to invoices, so consignments pass roadside inspections without detention or penalty.	A defective or missing e-way bill can mean detention at a checkpoint, with penalties that dwarf the tax on the consignment.
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.

GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B Monthly Filing for Shops and Offices on 4th Street, Sholinganallur

Get a Free GST Consultation

Trade Profile and GST Jurisdiction for 4th Street, Sholinganallur

Why 4th Street, Sholinganallur Businesses Choose ChennaiGST

Deadline Tracking Done for You

Cancelled GSTIN? We Handle Revocation Too

GST Portal Expertise, Including the Difficult Days

Zero Tolerance for Late Fees and Interest

Job Work Movements Tracked Through ITC-04

Advisory, Not Just Data Entry

Our Monthly Returns Process

Monthly data collection

GSTR-1 preparation and filing

ITC reconciliation with GSTR-2B

Tax computation and confirmation

GSTR-3B filing and reporting

Documents Required for GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B Monthly Filing

What GSTR-1 & GSTR-3B Monthly Filing Costs in Sholinganallur

What You Get

Better Cash Flow Planning

Closure Without Loose Ends

Growth Without Compliance Anxiety

Time Back for Your Actual Business

A Written Trail for Every Decision

Advances Treated Correctly

With ChennaiGST vs Doing It Yourself

GST Support on 4th Street, Sholinganallur

GST Developments Worth Knowing — relevant to Sholinganallur businesses

Electronic toys attract 18 percent while other toys stay at 12 percent

Nine-judge Bench overrules the compensatory tax doctrine on freedom of trade

Inverted duty structure in textiles and footwear to be corrected from 1 January 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

Related GST Services & Nearby Areas

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