Returns
AI-assisted · review in progress · last updated 25 July 2026 · jump to quick revision
In 30 seconds
- Chapter IX of the CGST Act (Sections 37–48) plus Rules 59–84 govern returns — every return is filed electronically only; Sections 42, 43 and 43A stand omitted.
- One flow: Sec 37 GSTR-1 (outward) → Sec 38 GSTR-2A/2B (auto ITC) → Sec 39 periodic returns → Sec 40 First Return → Sec 44 annual GSTR-9 family → Sec 45 final GSTR-10.
- Due-date ladder '1-1-2-1-3-0': GSTR-1 (11th) → GSTR-3B (20th) → GSTR-7/8 (10th) → CMP-08 (18th) → GSTR-9 (31 Dec) → GSTR-10 (3 months).
- QRMP lets taxpayers with aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore file GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B quarterly while paying tax monthly through PMT-06 by the 25th.
- There is no revised return in GST — corrections travel through amendment tables, GSTR-1A or Section 39(9) rectification, capped at the earlier of 30 November of the next FY or the annual return filing date.
Based on GST law as on 30.04.2025 (May 2026 exams onwards). Section numbers are CGST Act unless stated.
How the chapter fits together
Returns live in Chapter IX of the CGST Act (Sections 37–48) read with Chapter VIII of the CGST Rules (Rules 59–84). Sections 42, 43 and 43A stand omitted, as do Rules 69–77 and 79. Every return is filed electronically only — through the portal, a Facilitation Centre, a GSP, or the offline utility. Learn the chapter as one pipeline:
- Sec 37 — GSTR-1, outward supplies →
- Sec 38 — GSTR-2A/2B, auto-drafted inward/ITC statements →
- Sec 39 — GSTR-3B/4/5/7, the periodic returns →
- Sec 40 — First Return →
- Sec 44 — Annual GSTR-9/9A/9C → Sec 45 — Final GSTR-10 →
- Sec 46/47 — defaulters and late fee → Sec 48 — GST Practitioner. Plus Sec 52 (GSTR-8, TCS) and Rule 82 (GSTR-11, UIN holders).
Memory hook — the due-date ladder “1-1-2-1-3-0”: GSTR-1 (11th) → GSTR-3B (20th) → GSTR-7/8 (10th) → CMP-08 (18th) → GSTR-9 (31 Dec) → GSTR-10 (3 months). The master table below is the single highest-yield asset of this chapter:
| Form | Who files | Periodicity | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSTR-1 | Normal RP (+ casual) | Monthly / Quarterly (QRMP) | 11th / 13th |
| IFF | QRMP (optional, B2B only, M1/M2) | Monthly | 13th |
| GSTR-1A | Any filer (optional, current period) | — | No due date (before GSTR-3B) |
| GSTR-3B | Normal RP | Monthly / Quarterly (QRMP) | 20th / 22nd or 24th |
| GSTR-4 | Composition | Annual | 30 June (FY 2024-25 onwards) |
| CMP-08 | Composition | Quarterly | 18th |
| GSTR-5 | NRTP | Monthly | 13 days / 7 days, earlier |
| GSTR-7 | TDS deductor | Monthly | 10th |
| GSTR-8 | TCS collector (ECO) | Monthly | 10th |
| GSTR-9/9A | Normal / Composition | Annual | 31 Dec |
| GSTR-9C | AT above ₹5 crore | Annual (with GSTR-9) | 31 Dec |
| GSTR-9B | ECO (TCS) | Annual statement | 31 Dec (yet to be notified) |
| GSTR-10 | Cancelled RP | Once | 3 months (cancellation/order, later) |
| GSTR-11 | UIN holder | With refund claim | — |
| PMT-06 | QRMP M1/M2 tax | Monthly | 25th |
Outward supplies — GSTR-1, IFF and GSTR-1A (Sec 37)
Who files GSTR-1 (Sec 37(1), Rule 59(1)): every registered person including a casual taxable person, electronically; Nil GSTR-1 can go by SMS. The common excluded set — ISD, NRTP, composition taxpayer, TDS deductor, TCS collector (ECO) and OIDAR supplier (non-taxable territory → non-taxable online recipient) — is shut out of both GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B. The casual taxable person is the one asymmetry: in GSTR-1, out of GSTR-3B and the annual return.
Casual taxable person [Sec 2(20)]
An occasional supplier with no fixed place of business in the State. Trap: must file GSTR-1, but is excluded from GSTR-3B and the annual return.
Contents (Rule 59(4)/(4A)/(5)): B2B supplies — invoice-wise, all of them; inter-State B2C above ₹1,00,000 — invoice-wise; everything else consolidated. HSN disclosure (Notif. 78/2020 CT): turnover up to ₹5 crore — 4-digit codes (B2B mandatory, B2C optional); above ₹5 crore — 6-digit.
- IFF (Rule 59(2)/(3)) — optional facility for QRMP filers: B2B invoices only, months M1/M2 only (never M3), up to ₹50 lakh per month cumulative, filed between the 1st and 13th.
- GSTR-1A (proviso to Rule 59(1)) — optional correction/addition for the current period only: after GSTR-1, before GSTR-3B, once per period, no due date.
- Debarment (Sec 37(4), Rule 59(6)) — GSTR-1/IFF blocked if the prior GSTR-3B is unfiled, a Rule 88C/88D intimation is unresolved, or bank details are missing (Rule 10A).
- Prior-period amendment (Sec 37(3)) — rectify when noticed, pay tax + interest, via Amendment Tables 9, 10 and 11(II) of a subsequent GSTR-1; cut-off is the earlier of 30 November of the next FY or the annual return filing date.
- Outer limit (Sec 37(5)) — no GSTR-1 beyond 3 years from its due date (extendable by Government).
- Pre-tax-period filing — generally barred, except a casual TP after closure of business, and on GSTIN cancellation (after confirming receipt of the application).
The auto ITC statement (Sec 38, Rule 60) communicates credit to the recipient in two buckets — (A) eligible and (B) ineligible ITC. Keep the two statements apart: GSTR-2A is dynamic, real-time and view-only — not the basis for restricting ITC; GSTR-2B is static, generated once a month, and is the basis for ITC eligibility and Rule 88D. Cut-off windows: monthly 12th of the relevant month to 11th of the next; quarterly 14th to 13th.
Two matching rules police the return chain, each with a 7-day response window:
- Rule 88C — GSTR-1 liability exceeds GSTR-3B beyond the threshold → intimation; unresolved, it means recovery under Sec 79 and debarment from the next period’s GSTR-1/IFF.
- Rule 88D — ITC availed in GSTR-3B exceeds GSTR-2B beyond the threshold → intimation; unresolved, it means demand under Sec 73/74/74A.
Periodic returns — GSTR-3B, QRMP and the special filers (Sec 39)
GSTR-3B (Sec 39(1), Rules 61/61A) is the monthly (or QRMP-quarterly) summary return covering ITC and tax payment — no invoice-wise data, pure self-assessment. Due the 20th; under QRMP the 22nd (Category-1 States) or 24th (Category-2 States). Tax payment is linked to the return due date (Sec 39(7)) — delinked only for QRMP M1/M2 (PMT-06, 25th), CMP-08 (18th) and GSTR-4 (30 June).
Valid return [Sec 2(117)]
A return furnished under Sec 39(1) on which the self-assessed tax has been paid in full. Mere filing without full payment is not a valid return — and it affects the recipient’s ITC.
Rectification (Sec 39(9)): errors are corrected in a later return with interest on any shortfall — but not errors discovered in scrutiny, audit, inspection or enforcement. Cut-off: earlier of 30 November of the next FY or the annual return filing date. Outer filing limit for GSTR-3B itself: 3 years from the due date (Sec 39(11)).
The QRMP scheme (proviso to Sec 39(1), Rule 61A) in one block:
- Eligibility — aggregate turnover up to ₹5 crore in the preceding FY (computed PAN-based from the preceding FY’s returns); the option is GSTIN-wise, so distinct persons under one PAN can opt differently.
- Option window — 1st day of the 2nd month of the preceding quarter to the last day of the 1st month of the quarter; the return due on the date of exercising the option (preceding month’s) must already be furnished.
- Continuity — once exercised it continues until the taxpayer becomes ineligible or opts for monthly filing; crossing ₹5 crore during a quarter forces monthly filing from the first month of the succeeding quarter.
- Output — 4 GSTR-1 + 4 GSTR-3B a year, with the optional IFF for M1/M2.
- Monthly tax (PMT-06 by the 25th) — Fixed Sum Method (auto-challan: 35% for quarterly filers / 100% for monthly filers; unavailable if the return for the preceding complete tax period is unfiled, and no interest if paid and the quarterly liability is cleared) or Self-Assessment Method (actual liability via GSTR-2B, interest on shortfall/delay).
- No late fee for delayed M1/M2 tax payment — only interest under Sec 50.
Nil returns are mandatory (Rule 67A) — GSTR-1, GSTR-3B and CMP-08 must be filed even with zero activity, and can go by SMS + OTP. A Nil return is barred if there is any outward supply (including exempt/nil-rated/non-GST), any RCM inward supply, an amendment, or a credit/debit note to declare (for CMP-08: any outward supply or RCM inward supply).
The special filers under and around Sec 39:
- Composition — GSTR-4 + CMP-08 (Sec 39(2)/(7), Rule 62): GSTR-4 is the annual return, due 30 June following the FY (FY 2024-25 onwards; earlier 30 April); CMP-08 is the quarterly self-assessed tax statement due the 18th — filing and payment are delinked, and a Nil CMP-08 is mandatory. GSTR-4 unfiled beyond 3 months from its due date is a registration-cancellation trigger (Sec 29(2)).
- NRTP — GSTR-5 (Sec 39(5), Rule 63): monthly, by the earlier of 13 days after month-end or 7 days after the registration’s validity ends; no annual return at all.
- TDS — GSTR-7 (Sec 39(3), Rule 66): monthly, by the 10th, even if no tax was deducted; TDS certificate GSTR-7A within 5 days of crediting the Government.
- TCS — GSTR-8 (Sec 52(3)/(4)/(6)/(7), Rule 67): the ECO’s monthly TCS statement, by the 10th; rectification by the earlier of 30 November or the GSTR-9B filing; outer limit 3 years.
Non-resident taxable person [Sec 2(77)]
No fixed place of business or residence in India. Files GSTR-5 only — no annual return. Contrast the casual TP, whose gap is only a fixed place in the State.
Electronic commerce operator [Sec 2(45)]
A person who owns or operates an e-commerce platform. If TCS-liable: excluded from GSTR-1/3B, files GSTR-8 monthly plus the annual statement GSTR-9B — not GSTR-9.
First, annual and final returns (Secs 40, 44, 45)
- First Return (Sec 40): declares the supplies made in the gap between becoming liable to register and the grant of registration; revised tax invoices for that gap may be issued within 1 month of the registration certificate [Sec 31(3)(a), Rule 53].
- Annual return (Sec 44, Rule 80): GSTR-9 (GSTR-9A for composition) by 31 December of the next FY, for all RPs except the excluded list below; the Commissioner may exempt further classes; outer filing limit 3 years.
- GSTR-9C (Rule 80): self-certified reconciliation statement where aggregate turnover exceeds ₹5 crore, filed with GSTR-9 by 31 December.
- GSTR-9B (Sec 52(5)): the TCS-liable ECO’s annual statement, 31 December — yet to be notified.
- Final Return GSTR-10 (Sec 45, Rule 81): only for RPs whose registration is cancelled — due 3 months from the later of the cancellation date or the cancellation order date, and required in addition to the annual return (both, not either/or, when winding up).
- GSTR-11 (Rule 82): the UIN holder’s statement of inward supplies, filed with the refund application.
| Obligation | Who is excluded |
|---|---|
| GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B (common set) | ISD, NRTP, composition, TDS deductor, TCS collector (ECO), OIDAR |
| GSTR-1 vs GSTR-3B asymmetry | Casual TP: included in GSTR-1, excluded from GSTR-3B |
| Annual return (Sec 44) | Casual TP, NRTP, ISD, TDS/TCS (Secs 51/52); Commissioner may exempt more |
| GSTR-9C (AT above ₹5 crore) | Casual TP, NRTP, ISD, TDS/TCS |
| Annual return + GSTR-9C, both | Central/State Govt departments and local authorities audited by CAG |
| Any annual return | NRTP — none required at all |
Defaulters, late fee and GST practitioners (Secs 46–48)
Notice to defaulters (Sec 46, Rule 68): failure to file under Secs 39/44/45/52 draws a notice — 15 days to file, else best judgment assessment under Sec 62, with interest and penalty in addition.
Late fee (Sec 47): the statutory ceiling — for GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-10 and GSTR-8, any delay — is ₹100 per day CGST, maximum ₹5,000 CGST, plus an equal SGST/UTGST amount (effectively ₹200/day, ₹10,000 combined). It is waivable, partially or fully, by the Central Government under Sec 128. The notification-based rationalized rates below apply in practice but the source flags them as “not examinable” — memorize the ceiling, keep the slabs for context:
| Default | Late fee |
|---|---|
| Statutory ceiling (Sec 47) — GSTR-1/3B/10/GSTR-8 | ₹100/day CGST, max ₹5,000 CGST + equal SGST/UTGST (₹200/day, ₹10,000 combined max) |
| GSTR-7 delay (Notif. 22/2021 CT) | ₹50/day (₹25+₹25), max ₹1,000; Nil TDS deducted → fully waived |
| GSTR-1/3B — Nil supplies/Nil tax | ₹20/day (₹10+₹10), max ₹500 |
| GSTR-1/3B — AT up to ₹1.5 crore | ₹50/day (₹25+₹25), max ₹2,000 |
| GSTR-1/3B — AT over ₹1.5 crore up to ₹5 crore | ₹50/day (₹25+₹25), max ₹5,000 |
| GSTR-1/3B — AT above ₹5 crore | ₹50/day (₹25+₹25), max ₹10,000 |
| GSTR-4 — Nil tax payable | ₹20/day (₹10+₹10), max ₹500 |
| GSTR-4 — others | ₹50/day (₹25+₹25), max ₹2,000 |
| GSTR-9 — AT up to ₹5 crore | ₹50/day (₹25+₹25); cap 0.04% of turnover (0.02%+0.02%) |
| GSTR-9 — AT over ₹5 crore up to ₹20 crore | ₹100/day (₹50+₹50); cap 0.04% of turnover |
| GSTR-9 — AT above ₹20 crore | ₹200/day (₹100+₹100); cap 0.50% of turnover (0.25%+0.25%) |
| QRMP M1/M2 tax payment delay | No late fee; only interest u/s 50 |
GST Practitioner (Sec 48, Rules 83/83A/84): an approved person who files on behalf of a registered person — but responsibility for correctness stays with the RP, never the GSTP.
- Base eligibility — citizen, of sound mind, not adjudged insolvent, not convicted.
- Plus one route — retired Government officer (Group B or above, at least 2 years) or sales tax practitioner / tax return preparer of at least 5 years or the prescribed degree / CA-CS-CMA final pass.
- NACIN exam — STP/TRP-origin GSTPs must pass it within 30 months.
- Deemed confirmation — if the RP fails to respond to a confirmation request, confirmation is deemed.
Key timelines
| Deadline | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 11th / 13th of succeeding month | GSTR-1 monthly / QRMP quarterly | Sec 37(1), Notif. 83/2020 CT |
| 1st–13th (M1/M2 only) | IFF window | Rule 59(2)/(3) |
| After GSTR-1, before GSTR-3B | GSTR-1A — no due date, once per period | Proviso to Rule 59(1) |
| Earlier of 30 Nov next FY / annual return filing | GSTR-1 amendment and GSTR-3B rectification cut-off | Secs 37(3), 39(9) |
| Earlier of 30 Nov / GSTR-9B filing | GSTR-8 rectification cut-off | Sec 52(6) |
| 3 years from due date | Outer filing limit — GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-8, annual return | Secs 37(5), 39(11), 52, 44 |
| 30 June following FY | GSTR-4 (FY 2024-25 onwards; earlier 30 April) | Sec 39(2) |
| 30 April following FY of withdrawal | GSTR-4, pre-exit transition | — |
| 18th of month after quarter | CMP-08 (incl. quarter of withdrawal) | Rule 62 |
| 13 days after month-end / 7 days after validity ends, earlier | GSTR-5 (NRTP) | Sec 39(5) |
| 10th of succeeding month | GSTR-7 (TDS) and GSTR-8 (TCS) | Secs 39(3), 52(4) |
| Within 5 days of crediting Govt | GSTR-7A TDS certificate | Rule 66 |
| 31 Dec of next FY | GSTR-9/9A and GSTR-9C (GSTR-9B yet to be notified) | Sec 44, Rule 80, Sec 52(5) |
| 3 months, later of cancellation date / order date | GSTR-10 Final Return | Sec 45 |
| 25th of succeeding month | PMT-06 — QRMP M1/M2 tax | 1st proviso, Sec 39(7) |
| 1st day of 2nd month of preceding qtr → last day of 1st month of qtr | QRMP opt-in/out window | Rule 61A |
| Within 1 month of registration certificate | Revised tax invoices for the First Return | Sec 31(3)(a), Rule 53 |
| Earlier of Sept-return due date of succeeding FY / annual return filing | Composition entry-transition return | — |
| GSTR-4 unfiled 3 months past due date | Composition cancellation trigger | Sec 29(2) |
| 15 days | Response to defaulter notice, else best judgment (Sec 62) | Sec 46 |
| 7 days | Response to Rule 88C/88D intimation | Rules 88C/88D |
| Monthly 12th–11th / quarterly 14th–13th | GSTR-2B cut-off window | — |
- Treating GSTR-2A and GSTR-2B as interchangeable — 2A is dynamic, real-time and view-only, not a basis for restricting ITC; 2B is static, generated once a month, and is the basis for ITC eligibility and Rule 88D.
- Mixing up Rule 88C and Rule 88D — 88C is a GSTR-1 vs GSTR-3B liability mismatch ending in Sec 79 recovery; 88D is a GSTR-2B vs GSTR-3B ITC mismatch ending in a Sec 73/74/74A demand.
- Confusing IFF with GSTR-1A — IFF is QRMP-only, B2B, M1/M2, and solves timing; GSTR-1A is for any filer, current period only, pre-GSTR-3B, and solves omission/error.
- Treating GSTR-9 and GSTR-10 as either/or — a winding-up RP owes both independently: the annual return and the final return within 3 months.
- Filing GSTR-9C for everyone — it applies only where aggregate turnover exceeds ₹5 crore, and travels with GSTR-9, not separately.
- Swapping the casual TP and the NRTP — casual TP (no fixed place in the State) files GSTR-1 but not GSTR-3B or the annual return; NRTP (no fixed place/residence in India) files GSTR-5 only.
- Confusing the QRMP payment methods — Fixed Sum is a system-calculated auto-challan (35% quarterly filer / 100% monthly filer) with no interest if paid and the quarterly liability is cleared; Self-Assessment computes actual liability via GSTR-2B and carries interest on shortfall or delay.
- Quoting the rationalized late-fee slabs in the exam — the tested figure is the Sec 47 statutory ceiling (₹100/day CGST, max ₹5,000, plus equal SGST/UTGST); the notification rates are “for information”.
Quick revision cards
The due-date ladder?
QRMP in one line?
Sec 47 late-fee ceiling?
First Return (Sec 40) covers what?
GSTR-10 due date?
Are Nil returns compulsory?
Revised return in GST?
Rectification outer limit (37(3)/39(9)/GSTR-8)?
Valid return [Sec 2(117)]?
HSN digits on GSTR-1?
Who files GSTR-5 and GSTR-8?
GSTP essentials?