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Published on:

June 12, 2025

Alankar Mishra

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Basics of GST

New GSTR-1 Filing Rules: HSN & Document Summary Now Mandatory from May 2025

On May 1, 2025, the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) released a pivotal advisory introducing the New GSTR-1 Filing Rules that significantly impact how Indian taxpayers file their returns. Effective from the May 2025 return period, the advisory enforces stricter compliance requirements, particularly in Table 12 (HSN code reporting) and Table 13 (document summary reporting). These updates apply to both small and large businesses and are aimed at improving data accuracy, validation consistency, and audit readiness. For many taxpayers, especially those struggling with evolving GST validations, these new rules mark a crucial shift in monthly return preparation.

Why the Advisory Matters

The Government of India has consistently pushed for enhanced data accuracy and digital compliance under GST. With the increasing reliance on automation, analytics, and AI in tax administration, these recent GSTR-1 changes are part of a broader push for clean, structured, and machine-readable invoice data.

GSTR-1 is a monthly or quarterly statement of outward supplies. Tables 12 and 13 hold crucial importance because they include HSN-wise supply details and a complete summary of issued documents, respectively. Any errors here directly impact auto-population in GSTR-2A/2B and downstream filings.

Background of GSTR-1 Table 12 and 13 Changes

The journey toward mandatory HSN code compliance started with Notification No. 78/2020 – Central Tax, dated October 15, 2020. Since then, the implementation has occurred in three distinct phases:

Phase 1: Voluntary HSN Reporting

In the initial phase, businesses were encouraged to report HSN codes, but there were no enforcement checks.

Phase 2: Mandatory HSN from Nov 1, 2022

1. Taxpayers with Aggregate Annual Turnover (AATO) up to ₹5 crore: 4-digit HSN mandatory.

2. AATO above ₹5 crore: 6-digit HSN mandatory.

3. Manual entries were allowed, but generated warning alerts.

Phase 3: Stricter Mandates from May 2025

This is where the real shift happens — no more manual entries, separate bifurcation of B2B and B2C, and mandatory reporting in Table 13.

Table 12: New HSN Code Rules Explained

Key Changes in Table 12:

1. Manual entry disallowed: All HSN codes must be selected via the dropdown. This prevents errors, typos, or fake code entries.

2. Bifurcation of supplies: B2B and B2C invoices must be declared under their separate tabs within Table 12.

3. Auto-filled description: Upon selecting an HSN code, the system will auto-populate the item description as per the HSN master in a dedicated field.

Who Must Report and What Level of HSN:

1. AATO up to ₹5 crore: 4-digit HSN required

2. AATO above ₹5 crore: 6-digit HSN required

These changes enhance data transparency and improve the GSTN’s ability to reconcile supplier and buyer invoices automatically.

Table 13: Mandatory Document Summary from May 2025

Table 13 records a consolidated summary of various documents issued by the taxpayer during the tax period. This includes:

1. Invoices

2. Credit Notes

3. Debit Notes

4. Revised Invoices

Key Advisory Updates:

1. Now compulsory for all taxpayers from May 2025.

2. Validation linked: If Table 13 is left blank or incorrectly filled, GSTR-1 will be rejected during submission.

3. Comprehensive check: The system now validates if the number of documents matches the number of entries uploaded in the corresponding tables.

Comparative Table: Phase 2 vs. Phase 3

Feature

Phase 2 (Nov 2022)

Phase 3 (May 2025)

AATO up to ₹5 Cr

4-digit HSN (manual allowed)

4-digit HSN (dropdown only)

AATO above ₹5 Cr

6-digit HSN (manual allowed)

6-digit HSN (dropdown only)

Manual Entry

Allowed with warnings

Not allowed

Validation

Soft alerts only

Alerts + auto-description

Filing with Manual Entry

Yes

No (must select from dropdown)

System Validations Introduced in Phase 3

GSTN has enhanced backend validations to reduce mismatches and enforce structured data reporting. Here’s what’s new:

Validation Areas:

1. B2B Supply Validation: Table 12 (B2B) values will now be cross-verified against:
Tables 4A, 4B, 6B, 6C, 8 (registered), 9A/B/C (registered), and 15A (registered).

2. B2C Supply Validation: Table 12 (B2C) values will be compared with:
Tables 5A, 6A, 7A/B, 8 (unregistered), 9A/B/C (unregistered), 10, and 15A (unregistered).

3. Amendments: Only differential values will be checked in amended invoice filings.

4. Filing Alerts: The system currently provides warnings only, not hard errors. But warnings must be addressed to proceed.

5. Mandatory B2B Tab Use: If a GSTR-1 contains B2B invoices, the Table 12 B2B section must not be left blank.

Enhancements in Table 12 – Portal Upgrades

GSTN has also rolled out several user-focused enhancements that simplify filing:

1. Split Tabs: Separate B2B and B2C tables for better clarity.

2. HSN Code List Download: Taxpayers can now download valid HSN codes from the portal to avoid errors.

3. Smart Product Master Search: The “My Master” feature enables auto-filling of HSN code, UQC, and quantity fields with product names, reducing manual typing.

What Taxpayers Must Now Do

To stay compliant and avoid future penalties or late fees, businesses must:

1. Select HSN from the dropdown only, no typing.

2. Fill B2B and B2C separately in Table 12; accurate bifurcation is key.

3. Ensure Table 13 is complete, covering all document types issued.

4. Review and reconcile outward supplies monthly to detect mismatches early.

5. Avoid bulk uploads with manual HSNs; the system will reject such entries going forward.

Conclusion

The May 2025 advisory from GSTN is not just an incremental change — it is a major leap toward complete automation and audit-readiness in India's indirect tax ecosystem. While the stricter validations may initially seem like a burden, they ultimately promote cleaner data, faster reconciliations, and better input credit claims.

By adopting compliant software, training staff, and staying updated with GST advisories, businesses can turn this challenge into an opportunity for smoother operations and improved compliance ratings.

FAQs

1. What is the new GSTR-1 Table 12 rule from May 2025?

From May 2025, taxpayers must select HSN codes from a dropdown list in Table 12. Manual entry is no longer allowed. B2B and B2C supplies must be reported separately.

2. Who needs to report 6-digit HSN codes?

Taxpayers with an Aggregate Annual Turnover (AATO) above ₹5 crore are required to report a minimum 6-digit HSN code for each outward supply.

3. What changes have been made in Table 13 of GSTR-1?

Table 13 (Document Summary) is now mandatory for all taxpayers. It includes a summary of invoices, credit notes, debit notes, and revised invoices issued during the return period.