The concept of returns under GST saw magnanimous launch 3 years ago in 2017 ---- fumbled all it’s way throughout and landed on a seemingly middle ground abridged version of return filing which was originally considered only as a makeshift mechanism and unfortunately become the only functional modus SO back to basics. There are two types of returns under GST: 1. Ones that you file (i.e.) you prepare the return on the basis of your sales your purchases your bills receivables and payables and you file the return. 2. Second is the returns that get auto-drafted – commonly termed as “auto-populated”. You don’t prepare these returns. They get prepared by the system from the data of all tax payers who have filed their returns. So everyone files their returns and these get auto-drafted. Fortunately or unfortunately of this kind – we don’t have many. There were supposed to be but aren’t any. All in all there are 11 returns under GST: starting from GSTR-01 to GSTR-11. 1. GSTR-01: GSTR-01 is a return of outward supplies. GSTR-01 is a return of sales. Whatever has happened on your sales front in a given month – you have to show it in this GSTR-01 return. GSTR-01 is normally due on 11th of next month. small tax payers with aggregate turnover of less than Rs. 1.5 crore, the government has provided them the option to file this GSTR-01: quarterly you don’t pay any taxes through this GSTR-01. So it does not lead to any tax / cash outflow from you 2. The next in sequence is GSTR-2 & GSTR-3: These two non existent 3. GSTR-3B: Singularly the most crucial returns under GST. it involves tax payment. This is a return that every registered person has to file. This return was originally introduced as a abridged return / temporary make shift return but has assumed unparalleled significance. we to file it because we has to pay the GST liability payment happens though filing this GSTR-3B. Every person who is registered under GST has to file this GSTR-3B so that he pays to the government the GST that he has collected from his customers. This GSTR-3B return is due on 20th of every month. 4. GSTR-4: Is a return to be filed by composition tax payers. They do not have to file GSTR-01 / GSTR-3B. It is sufficient if they file GSTR-04 return. All composition tax payers filed GSTR-04 once in every three months for the first two years. From FY 2019-20 this GSTR-04 return is made annual. Composition tax payers has to pay their taxes every quarter through a challan in form CMP-08. So tax payment every quarter but return filing is annual. 5. GSTR-05: This return is to be filed by non-resident tax payers (i.e.) people who come into India temporarily to do business in India. 6. GSTR-06: There is concept of input service distribution and credits on common input services received across various branches. This return is applicable if you have more than one GST registration. Through this GSTR-06 return – credits on common input services consumed by all your GST registrations has to be distributed. Due to be filed every month by 13th. 7. GSTR-07: Through this return – GST TDS deductions made are paid to the government. Due to be filed every month by 10th. 8. GSTR-08: Now that the nation is moving towards online business – e-commerce and all – there may a come a time when this GSTR-08 would attain the status of being mainstream. It is applicable only to e-commerce operators. So they pay the GST TCS collected on sales made through them to government through this return form. Again due on 10th of every month. 9. GSTR-09: Annual return to be filed by tax payers with turnover of more than 2 crores. It has to be filed only once a year and its very very lengthy because we have to summarize all transactions for one whole year and report it here. So this return is quite a task. 10. GSTR-10: Final return under GST – to those tax payers who surrender / cancel their GST registration – this final return has to be filed by them within 3 months of cancellation and bid bye bye to GST. 11. GSTR-11: Return to be filed by persons holding UIN. some boards, government, UN bodies etc get a unique identification number under GST instead of a regular GST registration number.