GST
GST returns, filed on time with the credit reconciled
A GST return is not a form to be got out of the way each month. It is a running record the department matches against what your suppliers and customers file — and the mismatches are where notices come from. Filing on time is the easy half of the job. Filing numbers that reconcile is the half that keeps you out of trouble two years from now.
What this covers
Monthly returns — GSTR-1 and 3B
Outward supplies and the summary return, every month or quarter depending on your scheme. Late fees and interest accrue automatically, so the calendar is not optional.
Annual return — GSTR-9 and 9C
The year's filings consolidated and reconciled against the books. Discrepancies surface here — far better found by your own accountant than by the department.
Input credit reconciliation
What you claim, matched against what your suppliers actually filed. The gap between those two numbers is the single most common source of GST demands.
Filings that have fallen behind
Missed months, accumulating late fees, or a registration at risk of suspension for non-filing. The way back is orderly, but it starts with knowing exactly what is outstanding.
How monthly filing runs here
A filing calendar you can see
You are told what is due and when, and reminded before it is late rather than after. Which returns and which frequency depend on your scheme, and that gets established at the start.
Sales and purchase data comes in on a rhythm
A fixed monthly cut-off, agreed once. Most late filings are really late paperwork, and a rhythm fixes both.
Credit is matched before it is claimed
Purchases are reconciled against what suppliers have filed. Claims that are not supported get flagged to you, not silently included.
Returns are filed and confirmed
Filed on the portal, with the acknowledgement kept on your file.
Problems are raised while they are small
A supplier who has stopped filing, a rate that looks wrong, credit accumulating unclaimed — you hear about it in the month it appears, while it is still cheap to fix.
What is needed each period
- Sales register or invoices for the period
- Purchase register or invoices for the period
- Credit and debit notes issued or received
- Details of advances received, where applicable
- GST portal login credentials
- Bank statement for the period, for reconciliation
Returns are due even for months with no sales. A nil return takes minutes; the late fee for not filing it accumulates daily and is entirely avoidable.
Fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Monthly filing (per month)Low transaction volume; higher volumes quoted case by case | ₹1,000 – ₹5,000 |
| Quarterly scheme filing | Call and discuss |
| Annual return — GSTR-9 | Call and discuss |
| Reconciliation statement — GSTR-9C | Call and discuss |
| LUT filing for export of servicesAnnual renewal, due before 31 March | ₹1,500 – ₹4,000 |
| Catching up overdue returnsQuoted after seeing what is outstanding | Call and discuss |
The range is indicative and confirmed before any work starts. Monthly compliance is usually a retainer rather than a per-return charge — call to discuss what suits the volume of your business. 18% GST applies on professional fees.
Questions people ask first
Which returns does my business actually have to file?
It depends on your registration type, turnover and scheme — monthly or quarterly, with the annual return on top for most regular taxpayers. Call with your GSTIN and you will get a definitive list rather than a general one.
What happens if a return is filed late?
Late fees accrue per day and interest runs on unpaid tax. Persistent non-filing can lead to suspension of the registration. The cost of being late is mechanical and automatic, which is exactly why the calendar matters.
My input credit does not match what the portal shows. Why?
Usually because a supplier filed late, filed wrongly, or has not filed at all. The reconciliation identifies exactly which invoices are affected, which is the necessary first step whatever happens next.
I am several months behind. Where do I start?
With an honest picture of what is outstanding — which returns, which periods, what late fee has built up. That takes a portal login and a little time, and then the way back is filed in order. It is rarely as bad as it looks, but it does not improve by waiting.
Can you take over filing from my current accountant?
Yes. It starts with a review of what has been filed so far, so that nothing outstanding comes as a surprise later.
Put the filing calendar on someone else's desk
Call and describe the business and its volume. You will get a clear picture of which returns you owe, what a monthly arrangement looks like, and what it costs.