New Functionalities enabled on GST Portal during the month of April 2021

New Functionalities enabled on GST Portal during the month of April 2021

Change and improvements are the main reasons for success of any reform or product and the same is being adopted by the GSTN. It is goods to note that GSTN is coming up with new features day in day out and enabling the taxpayers to have seamless experience. These new features will definitely improve the user experience as well as improve the efficiency of compliances and minimizing the errors.

Let’s discuss about the new features/functionalities released by GSTN during the month of April 2021

Auto Generation of Form GSTR – 2B for QRMP (Quarterly Returns Monthly Payment) Taxpayers  

For availing input tax credit matching as per Rule 69 of the CGST Rules is to be carried out based on the taxpayers Purchase Register and data auto populated in From GSTR – 2B based on the suppliers filing of Form GSTR – 1 or IFF (Invoice Furnishing Facility). The QRMP Tax payers have also to do matching and for that Form GSTR – 2B is the basis and now the same is made available to the those taxpayers

  1. Taxpayers can now view and download their system generated Quarterly Form GSTR-2B, for Jan-March, 2021 quarter, by clicking on Auto-drafted ITC statement for the quarter on 14th April, 2021, by selecting the last month of the quarter (M3).
  2. Form GSTR-2B contains details of filed IFFs (for Month M1 & M2) & filed Form GSTR 1 (for Month M3). Form GSTR 2B has two sections of ITC i.e. ITC available and ITC not available (which flows from the supplier’s filed IFF & Form GSTR-1, imports etc.). It also contains tax liability of the taxpayer (which flows from the taxpayers own filed IFF & Form GSTR-1).
  3. The default view of Form GSTR-2B is quarterly. However to view Form GSTR-2B of a particular month (M1, M2 or M3), taxpayer has an option to select appropriate month, from the view drop-down to view that month’s data.
  4. A hyperlink ‘View advisory’ has also been provided, which on clicking displays the criteria/ cut-off dates considered for generation of quarterly GSTR-2B, as a pop-up, with details of Supplies from/type i.e. Monthly taxpayer, Taxpayer in QRMP Scheme, NRTP, ISD & Import from Overseas/SEZs, and ‘From
  • Offline Matching Tool enabled for QRMP Taxpayers

Matching of taxpayers purchase register and data based on the filing of Suppliers Form GSTR – 1 or IFF is an time consuming and complex activity as the taxpayers will many transactions during the return filing period. Automation is the need as it will avoid the user errors and saves time and efforts. Some taxpayers cannot afford investments on technology and for such taxpayers the GSTN has provided an offline utility for matching. With the rollout of QRMP scheme, now the same utility is being made available to the QRMP taxpayers also.

  1. The Matching Offline Tool has been updated and now taxpayers under QRMP Scheme will also be able to use it.
  2. The system generated Form GSTR-2B JSON file can be used for matching details, as available with them in their purchase register, using the updated Matching Offline Tool.
  3. Taxpayers under QRMP Scheme can now navigate to Services > Returns > Returns Dashboard, select the Financial Year and Return Filing Period > SEARCH and click on Download button on Auto – drafted ITC Statement – GSTR -2B tile to download system generated Form GSTR-2B JSON file, for opening and matching it in the matching tool.
  4. In the Matching tool dashboard page, an option to select the quarter has been provided and in the purchase register, quarters Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct Dec and Jan-Mar have been added as the tax periods.
  • Auto-population of ITC data in Form GSTR – 3B for QRMP taxpayers

The success of any product or service will depend on the ease of its operations and usage it and providing auto population of data is another key element for return filing.  Reconciliations or error occur when there is data entry. Form GSTR – 3B being a  business critical return, the accuracy in filing of it is the need of the hour and similar to regular taxpayer the Input tax credit data is now being auto populated for QRMP Taxpayers also.

  1. Figures of ITC available and ITC to be reversed, will now be auto-populated in Table 4 of Form GSTR-3B of the taxpayers under QRMP scheme, from their system generated quarterly Form GSTR-2B.
  2. On the GSTR-3B dashboard page, an additional button ‘System computed GSTR-3B’ has also been provided, by clicking which system computed Form GSTR-3B can be downloaded in PDF format.
  3. Taxpayer under QRMP scheme can edit the auto-drafted values as per their records and save the updated details in their Form GSTR-3B. The system will show a warning message to taxpayers in case ITC available is increased by more than 5% or ITC to be reversed is reduced even partially, by them. However, the system will not stop the filing of Form GSTR-3B in these cases.
  • Auto-population of Liability data in Form GSTR – 3B for QRMP taxpayers

Similar to input tax credit, the data related to the tax liability to the be discharged by the QRMP taxpayers will be auto populated in Form GSTR – 3B

Liability in Table-3 (except 3.1(d)) of Form GSTR-3B, for the taxpayers under QRMP Scheme, will now be auto-populated on the basis of Filed quarterly Form GSTR-1 (of Month 3) and Filed IFF (of Month 1 & 2). Liability of table 3.1 (d) is auto populated from the filer’s Form GSTR 2B.

Note: Data saved/ submitted in Form GSTR-1 or in IFF, will not be auto-populated as Liability, in Table-3 of Form GSTR 3B

  • Generation of From GSTR – 11 based on From GSTR – 1 and GSTR – 5

Entities and organizations which are falling part of the Geneva Convention or as notified by commissioner from time to time have to the take registration under UIN scheme. The main idea of having a different registration number and basis on that they can claim refund on taxes paid by them for their purchases. These organizations are not required to pay taxes as part of the treaty and they are exempted but in GST as exemptions are very limited or restriced they are provided with refund mechanism and for that they have file From GSTR – 11. Now for these taxpayers also based on the suppliers GSTR – 1 or GSTR – 5, the data is auto populated.

UIN holders are required to file details of purchases (inward supplies) in their Form GSTR-11. Now their Form GSTR-11 will be generated on the basis of Form GSTR-1 & Form GSTR-5, filed by their supplier taxpayers. This will facilitate UIN holder’s in filing their refund claim

Frequently Asked Question on e-invoicing

Q: Purpose of the API

Ans: To get invoices uploaded in IRP and their status of auto population in GSTTR1. Even if you change any value in GSTR1 for auto populated invoice, this API will always return data uploaded in IRP.

Q: If GET E Invoice API is used to pull the data from e Invoice (IRP portal) whether it will auto populated into GSTR 1 or ASP should get the data into system and do another action with Save GSTR 1

Ans: GST System is fetching this data and also auto populating it in GSTR1. This API is returning data fetched by GST System from IRP. So all auto populated invoices will be also available in getB2B/getCDN… APIs of GSTR1.

Q: If the data is auto populated from IRP via push then we don’t see any data auto populated in GSTR 1 till now?

Ans: It has not yet gone to production yet.

Q: If the data is auto populated from IRP did user required to push again the same data via save GSTR 1?

Ans: Not required.

Q: Please confirm that IRN generated date will be the KEY for Return period determination.

Ans: No return period will be determined from invoice date as per current design.

Q: What is the purpose of those new field Auto Draft status, Auto Drafted Date, Error Code and Error Message in get Einvoice API. Can you throw some light on what these fields are?

Ans: It is for, whether Invoice got auto drafted in GSTR1 or not, date of auto drafting, if there is any error in auto drafting then error code and message.

Q: What will be the filing flow of GSTR-1 after implementation of this new API?

Ans: GSTR-1 flow is to be same as present.

Q: Is it always necessary to fetch E-invoice data before filing or can we upload imported data?

Ans: No it is not necessary but it is a good practice to do reconciliation, so that over writing of auto populated data can be avoided. Also successfully auto populated data will be available through getB2B/getCDN ….APIs of GSTR1 also.

Q: What will be the change in SAVE API? IS there any increase in save Parameters like- IRN no. and/or IRN date etc?

Ans: There will be no new addition.

Q: It is mentioned in Excel attribute that ctin wise data can also be fetched however the same parameter is not available in request URL

Ans: for getEinvoice api it is not available for attribute sheet or url

Q: In b2b section, Invoice type-CWB (Custom Bonded Warehouse) is also available, how we are deriving this parameter because no such information is going in IRN generation?

Ans: It will not come from IRP. As save and get APIs are for GSTR1 and in GSTR1 this field exist, so it will remain in APIs but will not be available in data auto populated through IRP data.

Q: In request payload for get Einvoice API, there is afrom_date field, which date will be considered for this from_time. E.g. an invoice for which IRN is generated has following dates Document date is 10/10/2020, IRN generation date is 12/10/2020 and Auto Populate date is 13/10/2020. What from_time we need to send in request payload in order to get this invoice?

Ans: It can be used to get data after a particular date-time. It will be based on auto population date (GST System receipt date)

Eg: consider that Document date is 15-10-2020 and it is added into GST system on 19-10-2020. If from_time is specified as 16-10-2020, as it was inserted on 19-10-2020 that document will be part of response.

Q: The field Ack no., Ack. date, signed QR are not added in any of the APIs. (Even not in GET Einvoices API) Will these be included at a later stage?

Ans: There is no plan to include it. IRN will be the key for all auto populated data.

Q: If IRN auto populated data is edited then will that flag also be available in Get B2B/CDN/EXP/CDNUR?

Ans: Source, IRN no and date  will be removed once auto populated data will be edited through GSTR1 Online/Offline/API save.

Q: If we send any delete request from API for an invoice which is already auto populated in these sections, then will it be deleted from this section or retained with a flag marked as Deleted?

Ans: Record will be deleted from only GSTR1. It will be available in get einvoice API.

Q: If someone deletes the full auto populated data from these sections and then save all invoices again (all data may be same or edited in some invoices and not edited in some) through API or added from UI or offline tool, then will it be compared with the “Get Einvoice” data and will the IRN nos and date be brought back to this collection for respective invoices? 

Ans: Data coming from E-invoice (IRP) will be kept separate and it will not change. User can edit anything in GSTR1 and GSTR1 will reflect changed data. This change will be tracked for analysis purpose.

Q: If there are some invoices in “Get Einvoice (New API)” and the status of IRN is Cancelled then these will not be auto populated in “Get B2B/EXP/CDNUR/CDNURA” collections. Let us know if our understanding is correct.

Ans: There are many scenarios around it:

  • If cancelation happen on the same day. Data will be available in getEinvoice API but not be auto populated in GSTR1.
  • If cancelation happens next day than it will be first auto populated in GSTR1 and on cancelation it will be deleted from GSTR1 if user has not edited that invoice,
  • If user has edited GSTR1 data then nothing will change in GSTR1.

Q: Earlier we had asked this question but at that time it was still under discussion, is it now decided? Which date will be considered for auto population: Document Date or IRN generation date? Let us know if our understanding below is correct in the example: 

If Document date is 28.10.2020 but IRN is generated on 05.12.2020 

(a) if Oct 2020 return is not yet filed, then this document will be populated in Oct 2020 month

(b) If Oct 2020 return is already filed then this document will be populated in Nov 2020 month

(c) If Nov 2020 return is also already filed then this document will be populated in Dec 2020 month (i.e. open month)

Ans: As per current implementation if return is filed than records coming for that period in future will only available in getEinvoice API of October month only. It will not be auto populated in any other period.

Q: While saving invoice data through APIs, if we are sending all invoices that are already auto populated by GSTN, again for save, without changing any data, then will it also be flagged that it is edited? Additionally, in such cases or any cases where any edit is done through API, the fields like IRN, source type and IRN generation date will still be retained or removed? 

Ans: Please refer ansers above

Q: When are the APIs expected to be released to us on sandbox for testing? 

Ans: It will be by mid of next week. Provide time. I think we are only releasing getEinvoice API. Not autopopualtion to GSPs.

Q: Currently there are no common GSTINs on sandbox for einvocing and GSTN. So how will we do the testing for the same? Will we be allowed to add GSTN sandbox GSTINs on einvocing portal? or will the einvocing/NIC test GSTINs will be automatically added in GSTN portal?

Ans: We will provide you some GSTIN for testing.