What is GSTIN

GSTIN is Goods and Service Tax Identification Number. It is a 15 digit PAN based unique number assigned to every registered taxpayers under GST.
Before the GST came in force, all dealers registered under the state VAT law were allotted a unique Tax Identification Number (TIN) number by the respective state tax authorities and the service providers were allotted Service Tax Registration Number by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).

HOW TO REGISTER UNDER GST
A person can register itself either voluntarily and after the threshold limit of turnover surpasses There are two ways to register under GST:

• Through GST Portal www.gst.gov.in
• By GST Seva Kendra set up by Government of India

Once the application of registration in FORM-REG 01 is approved by the GST officer, a unique PAN based GSTIN is allotted to the dealer

ONCE THE GSTIN IS ALLOTTED

• On the basis of GST No. a person can claim Input Tax Credit of the taxes paid at the time of purchases
• Eligible to issue Tax Invoices and collect GST from the customers
• File GST returns on due date

FORMAT OF GSTIN 

GSTIN Format

Once the registration application is approved GSTIN is assigned to the Registered Person which is based on the following format:

• First two character for the State Code

        For eg 03- Punjab, 04- Chandigarh, 05- Uttarakhand, 06- Haryana and so on

• Next ten digits represent PAN or the Tax Deduction and Tax Collection Account Number

        For eg- AAACF1234A

• Thirteenth digit indicates number of entity a person is having in the same state under the same PAN

         For eg- If it is 2 it indicates that the person has two entity in the same state

• Fourteenth digit is by default will be Z
• Last digit is a check sum character to detect errors.

Effective Date of Registration

• When the application is submitted within 30 days from the date registration becomes due, the registration shall be effective from the date when registration was due.
• If the applicant submits the application after 30 days from the date when registration becomes mandatory, registration shall be effective only when the certificate of successful registration is issued

WHAT IS GSTN AND GSTIN?