How Easy is it to File GSTR9 Using GST Billing Software and Who Needs to File it?

0 Shares

Filing GST Return forms online seem quite easy as a prospect. While GST Portal provides complete guidance and a user-friendly platform to file monthly and annual returns forms like GSTR9, there are a few things you must do to fill it precisely. The details provided in the form once filled cannot be edited, so you have to make sure that you fill every detail accurately.

Managing business, payments, buyer and seller relations, marketing, etc. is already a huge task for every business owner. Couple that with the pressure of filing accurate details in the monthly and annual GST returns forms and you are already in a messy situation. GST Billing Softwares are a savior for every business in such a situation.

Who needs to file GSTR9?

GSTR9 is the annual returns form that is to be filed by taxpayers registered under GST. The document contains details of supplies made, purchases, turnover details and audits under all the three types of GST, i.e. CGST, SGST and IGST. GSTR9 is like a culmination of all the details filled in the monthly return forms GSTR1, GSTR2 and GSTR3.

There are 3 cases in which a taxpayer registered under GST has to file GSTR9:

Every normal taxpayer registered under GST who files monthly return forms, including the SEZ units
The businesses that were previously registered under the Composition scheme but opted out of it in the middle of the year. If they continue to be registered under GST, they will have to file GSTR9.

The businesses that were registered under VAT but transitioned to GST.

Who doesn’t need to file GSTR9?

Taxpayers who enrolled for the Composition Scheme under GST(They need to file GSTR9-A).
Input Service Distributors (ISD) don’t have to file the Annual Returns form.
Casual Taxable Person, defined as someone who does business in a taxable territory but doesn’t have a permanent place. These are usually agents or middlemen.
Non-resident taxpayers who carry out business transactions outside of India.
Taxpayers deducting TDS u/s 51 or u/s 52

Eligibility of filing GSTR9

Taxpayers have to fulfill the minimum criteria to be eligible to file GSTR9:

The taxpayer must be registered as a normal taxpayer under GST for at least one day in the financial year.
The taxpayer should have filed GSTR-1 as well as GSTR-3B to be eligible to file GSTR9 as the details mentioned in the Annual Returns form are forwarded from the previous monthly return forms.

What is a GST Billing Software?

As discussed earlier, filing GST Return forms is a difficult task to manage, and many businesses shell out huge sums of money to Chartered Accountants to fill up these forms and regulate their GST invoices. Small businesses though find it difficult to pay CAs and opt to file the returns themselves.

Filing GST Return forms is a tedious and time-taking task. GST Billing Softwares are providing a viable solution that helps you manage your GST records and fill forms automatically based on your transactions. Humans can commit mistakes, but software cannot. GST Billing Software enables you to create an accurate GST invoice in a matter of seconds.

How to file GSTR9 using GST Billing Software?

GST Billing Softwares make filing the GST Annual Return form quick and easy. These software applications efficiently calculate data, autofill forms and provide an easy to use interface to analyze your records. Filing the Annual Returns form using GST Billing Software is much easier than actually filing it manually over GST Portal.

You first have to enter all the details in the form either manually, or you can choose to import the details from monthly filled returns forms, GSTR1, GSTR2, GSTR2A or GSTR3B
You can also choose to import a JSON file from the GST Portal which has all the records of the details you are going to fill.
It would help if you only opted to manually enter the details in GST Billing Software when you have corrections in invoices filed in the monthly return forms over the financial year.
When opting for auto-filling the form by importing details from GSTR1/GSTR2/GSTR2A or GSTR3B, you should have filled these monthly returns from the GST Billing Software in the previous months.
You can choose from auto-filling details for either the currently selected section or all the sections. The entries are editable so you can make the corrections noted in any of the previous months. Select the current section option if you just want to import for one section like Category 4 for inward and outward supplies using GST Billing Software.
You can also import all the details from the GST Portal by downloading and importing the JSON file obtained from GST Portal.

Using these software applications also helps you undo any changes previously made mistakenly as long as you are editing. They keep a record of previous values.

How to choose the right GST Billing Software?

A good billing software needs to have a few basic features that actually make it worth your time and money. An error-ridden software will only compound your problems. Choosing the right software is as important a task as filling the details precisely since you don’t want to lose your data through a software error.

Up-to-Date

The software shouldn’t show old methods or records. As the GST Bill amends over time, your software should comply with any new rules or changes. Using old software makes your experience lethargic and prone to errors. The software should be well designed, abide by the latest laws and safety standards.

Designed for Small Scale Businesses

You want to spend more time in actually carrying out your business efficiently rather than wasting time over filing tax returns. The software should be equipped to fill all the details of GSTR forms, invoices and help small scale businesses invest time in expansion.

User-Friendly

Complicated software that is difficult to use for the layman is as imprudent an idea as building a 20-floor building without a lift. Everyone should easily understand and reach where they want to, as the software is there to ease the work and not increase stress.