Overview of GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

The Goods & Services Tax was introduced in the year 2017 to address the inconsistencies & complexities in the previous tax regimes and offer an inclusive environment for start-ups & businesses under its Ease of doing business scheme.

Therefore, the Goods and Services Tax is a value-added tax levied on the supply of goods or services or both, based on destination-based consumption in India. The GST system of taxation is known to offer a consolidated structure under one taxation system with single standardized rates of taxation equally applicable in the whole country to avoid any kind of confusion.

With its unique features, the GST has resolved the pre-existing problems such as different rates of taxes under central & state taxes, their cascading effect, innumerable compliances such as multiple fillings and record-keeping and audits from time to time which increased the costs of production for businesses, etc. among others. Not only this, GST reduces the costs of manufacturing or supply for the businesses by offering input tax credit on the taxes paid on the purchase of raw materials, which is later allowed as a set-off from the taxes to be paid in the final.

 

GST registration in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is popularly known as the ‘Land of Temples.’ It consists of more than 33,000 ancient and historical temples that are certainly built collectively through the Dravidian style of architecture. The state is located in the southern part of the Indian Peninsula. 26th January is celebrated as the Formation Day of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is the 10th largest in terms of area and the 6th largest in terms of population. Tamil Nadu shares its boundaries with Puducherry (Indian union territory) in the east, Kerala in the west, and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the North, and also shares an international maritime border with Sri Lanka. This state provides shelter to the Tamil people andthe Tamil language is one of the oldest and longest-existing classical languages in the world. Demographically, this Tamil language is majorly spoken in the state and is also the official language of the state. As per the 2011 census, around 88% of the population of Tamil Nadu is Hinduism.

Tamil Nadu has all flavors of the tourist attraction. This state is a historically privileged home of various ancient and medieval pilgrimage sites. It has gigantic mountains in the Western Ghats, exhilarating waterfalls, flourishing and dense vegetation, enchanting beaches, impressive monuments, several sacred temples imprinted on the sculptures with the blend of the Dravidian Architecture, fabulous wildlife, etc. Tamil Nadu has numerous scenic spots, elegant scenarios, rich cultural heritage spots with a touch of spiritual essence, and unaffected and impressive diversity. Tamil Nadu consists of 5 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world heritage sites they are Mamallapuram Monuments, Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram Brihadeeswarar Temple, Darasuram Airavatheeswarar Temple, and Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

The climate of Tamil Nadu state has mostly witnessed monsoon fails and thereby, later on, leads to droughts-prone areas when the monsoon failed. Tamil Nadu state consists of a wide range of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves such as – the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (the largest elephant population in India), Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (specialized in seaweed seagrass, coral reefs, salt marshes, and mangrove forests), Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, Anamalai and Mudumalai National Park and many more. The wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reservesaim to protect the natural habitat and provide a favorable ecosystem for the endangered species. As per the latest survey, India has a human development index of 0.619, in which the contribution of Tamil Nadu state is 0.736 which is the highest among all the states in the country. Tamil Nadu is among the most literate state in India with a literacy rate of 80.33 percent. In the Economy of Tamil Nadu, the contribution of the agriculture sector plays a crucial role. Tamil Nadu is the leading producer of agricultural products and Tamil Nadu is the fifth largest producer of rice in India.

 

Capital- Chennai

Top Business Ideas in Tamil Nadu

Vanakkam! If you are thinking to start a business in Tamil Nadu? It is the best place to start a business. Here are some of the amazing business ideas in Tamil Nadu. As we know that Tamilnadu is India’s sixth-largest state, it is located at the southernmost tip of the country.  It has a rich cultural heritage and mouth-watering South Indian cuisine. The state also has a rich agriculture sector. The Tamil Nadu State exhibits high economic liveliness and with a high Human Development index (with a literacy rate of around 80%), a good infrastructure, highly attractivewhich is the best in Asia, and it is also India’s leading and innovative knowledge hub. This provides a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors to work on unique ideas for their businesses. Let’s check out the top business ideas available in Tamil Nadu: –

 

Poultry farming business

Poultry farming is one of the most profitable and cost-effectivebusinesses in Tamil Nadu. If you are thinking to start a small-scale business in Tamil Nadu then this is the best niche to start. In spite of the poultry farming appears to be a lucrativebusiness, but still many people fail because of a devoid of proper enterprise knowledge and business idea. Hence to receive the high returns with less small-scale investment, first, it is been strongly recommended to have a fair and standard knowledge of poultry farming business setup before starting the business. Bakery business

In the past few years, it has been witnessed that there is a consistent increase in the demand for bakery products in Tamil Nadu. Starting with the Bakery business is one of the best business ideas at present in Tamil Nadu. If you do like enjoying the baking stuff and have proper knowledge in this field. Then you should start the business with very small capital investment and you can expand it over time by promoting it. You need to provide the best possible stuffto the customer. However, starting a bakery business is getting more popular these days. It is because it needs very less initial investment. If your Bakery products satisfy the customer then sooner or later your business going to generate enough income.

Startup Ecosystem in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu state has been at the front line of the economic development of our country. Entrepreneurship and technological advancement with innovation has provided the perfect platform for the state. Hence to boost the existing potential of the Tamil Nadu state, the state government has launched a unique startup policy in 2018. The main motto of this policy is to turn Tamil Nadu into a global innovation hub and the most tested and preferred spot for startups and business ideas. However, The policy is valid only for a period of 5 years from 2018 to 2023. The main purpose of the startup and innovation policy of Tamil Nadu is to provide an enabling atmosphere to the investors, and entrepreneurs for the startup in the state. The main objective of this policy is to partner with the different educational institutions and investors to promote the startup ecosystem. They also care to provide incentives and necessary resources to the startups with mentoring and investing guiding mechanisms. They also focus on reducing the existing tax burden on the startups. Apart from this, they have decided to foster the growth of at least 5000 startups in the state.

 

What is GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu?

Registration under the GST Act means any person who is either compulsorily liable to obtain registration or voluntarily obtains registration under the Act to collect taxes on the part of the Government and avail tax credits on inward supplies (purchases).

The process of obtaining GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu generally involves submission of a formal application of registering his name/name of the entity as a GST taxpayer through the GST portal made available by the GST Department under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs of India, Union Ministry of Finance.

In pursuance of the registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the registered person is allotted a 15-digit unique identification number i.e. GST Identification number on the registered email address of the sole proprietor or authorized person in case of company/LLP/ partnership firm. Once received such a unique identification number is received, the applicant needs to mention the same in every official publication of the applicant. In case the applicant is operating his business in more than one state, he will be required to obtain a separate registration for each state of operation.

 

Who is required to obtain GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu?

As aforesaid, some business entities need to compulsorily obtain GST registration despite not meeting the turnover-related criteria, while others may voluntarily obtain GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to avail of the benefits afforded to a GST. Provided below is the person who needs to mandatorily obtain registration-

  • Individuals registered under the pre-existing tax regimes such as Excise, VAT, Service Tax, etc.
  • Businesses holding an average annual turnover beyond the threshold limit i.e. 40L /Rs. 20 L / Rs.10 L as the case may be;
  • Non –Resident taxable person/Casual taxable person
  • Supplier/Input service distributor
  • Taxpayers liable to pay taxes through a reverse charge mechanism
  • Person supplying goods through an e-commerce aggregator
  • E-commerce aggregator
  • Person supplying OIDAR (online information and database access or retrieval services) from a place outside India to a person in India, to an unregistered person.

 

Types of GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Primarily, there are four categories of registration under GST in Chennai, Tamil Nadu which include-

i. Normal taxpayers- This is the most common category of taxpayers in the country. Businesses that have exceeded their threshold limit of Rs. 40 L/ Rs. 20 L for normal category states and Rs. 10 L for North Eastern states of Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya, etc hilly states of Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand.

ii. Casual taxable individual- Businesses who undertake a business activity for limited seasons or timings during the year, need to register for GST mandatorily under the Act irrespective of their turnover. They are also required to make a deposit equal to the GST liability from the occasional operations

iii. Non-resident taxable individual- Individuals/businesses who are resident outside India but occasionally undertake supply of goods/services or both as principal person/agent /suppliers to Indian residents are required to obtain registration mandatorily before undertaking the supply of goods/services in India. Like a Casual taxable person, they are also liable to pay a deposit equal to the expected GST liability during the GST active tenure, which is usually 3 months.

iv. Composition registration– Businesses having an annual turnover up to Rs. One crore could opt for the composition scheme of GST taxation under which they are subject to minimal compliances & further required to pay a fixed sum as GST tax irrespective of their actual turnover.

 

Benefits of GST Registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

i. Elimination of cascading effect of Taxes

GST is an integrated taxation regime that has eliminated the cascading effect of taxation, which was prevalent under previous taxes, where there were different taxes applicable at the same time, but no set-off was available, which increased the business costs.

ii. Reduced Costs of Goods & Service

Since the Government has introduced the concept of ITC under GST, the manufacturers are allowed tax credits for the taxes paid during the purchase of raw materials and do not add the same in their costs to be ultimately borne by the final consumer leading to a remarkable reduction in the prices of goods and services.

iii. Higher threshold for registration

Unlike the previous taxation systems under VAT, CST, and Excise duty, where the threshold limit for mandatory registration was as low as Rs 5L, which again was not uniform throughout the country, the threshold limit for registration under GST is Rs. 40L/Rs. 20L and Rs.10 Lakhs for special category states, which exempts many small traders and service providers.

iv. Lesser Compliances

GST has been launched under the “One nation one tax” system which eliminates the need to obtain separate registration under each taxation system, to manage compliances and make tax payments at varying rates. Thus, under GST the taxable person is required to file only unified returns periodically. Not only this, the taxpayer’s with an annual turnover of up to Rs. 2 crores are exempted from the requirement of GST Audit.

v. Simple & Convenient Processes

The Govt has launched GST online portal which facilitates the entire process from registration to managing compliances and is simple, convenient & secure to involve fewer steps. This is especially advantageous for start-ups that could complete processes within their due time through the online portal and use their time to focus on business activities.

vi. Standardized Rates of Taxation

Under the GST regime, there are only four standardized rates of taxation for each good and service that are the same throughout India i.e. 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% under GST, which avoids confusion & saves time.

vii. Reduces burden under Composition Scheme

Under GST, small businesses (with turnover up to Rs. 1 crore) have the option to avail registration as a composition dealer and pay taxes at a fixed amount irrespective of the turnover with minimal compliance requirements. This move has relieved smaller businesses by bringing down their compliance burden

viii. Concept of Input Tax Credit

Input Tax Credit means claiming the credit of the GST paid on the purchase of Goods and Services which are used for the furtherance of business, which reduces the burden of taxes to be paid by the manufacturer/supplier on the purchase of raw materials. The introduction of the Input tax credit mechanism is one of the unique features of GST and is often hailed as the ‘backbone of GST’.

 

Process of GST Registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Process of GST Registration in Chennai, Tamil NaduGST Registration is a simple & convenient process that is facilitated through the GST portal and the whole process takes around 5-7 days. Irrespective of a normal taxpayer or a composition dealer under the GST regime, the process of GST registration in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradeshis the same for all.

Provided below is the step–by–step process to be followed in order to complete GST online registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu-

Step 1- Access the GST portal to create a user Profile in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Access the GST Portal by logging on to www. Gst.gov.in and clicking Registration & selecting the New Registration option.

Step 2- Generation of Temporary Request Number (TRN) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

On the ‘New GST’ Registration page, provide basic details related to the applicant of the GST including communication details such as – Taxpayer Type, State for which GST registration is required’, Legal Name of the Business entity, PAN details of the business entity or PAN number of sole proprietor, etc. Next, provide communication details such as the mobile number and email address of the Primary Authorized Signatory and Click ‘Proceed’.

Step 3- OTP Verification & TRN Generation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

On submission of the information submitted earlier, two OTPs will be generated on the provided email address and mobile number which will be valid for only 10 minutes. On receiving OTP, enter in the field after which a TRN will be generated for GST online registration purposes.

Step 4-Form Submission with TRN in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Now, after login with the TRN, start the process of GST registration by filling in details related to the following-

i. Details of the Business- Trade name, type of entity, registered address, Opt for the Composition Scheme, if necessary, date of commencement of business, and the date when the liability to register arisen, etc. or the date when the business crossed the aggregate turnover threshold for GST registration.

ii. Business Promoter Details-Insert details of the promoters and directors of the company (or proprietor in case of sole proprietorship) which includes their names, date of birth, DIN, proof of residence, etc. The form allows filling in details of up to 10 Promoters/Partners through the application

iii. Authorised Signatory Information– In the case of a partnership firm/company/LLP, the business entity will be required to nominate an authorized signatory who will be responsible to manage GST-related compliances.

iv. Details related to the Principal Place of Business/Branch-Here applicant will be required to fill in details related to the principal place/branch including-

  • Official registered address & contact details
  • Nature of possession of premises & and, in case the business is located in an SEZ or where the applicant acts as an SEZ developer, the applicant will be required to attach necessary documents/certificates issued by the Government of India, by choosing ‘Others’ like Possession of business premises.
  • Documents/attachments for ownership of property such as utility bills Latest Property Tax Receipt or Municipal Khata copy or copy of Electricity Bill.
  • In case the property is rented, a copy of the valid rent agreement/lease deed must be attached along with any supporting document for the ownership of the holder of property with proofs like the Latest Property Tax Receipt or Municipal Khata copy or copy of Electricity Bill.
  • If the premises are not covered above, then a copy of the consent letter with any documentary support of the ownership of the premises of the Consenter like Municipal Khata copy or Electricity Bill copy. In the case of jointly owned properties, the same documents could be uploaded online.

v. Details of Additional Place of Business- In this section, the applicant shall be required to provide details of any additional place of business. For instance, in the case of an e-retail business that uses any seller warehouse, the details should be provided as an additional place of business.

vi. Details of Goods and Services– the taxpayer will be required to provide details of goods & services supplied or to be supplied along with the HSN code food goods & SAC code for services.

Step 5- Enter Bank Accounts Details in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

In this section, the applicant will be required to provide the details related to the business bank accounts held by the applicant including other details like bank account number, IFSC code, and type of account. Lastly, upload a copy of previous bank statements in the prescribed section.

Step 6- Verification of Application & ARN Generation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

In this step, check the details submitted thoroughly once & after verification, select the verification checkbox, and select the name of the authorized signatory from the drop-down list and digitally sign the application using Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)/ E-Signature or EVC, before finally applying. Where the applicant has provided his e-Aadhaar, he could use the same for verification purposes, instead of using a digital signature online.

On successful submission, a success message followed by an acknowledgment of the registered e-mail address and mobile phone number containing an Application Reference number will be generated. The ARN number could be used to track the status of the application.

 

Time Involved & Validity for GST Registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

In case the approval authority needs any additional document/information required, it will issue an e-form GST REG-03 outlining the requirement for further documents, for which a response could be submitted by using the form GST REG-04 within seven working days of receipt of the form GST REG-03. However, if the information supplied through the form is not satisfactory or found to be missing adequate information, it may be rejected by issuing intimation in form GST REG-05.

However, if the authority gets satisfied via form GST REG-01 / GST REG-04 and considers it genuine & complete in all respects, the approval authority may issue a GST certificate containing 15 digits unique GSTIN number in the prescribed form GST REG-06 within 3-4 working days of the receipt of the request in form GST REG-01 / GST REG-04.

The GST certificate comes with lifetime validity and doesn’t require renewal until & unless it is canceled or suspended. But, in the case of a casual taxable person, it has a validity period of only 90 days which will be subject to renewal.

 

Documents Required for GST Registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Documents Required for GST Registration in Chennai, Tamil NaduDifferent sets of documents will be required depending upon the constitution of the business or the type of GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that is obtained.

  • Proof of identification such as PAN & Aadhaar for sole proprietor/partner or authorized signatory in case of company/LLP including foreign entities or branch registration.
  • Proof of constitution of business (MOA & AOA in case of a company, LLP Deed in case of LLP), etc.
  • Certificate of Incorporation/Registration(For Company/LLP)
  • Proof of residence for all directors/partners/proprietors of Company/LLP
  • Proof of registered office through utility bills such as Electricity Bill, Legal ownership document, Municipal Khata copy, Property Tax Receipt, Rent / Lease agreement, or Rent receipt with NOC (In case of no/expired agreement)
  • Letter of Authorisation or Copy of a valid resolution passed by BoD/ Managing Committee, for the nomination of authorized signatory in case of Company/LLP
  • Passport-sized photographs of promoters/partners/proprietors signed & attested
  • Digital signature certificate of director in case of company/designated partner for LLP.
  • Bank details- a copy of the canceled cheque or extract of the passbook/bank statement (containing the first and last page) must be uploaded.

 

Penalty for failure to Obtain Registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Failure to obtain GST registration within 30 days from the date of arising of the liability to register under GST (aggregate turnover exceeds the prescribed limit) will attract a penalty up to Rs. 10,000 and no input tax credit for the default period.

 

Conclusion of GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Therefore, the process of GST registration in Chennai, Tamil Nadu is a simple & convenient process that could be received in a maximum of 7-10 days. Though, it is also important to obtain proper guidance regarding registration processes & post-registration GST compliances applicable to the registered person. Choose a reliable source to complete your GST registration as any error or discrepancy in the application may further delay the process or even lead to rejection of the application.