GSTR-9 Annual Return: Due Date, Applicability, Turnover Limit, Format, Eligibility, Rules

• GSTR-9 is an annual return to be filed by registered individuals or entities with annual turnover exceeding ₹2 crore.
• You can prepare GSTR-9 online or offline, but can only file it online.
• You can preview GSTR-9 before filling it out to avoid any mistakes.
• You can file GSTR-9 with a DSC or EVC.

Filing GSTR-9 is an annual return, mandatory for all Goods and Services Tax (GST) -registered individuals and businesses whose turnover exceeds ₹2 crore. The return comprises:

• Comprehensive details of outward and inward supplies.
• Transactions conducted or received throughout the fiscal year,
• Consolidated monthly or quarterly returns filed during the respective year.

GSTR-9 can be prepared online or offline. However, it can only be filed online on the GST portal.If you are wondering who is eligible for GSTR-9, the key requirements, and how to file GSTR-9 effectively, continue reading this blog.

You need to file GSTR-9 if your annual turnover exceeds ₹2 crore and you are:

• Regular taxpayers, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units, and SEZ developers.
• A composition taxpayer who opted out of the composition scheme during the year but continues its GST registration.

Note : Composition, casual, input service distributors, non-resident taxpayers, and persons deducting TDS under Section 51 or collecting TCS under Section 52 are exempted from filing GSTR-9.

If you are planning to file GSTR-9, you must fulfil the below-mentioned requirements:

• You should be registered as a regular taxpayer under GST for at least one day in a financial year.
• You should have filed GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B for the financial year.
• An uneditable GSTR-3 B-based auto-filled Table number 6A.
• An uneditable GSTR-2B-based auto-filled Table number 8A.
• A GSTR-3B-based auto-filled Table number 9 contains details of tax paid as declared in returns filed. The ‘Paid through Cash’ and ‘Paid through ITC’ columns of Table 9 are non-editable.
• You must report the following details for the financial year in GSTR-9:

If you are wondering how to file GSTR-9, here’s a step-by-step guide for you. Step 1 Login to GST Portal , go to ‘Returns Dashboard,’ and click ‘Annual Return’ Step 2 Select' Financial Year' on the ‘File Annual Returns’ page. A pop-up message will prompt you to select Online/Offline filing of GSTR-9. Click ‘Prepare Online’. Step 3 Choose ‘Yes’ to file a Nil return if you fulfil the below criteria:

• No outward supply
• No receipt of goods/services
• No other liability to report
• No credit claimed
• No refund claimed
• No demand order received
• No late fees are required to be paid

Click on ‘Next’ to compute liabilities and file a NIL GSTR-9. Step 4 If the previous step is not applicable, choose ‘No’, click on ‘Next’, and you will see a page displaying ‘GSTR-9 Annual Return for normal taxpayers’. Here, you can download the following pre-filled reports:

• GSTR-9 system computed summary
• GSTR-1 summary
• GSTR-3B summary
• Table-8A document details

Step 5 Start filling in/ validating the details in the various tiles. Table 4 auto-populates the details of advances and inward and outward supplies made during the financial year on which tax is payable.You can edit the cells to enter the tax amount. If the details vary +/- 20% from the auto-populated details, then the cells will be highlighted, and a pop-up message will ask you if you want to proceed despite deviation. Click ‘Yes’. A confirmation pop-up will display ‘Save request is accepted successfully.’ Step 6 You can fill in the remaining tables similarly for the given financial year.

• Table (5M) : Details of outward supplies made on which tax is not payable
• Table 6(O) : ITC availed details
• Table 7(I) : Details of ITC reversed and Ineligible ITC
• Table 8(A) : Other ITC-related information
• Table 9 : Details of tax paid as declared in returns filed
• Table 10, 11, 12 & 13 : Details of the previous financial year’s transactions reported in the next financial year
• Table 10 & 11 : Differential tax paid on account of declaration
• Table 15 : Particulars of demands and refunds
• Table 16 : Supplies received from composition taxpayers, deemed supply by job workers and goods sent on an approval basis
• Table 17 : HSN-wise summary of outward supplies (Read details about various HSN codes by clicking here )
• Table 18 : HSN-wise summary of Inward Supplies

Step 7 Preview draft GSTR-9 in Excel or PDF format. If you need to edit any field, go back to the dashboard, make the changes, and regenerate the draft. Step 8 Click on compute liabilities. You can see any tax that needs to be paid, including late fees, if any. By creating an additional payment challan, you can pay the amount through an electronic cash ledger, Net banking, over-the-counter, or NEFT/RTGS. Step 9 Recheck the details, which should reflect the payment amount. To file the GSTR-9, select the declaration check box and the ‘Authorised Signatory.Click ‘File GSTR-9’ and select whether you want to file GSTR-9 with DSC by selecting the certificate, signing it, and submitting it or with EVC by validating the OTP received on the registered email/ mobile number.

If you are a registered individual or entity with an annual turnover exceeding ₹2 crore, you should understand how to file GSTR-9 to avoid any penalties. You should also be careful while filling in or validating the details and always preview the final draft before filing GSTR-9. You can also use the GST calculator to calculate your tax liabilities for error-free GST filing.