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Published on:

November 6, 2025

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Basics of GST

GSTR 9 Means: Meaning, Purpose & Filing Process

GSTR-9, the annual GST return is complete summary of the business GST activity t helps check that all taxes, sales, purchases, and input tax credits (ITC) are recorded correctly and its must requirement whose annual turnover exceed Rs 2 Crore so its very important to accurately fill GSTR-9 and as Once the return is filed, it's final and cannot be edited In this article, you’ll learn why GSTR-9 is important, the things required to file GSTR-9 and the simple steps to submit it online and also it talks about penalty for late filing GSTR-9 so you can stay organized and careful.

Meaning of GSTR 9

GST-9 is an annual GST return that every regular taxpayer is required to file once per financial year. This includes individuals or businesses that file regular GST returns, such as GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B, particularly those with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 2 Crore during the financial year, as well as SEZ units and SEZ developers.

In return, the taxpayer has to give all details like sales, purchases, input tax credit (ITC), details of tax paid ( IGST, CGST, SGST, cess ), and an HSN-wise summary of goods and services, refunds claimed made during the financial year and tax adjustments that belong to the previous financial year but were declared in the current year, and late fees and penalties.

The Annual return does not have to be filed by casual taxpayers, non-resident taxpayers, Input Service Distributors (ISD), or OIDAR services providers.

Purpose of GSTR 9

Annual summary: It is an annual return that includes all GST returns filed by the taxpayer during the financial year.

Government tracking: It helps the government check if the taxpayers are properly following GST laws.

Accurate Record Keeping: Filing GSTR-9 ensures that businesses maintain correct records of all their GST transactions.

Input Tax credit: Filing on time helps businesses claim their input tax credit without any problems.

Prevents Penalties: Submitting GSTR-9 on time helps avoid late fees

Increases Financial Planning: Proper reporting increases business transparency, allowing for effective budgeting and forecasting for the business.

Things You Need Before Filing GSTR-9

Before you file your GSTR-9 form, make sure you have these things ready:

You must be registered under GST as a regular taxpayer, even if it was just for one day during the financial year

Match data from GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2A, GSTR-2B, books of accounts, and E-way bills to ensure all details are correct and consistent

You should have already filed GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B for that financial year.

Table 6A will be automatically filled from your GSTR-3B and cannot be changed.

Table 8A will automatically be filled from your GSTR-2A and cannot be edited

Table 9 (tax details) will also be auto-filled from your GSTR-3B. The parts showing tax paid through cash or ITC cannot be changed.

Note: Using an automated reconciliation solution helps make sure all the details in your filed returns match to avoid last-minute stress while filing your GSTR-9.

Suggested read on Should you file GSTR1 before GSTR-3B?

Process for filing GSTR 9

Below are the steps on how to file GSTR 9 online:

Step 1: Log in and open GSTR 9

After that, select the financial year, eg, 25-26 and click prepare online

Step 2: Nil Return Option

Choose whether you want to file a Nil Return for the financial year by clicking ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
Select ‘Yes’ only if you did not make any sales, did not receive any goods or services, did not claim any input Tax credit(ITC) or refund, have no other tax liability, did not get any demand order and do not have to pay any late fees.

If you choose yes, click next to compute liabilities and file a nil GSTR 9, and if you choose no, click next, and the page ‘GSTR-9 Annual Return for Normal Taxpayers’ will appear.

Step 3: Filling in the details

On the GSTR-9 Annual return for normal taxpayers page, different titles will appear. Click on each title and fill in the required information. Download and check the GSTR-9 System Computed Summary, GSTR-1 Summary, and GSTR-3B Summary, Table 8A document details. Some data will be auto-filled based on GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B. If there is a ±20% difference, the cell will be highlighted. Click ‘Yes’ on the confirmation message to accept the data.

Step 4: Preview GSTR-9

You can preview the draft in PDF or Excel by clicking Preview GSTR-9
(PDF) or Preview GSTR-9(Excel).Download the draft and review it carefully. If any changes are needed, make the edits online and check the draft again.

Step 5: Compute Liabilities and Late Fees

Click Compute Liabilities to let the portal calculate any tax due or late fees. Pay the amount using your Electronic Cash Ledger. If the balance is not enough, make the extra payment through Net Banking, NEFT/RTGS, or Over the Counter by creating a challan.

Step 6: Filling with the DSC/EVC

Select the declaration checkbox and choose the Authorised Signatory, then click ‘FILE GSTR-9’. The button works only if no extra cash is needed for late fees, you have reviewed the draft, and selected the signatory. You can file with DSC by selecting the digital signature certificate, or file with EVC by entering the OTP sent to your registered email and mobile. After validation, the return status changes to ‘Filed’.

After filling GSTR-9 successfully, you will get an acknowledgement reference number (ARN), confirmation message by SMS and email, and you can download your filed GSTR-9 anytime in PDF or Excel format from the GST portal.

Penalty for late filing of GSTR-9

If the taxpayer files their GSTR-9 Annual return after the due date, they must pay a late fee under both CGST and SGST laws.

‍For turnover up to Rs 5 crore

You’ll be charged Rs 50 per day (₹25 under CGST + ₹25 under SGST)

The total penalty can’t go beyond 0.04% of the turnover in the State/UT, which is 0.02% each under CGST and SGST

For turnover between 5 crore and 20 crore

You’ll be charged Rs 100 per day (₹50 under CGST + ₹50 under SGST)

The total penalty can’t go beyond 0.04% of the turnover in the State/UT, which is 0.02% each under CGST and SGST

For turnover exceeding Rs 20 Crore

You’ll be charged Rs 200 per day (₹100 under CGST + ₹100 under SGST)

The total penalty can’t go beyond 0.50% of the turnover in the State/UT, which is 0.25% each under CGST and SGST.

Conclusion

Filling GSTR-9 on time is important to stay GST compliant and avoid fines.It helps businesses keep accurate records, claim ITC smoothly, and be ready for audits.By following the proper steps of filling GSTR-9, businesses can file their annual return confidently and without hassle.

Recommended reading on the checklist for GSTR-9, GSTR-9A and GSTR-9C

FAQs

Q1: What is the minimum turnover required for filing GSTR-9?

Businesses with a turnover of more than ₹2 crore are required to file GSTR-9, and turnover below ₹2 crore, filing is optional.

Q2: Who all are not required to file GSTR-9?

The Annual return does not have to be filed by casual taxpayers, non-resident taxpayers, Input Service Distributors (ISD), or OIDAR service providers.