Do I need GST registration?
Turnover is only one of the tests, and it is not the one that catches most people. Compulsory registration under section 24 overrides the threshold entirely — inter-state supply of goods, e-commerce, reverse charge and agency all trigger it from the first rupee. Answer these and find out where you actually stand.
Your situation
The two tests that decide this
Section 22 sets the turnover threshold. Section 24 lists the categories where registration is compulsory notwithstanding section 22 — meaning the threshold does not help you. Almost every registration dispute we see comes from someone who checked the turnover limit and stopped there.
Threshold under section 22
| Category of state | Goods | Services |
|---|---|---|
| Normal states — including Rajasthan | ₹40 lakh | ₹20 lakh |
| Arunachal, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Telangana | ₹20 lakh | ₹20 lakh |
| Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura | ₹10 lakh | ₹10 lakh |
If you supply both goods and services and any part of the supply is services, the lower services threshold governs the whole business.
Compulsory registration under section 24
No threshold applies to any of these: inter-state taxable supply of goods; casual taxable persons; persons liable under reverse charge; e-commerce operators required to collect tax at source; persons supplying goods through an e-commerce operator; non-resident taxable persons; persons required to deduct tax under section 51; agents supplying on behalf of another taxable person; input service distributors; and OIDAR suppliers from outside India.
Documents you will need
| Constitution | Documents |
|---|---|
| Proprietorship | PAN and Aadhaar of the proprietor, photograph, bank proof, proof of principal place of business |
| Partnership / LLP | Partnership deed or LLP agreement, PAN of the firm, PAN and Aadhaar of partners, photographs, authorisation letter, bank proof, address proof |
| Private limited / OPC | Certificate of incorporation, MOA and AOA, PAN of the company, PAN and Aadhaar of directors, board resolution, DSC of the authorised signatory, bank proof, address proof |
Proof of place of business means the latest electricity bill, municipal khata or property tax receipt if the premises are owned; a rent agreement together with the owner's ownership proof and a no-objection letter if rented. Aadhaar authentication of the authorised signatory speeds approval considerably — without it, physical verification of the premises is likely.
What happens after you register
Registration is the beginning of an obligation, not the end of one. A regular taxpayer files GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B every month or quarter, whether or not there is any business activity, and a nil return filed late still attracts a fee. Under the composition scheme — available up to ₹1.5 crore for goods and ₹50 lakh for services — you file CMP-08 quarterly and GSTR-4 annually, pay a flat rate, and cannot claim input credit or make inter-state outward supplies.
Common questions
What is the turnover limit for GST registration?
For a supplier of goods the threshold is ₹40 lakh of aggregate turnover in most states, and ₹20 lakh in the special category states. For a supplier of services it is ₹20 lakh, and ₹10 lakh in the special category states. Rajasthan is a normal category state, so a goods trader in Jaipur crosses at ₹40 lakh and a service provider at ₹20 lakh.
Do I need GST registration for inter-state sales?
For goods, yes — inter-state supply triggers compulsory registration under section 24 regardless of turnover. For services there is an exemption: a service provider making inter-state supplies is still covered by the ₹20 lakh threshold under Notification 10/2017-Integrated Tax. This distinction catches out a lot of freelancers and consultants who register unnecessarily.
Do I need GST if I sell on Amazon, Flipkart or Meesho?
If you sell goods through an e-commerce operator you need registration from the first rupee — there is no threshold. For services supplied through an e-commerce operator the position is narrower, and suppliers of certain notified services under section 9(5) are exempt because the operator pays the tax. Check your specific category before registering.
What is aggregate turnover?
All taxable supplies, exempt supplies, exports and inter-state supplies of persons with the same PAN, computed on an all-India basis. It excludes inward supplies on reverse charge and the taxes themselves. The all-India, same-PAN basis is what people miss — two small businesses under one PAN are added together.
Should I register voluntarily if I am below the limit?
Voluntary registration makes sense when your customers are registered businesses who need input credit, when you have significant input tax to recover, or when you are bidding for work that requires a GSTIN. It is a poor idea if you sell mainly to consumers and buy little — you take on monthly filing obligations and late-fee exposure for no commercial gain.
Have a professional check this
Send us what the tool showed you. We will tell you what the position actually is, and what it would cost to deal with, before you commit to anything.
Registration, done properly
₹1,499 including the application, document vetting and follow-up on any query raised by the officer. Government fee is nil. Most approvals come through in three to seven working days where Aadhaar authentication succeeds.
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