by: Jacob HarrisPosted on:

What Is A GST Number And How To Acquire One?

GST Number or Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) is a number that is assigned to a company or individual identified under the GST Act. GSTIN is used by the tax office to keep track of the GST fees and transactions of all those enrolled under the GST Act.

GST Number substitutes earlier methods of tax identity such as the TIN (Tax Identification Number) used by government tax authorities to monitor state tax documents like VAT. Business owners enrolled under the previous systems such as TIN have been automatically transferred to the GSTIN structure and have been given their new GST number.

Anyone creating a new GST registration will obtain a new GSTIN after their registration is already concluded and accepted. As per the existing GST regulations, all GST licensed companies are expected to display the GSTIN on all GST receipts they send to their clients/customers.

How To Obtain A GSTIN?

In order to obtain a GSTIN you should be registered under GST. So the very first step is to register yourself or your business under GST. It is a fairly simple process, all you need to do is head over to the government-approved site for GST and register yourself. After your application has been approved by the authorities, you will be assigned a GSTIN/GST number.

Here is a list of documents that you need in order to register yourself under GST

  • PAN (Permanent Account Number)
  • Valid mobile number
  • E-mail address
  • Bank account details
  • Location of the company
  • An approved Indian signatory whose details are valid.
  • All papers and documents pertaining to all the compulsory fields in the application.
  • At least one Partner/Owner/Trustee/Director/Member along with their respective PAN numbers.

How To Search For GST Number?

By GST Number

One of the advantages of the GSTIN records is that it has been made available not only to the tax department but also to the public at large through the digital pathway and it allows for easy authentication of legal businesses. Just search for the GST number given to you by a prospective vendor and according to the GST registration records, you can check and verify the address, name, etc.

After GST and GST Number Search were launched, several sites began advertising the alternative. Even then, it is better to test the specifics of GST registration via the Authorized GST Site. The accessibility of GSTIN search options for potential business partners and clients is aimed at enhancing trust between businesses across the nation.

By Name

The authorized GST database currently does not offer the ability to complete a GST Number Lookup by the name of a verified company or person. It has not prevented other sites from promoting a GST Number Check by Name choice though.

By Pan

The existing GST registration registry lets you discover the GST number using the company/personal PAN number. To view those documents, you can move across to the Official GST Number and look for the number through the PAN site. If the business/individual is not recorded under GST, a notice about “no records found” will be shown.

GSTIN Structure

Following is the breakdown of the GSTIN structure

  • According to the 2011 National Census the initial two numbers reflect the state code. Each state has a special code to it.
  • The following 10 digits are the taxpayer’s PAN number.
  • The 13th digit depends on the number of registrations that have taken place in the State.
  • The 14th number by default is Z.
  • The last number is a code for verification. This can either be a number or an alphabet.

The Verification Of GST Number

If you have already applied for GST registration and have obtained your current GSTIN, make sure you verify if all of your company records have been correctly revised on the GST portal. In order to check GST information is type your GST number on GST ‘s official GST site page named “Search Taxpayer by GSTIN”. You can also use the PAN option “Search Taxpayer” to finish online GST Number Authentication. For potential suppliers and business associates, the same choices are also appropriate for conducting GST Number Validation online.