Registration Applicability:
With respect to GST law, the requirement is that: any business who aggregate annual turnover exceeds the prescribed threshold limit, must register.
Reason for having this threshold:
It helps small businesses avoid compliance burden until they reach certain size.
What do you mean by Threshold limit?
In GST, threshold means, the minimum annual turnover limit a business must cross for the GST registration to become compulsory applicable for that business. This threshold limit is set under Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act, 2017 and corresponding State GST Acts.
The Threshold is tabulated as below:
| Business nature | TL for Normal States | TL for Special Category States |
|---|---|---|
| Supply of goods | 40 Lakhs | 20 Lakhs |
| Provision of service | 20 Lakhs | 10 Lakhs |
Crossing the threshold = mandatory GST registration.
What are Special Category States:
Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, (MMM) Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura, (NAST), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand. (HU)
When was the last change in threshold limit?
The last change in GST registration threshold limits was made in the 32nd GST Council meeting on 10 January 2019, when the limit for Goods was raised to ₹40 lakh (₹20 lakh for special states). Since then, no further changes have been made.
Key Points of this Registration requirement:
- Mandatory Registration: Businesses crossing the prescribed turnover limits must register under GST.
- Voluntary Registration: Even if turnover is below the threshold, businesses can opt for voluntary GST registration to avail their ITC available and expand business reach.
- Exemptions to Registration: Certain businesses like those dealing exclusively in exempt goods/services, may not need registration, even if turnover exceeds the limit.
- Composition Scheme: Small businesses that are engaged in goods supply with turnover up to ₹ 1.5 crore (₹ 75 lakh in special states) and engaged in provision of service with turnover up to 50 Lakh (Same limit applies to SCS also), can opt for the composition scheme paying tax at a lower fixed rate but without ITC benefits.
- Interstate Supply: Service providers making interstate supplies across state borders must register even if turnover is below the threshold.
- Importers and Exporters: GST registration is compulsary for business involved in import/export, regardless of turnover.
- Casual taxable persons: Those who occasionally supply goods/ services in different states where they do not have a fixed place of business through events like in Trade fairs, exhibitions etc are also mandatorily required to get themselved registered.
- Non‑Resident Taxable Person: Refers to an Individual occasionally involved in making taxable supply of goods/services in India, in whatever capacity whether as agent or otherwise AND without a fixed place of business or residence in India. They have to compulsorily get registered, irrespective of their turnover. But their registration has limited period validity only.
- E-commerce Sellers: E-commerce sellers must register for GST regardless of turnover, since platforms require GSTIN.
- Reverse Charge Mechanism: Businesses that are liable to pay tax under RCM must get registered irrespective of turnover, because in RCM cases it is the recipient of goods/services that is liable to settle the tax liability and not the supplier/provider of service, hence the requirement to get registered.
- Input Service Distributors: Entities / Central office located elsewhere but receives invoices on common input services used by its branches and distributing the ITC to their branches, must mandatorily get seperate registration as Input Service Distributor (ISD).
It is pertinent to noet that the central office must obtain a separate GST registration specifically as an ISD, even if it already has a normal GST registration.