Invoicing under GST

Confused in complicated laws? Take our GST consultation services to get your issues solved from GST experts. Click here to know more.

Format of Invoice as per GST Rules – Invoice Format

  1. HSN Codes Requirement in Invoice
  2. Invoicing for Sales of Goods
  3. Invoicing for providing Services
  4. Details to be mentioned
  5. Manner of issuing
  6. Revision of Invoices issued before issue of registration certificate
  7. Invoices not required to be issued below specified amount
  8. Bill of Supply in place of Tax Invoice
  9. Receipt Voucher in case of Advance payment received
  10. Refund Voucher
  11. Payment Voucher
  12. Revised tax invoice and credit or debit notes
  13. Continuous Supply of Goods
  14. Continuous Supply of Services
  15. Sale on Approval Basis
  16. Transportation of goods through Delivery Challan
  17. Additional Information to be contained by Transporter in his Tax Invoice

HSN Codes Requirement in Invoice

Person with annual turnover of less than or equal to Rs. 1.5 crore in preceding financial year is not required to mention HSN code in Sales invoices up to 31st March 2021. Starting from 1st April 2021, they are required to mention HSN code of at least 4 digits in all invoices issues to other business (B2B Invoices).
Person with annual turnover of more than Rs. 1.5 crore but up to Rs. 5 crore in preceding financial year is required to mention HSN code in 2 digits in Sales invoices. In other words they are required to mention chapter code only. For persons with turnover of more than Rs. 5 crore, 4 digit code is required in all type of invoices.

Invoicing for Sales of Goods

A registered person who is making taxable sales of goods has to issue a tax invoice showing the description, quantity and value of goods, the tax charged thereon. Such invoice is to be issued before or at the time of delivery of goods or removal of goods for supply or making available thereof to the recipient as the case may be.

Invoicing for providing Services

A registered person supplying taxable services is required to issue invoice either before or within 30 days of providing the service, showing the description, value, tax charged thereon.

Where the supplier of services is an insurer or a banking company or a financial institution, including a non-banking financial company, the period within which the invoice or any document in lieu thereof is to be issued shall be 45 days from the date of supply of service.

In a case where the supply of services ceases under a contract before the completion of the supply, the invoice shall be issued at the time when the supply ceases and such an invoice shall be issued to the extent of the supply made before such cessation.

Details to be mentioned in Tax Invoice

A tax invoice referred to in Section 31 shall be issued by the registered person containing the following particulars:-

(a) Name, address and GSTIN of the supplier.
(b) A consecutive serial number, in one or multiple series, containing alphabets or numerals or special characters hyphen or dash and slash symbolized as “-” and “/” respectively, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year.
(c) Date of its issue.
(d) Name, address and GSTIN or UIN, if registered, of the recipient.
(e) Name and address of the recipient and the address of delivery, along with the name of State and its code, if such recipient is un-registered and where the value of taxable supply is fifty thousand rupees or more.
(f) HSN Code of goods or Accounting Code of services.
(g) Description of goods or services.
(h) Quantity in case of goods and unit or Unique Quantity Code thereof.
(i) Total value of supply of goods or services or both.
(j) Taxable value of supply of goods or services or both taking into account discount or abatement, if any.
(k) Rate of tax (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union Territory tax or cess).
(l) Amount of tax charged in respect of taxable goods or services (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess).
(m) Place of supply along with the name of State, in case of a supply in the course of inter-State trade or commerce.
(n) Address of delivery where the same is different from the place of supply.
(o) Whether the tax is payable on reverse charge basis.
(p) Signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative.

In case of exports of goods or services, the invoice shall carry an endorsement “SUPPLY MEANT FOR EXPORT ON PAYMENT OF IGST” or “SUPPLY MEANT FOR EXPORT UNDER BOND OR LETTER OF UNDERTAKING WITHOUT PAYMENT OF IGST”, as the case may be, and shall, in lieu of the details specified in clause (e), contain the following details:

(i) Name and address of the recipient
(ii) Address of delivery
(iii) Name of the country of destination
(iv) Number and date of application for removal of goods for export

Manner of issuing invoice

(1) The invoice shall be prepared in triplicate, in case of supply of goods, in the following manner:–

(a) Original copy being marked as ORIGINAL FOR RECIPIENT;
(b) Duplicate copy being marked as DUPLICATE FOR TRANSPORTER
(c) Triplicate copy being marked as TRIPLICATE FOR SUPPLIER.

(2) The invoice shall be prepared in duplicate, in case of supply of services, in the following manner:-

(a) Original copy being marked as ORIGINAL FOR RECIPIENT; and
(b) Duplicate copy being marked as DUPLICATE FOR SUPPLIER.

(3) The serial number of invoices issued during a tax period shall be furnished electronically through the Common Portal in FORM GSTR-1.

Revision of Invoices issued before issue of registration certificate

A registered person may issue revised invoices within one month from the date of issue of certificate of registration for the invoices which are issued after the effective date of registration but before the date of issue of registration certificate.

Such person may issue a consolidated revised tax invoice in respect of all taxable supplies made to a recipient who is not registered in GST.

In a case of inter-State supplies, where the value of supply does not exceed Rs. 2,50,000, a consolidated revised invoice may be issued separately in respect of all recipients located in a State, who are not registered under the Act.

Invoices not required to be issued below specified amount

A registered person may not issue a tax invoice if the value of the goods or services or both supplied is less than two hundred rupees. If the recipient is a registered person or the recipient requires a tax invoice then the supplier needs to issue a tax invoice.

Such person also has to issue a consolidated tax invoice for such supplies at the close of each day in respect of all such supplies.

Bill of Supply in place of Tax Invoice

Persons who are making sales of exempted goods/services or paying tax under composition scheme has to issue Bill of Supply instead of a tax invoice. Such bill of supply should contain the following details

(a) Name, address and GSTIN of the supplier.
(b) A consecutive serial number, in one or multiple series, containing alphabets or numerals or special characters -hyphen or dash and slash symbolized as “-” and “/”respectively, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year.
(c) Date of its issue.
(d) Name, address and GSTIN or UIN, if registered, of the recipient.
(e) HSN Code of goods or Accounting Code for services.
(f) Description of goods or services or both.
(g) Value of supply of goods or services or both taking into account discount or abatement, if any.
(h) Signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative.

Receipt Voucher in case of Advance payment received

On receipt of advance payment with respect to supply of goods/services the registered person is required to issue a receipt voucher evidencing receipt of such payment. Such receipt should contain the following details

(a) Name, address and GSTIN of the supplier.
(b) A consecutive serial number containing alphabets or numerals or special characters -hyphen or dash and slash symbolised as “-” and “/”respectively, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year.
(c) Date of its issue.
(d) Name, address and GSTIN or UIN, if registered, of the recipient.
(e) Description of goods or services.
(f) Amount of advance taken.
(g) Rate of tax (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess).
(h) Amount of tax charged in respect of taxable goods or services (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess).
(i) Place of supply along with the name of State and its code, in case of a supply in the course of inter-State trade or commerce.
(j) Whether the tax is payable on reverse charge basis.
(k) Signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative.

Provided that where at the time of receipt of advance,

(i) the rate of tax is not determinable; the tax shall be paid at the rate of eighteen per cent.;
(ii) the nature of supply is not determinable; the same shall be treated as inter-State supply

Refund Voucher

If after receiving of advance payment no supply is made and no tax invoice is issued then the said registered
person may issue to the person who had made the payment, a refund voucher against such payment.

A refund voucher shall contain the following particulars:

(a) Name, address and GSTIN of the supplier
(b) A consecutive serial number not exceeding sixteen characters, in one or multiple series, containing alphabets or numerals or special characters -hyphen or dash and slash symbolized as “-” and “/”respectively, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year
(c) Date of its issue
(d) Name, address and GSTIN or UIN, if registered, of the recipient
(e) Number and date of receipt voucher issued in accordance with provisions of sub- rule 5
(f) Description of goods or services in respect of which refund is made
(g) Amount of refund made
(h) Rate of tax (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess)
(i) Amount of tax paid in respect of such goods or services (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess)
(j) Whether the tax is payable on reverse charge basis
(k) Signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative.

Payment Voucher

A registered person who is liable to pay tax under sub-section (3) or subsection (4) of section 9 shall issue a payment voucher at the time of making payment to the supplier.

Such payment voucher shall contain the following particulars

(a) Name, address and GSTIN of the supplier if registered
(b) A consecutive serial number not exceeding sixteen characters, in one or multiple series, containing alphabets or numerals or special characters -hyphen or dash and slash symbolised as “-” and “/”respectively, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year
(c) Date of its issue
(d) Name, address and GSTIN of the recipient
(e) Description of goods or services
(f) Amount paid
(g) Rate of tax (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess)
(h) Amount of tax payable in respect of taxable goods or services (central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union territory tax or cess)
(i) Place of supply along with the name of State and its code, in case of a supply in the course of inter-State trade or commerce
(j) Signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative.

Revised tax invoice and credit or debit notes

(A revised tax invoice referred to in section 31 and credit or debit note referred to in section 34 shall contain the following particulars –

(a) The word “Revised Invoice”, wherever applicable, indicated prominently
(b) Name, address and GSTIN of the supplier
(c) Nature of the document
(d) A consecutive serial number not exceeding sixteen characters, in one or multiple series, containing alphabets or numerals or special characters -hyphen or dash and slash symbolized as “-” and “/”respectively,, and any combination thereof, unique for a financial year
(e) Date of issue of the document
(f) Name, address and GSTIN or UIN, if registered, of the recipient
(g) Name and address of the recipient and the address of delivery, along with the name of State and its code, if such recipient is un-registered
(h) Serial number and date of the corresponding tax invoice or, as the case may be, Bill of supply
(i) Value of taxable supply of goods or services, the rate of tax and the amount of the tax credited or, as the case may be, debited to the recipient
(j) Signature or digital signature of the supplier or his authorized representative

Continuous Supply of Goods

In a case of continuous supply of goods, where successive statements of accounts or successive payments are involved, the invoice shall be issued before or at the time each such statement is issued or, as the case may be, each such payment is received.

Continuous Supply of Services

In a case of continuous supply of services

(a) Where the due date of payment is ascertainable from the contract, the invoice shall be issued on or before the due date of payment.
(b) Where the due date of payment is not ascertainable from the contract, the invoice shall be issued before or at the time when the supplier of service receives the payment.
(c) Where the payment is linked to the completion of an event, the invoice shall be issued on or before the date of completion of that event.

Sale on Approval Basis

Where the goods being sent or taken on approval for sale or return are removed before the supply takes place, the
invoice shall be issued before or at the time of supply or six months from the date of removal, whichever is earlier.

Transportation of goods through Delivery Challan

(1) For the purposes of

(a) Supply of liquid gas where the quantity at the time of removal from the place of business of the supplier is not known
(b) Transportation of goods for job work
(c) Transportation of goods for reasons other than by ay of supply
(d) Such other supplies as may be notified by the Board

the consigner may issue a delivery challan, serially numbered not exceeding sixteen characters, in one or multiple series, instead of invoice at the time of removal of goods for transportation, containing the following details:

(i) Date and number of the delivery challan
(ii) Name, address and GSTIN of the consigner, if registered
(iii) Name, address and GSTIN or UIN of the consignee, if registered
(iv) HSN code and description of goods
(v) Quantity (provisional, where the exact quantity being supplied is not known)
(vi) Taxable value
(vii) Tax rate and tax amount – central tax, State tax, integrated tax, Union Territory tax or cess, where the transportation is for supply to the consignee
(viii) Place of supply, in case of inter-State movement
(ix) Signature

(2) The delivery challan shall be prepared in triplicate, in case of supply of goods, in the following manner:–

(a) Original copy being marked as ORIGINAL FOR CONSIGNEE
(b) Duplicate copy being marked as DUPLICATE FOR TRANSPORTER
(c) Triplicate copy being marked as TRIPLICATE FOR CONSIGNOR

(3) Where goods are being transported on a delivery challan in lieu of invoice, the same shall be declared in E-way bill.

(4) Where the goods being transported are for the purpose of supply to the recipient, but the tax invoice could not be issued at the time of removal of goods for the purpose of supply, the supplier shall issue a tax invoice after delivery of goods.

(5) Where the goods are being transported in a semi-knocked down or completely knocked down condition,

(a) The supplier shall issue the complete invoice before dispatch of the first consignment
(b) The supplier shall issue a delivery challan for each of the subsequent consignments, giving reference of the invoice
(c) Each consignment shall be accompanied by copies of the corresponding delivery challan along with a duly certified copy of the invoice
(d) The original copy of the invoice shall be sent along with the last consignment

Additional Information to be contained by Transporter in his Tax Invoice

When a transporter is supplying services of transportation by goods then such additional information are also required to be included in tax invoice

  • Gross weight
  • Name of consignor and consignee
  • Registration number of vehicle
  • Details of goods
  • Place of origin and destination
  • GSTIN of person liable for paying tax

Next Chapter – Input Tax Credit

Previous Chapter – Composition Scheme

Complete Guide – Beginner’s Guide to GST

Confused about complicated laws? Take our GST consultation services to get your issues solved from GST experts. Click here to know more.

Read More Articles

Section 44ADA – Presumptive Taxation Scheme for Professionals

From financial year 2016-17, a new Section 44ADA is introduced for presumptive income for professionals. This section is similar to section 44AD for traders. Under this section professionals such as legal, medical, engineering, architect, accountancy, technical consultancy, interior decoration or any

Read Article »

Registration Under GST

Topic Covered in this Article Persons required to register compulsorily Documents Required for Registration Fees for Registration Voluntary Registration Time Limit for Registration Effective Date of Registration Requirements for Registration Can a person take more than one GSTIN Things that

Read Article »

GST on Import

Article 269A of constitution mandates that import of goods or services in India is considered as Inter-state trade. Therefore, import of goods or services is considered as interstate supply and is liable for payment of IGST. IGST on the import

Read Article »

Table of Contents

Subscribe

We will send updates relating to GST only

(No spam, you can unsubscribe anytime)