The Goods & Services Tax (GST) returns will be filed by taxpayers online on the GST portal mentioning the details of their inward and outward supplies, tax liability, input credit, etc. There are multiple GST return forms for different purposes. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about GSTR 2.
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What is GSTR 2?
GSTR-2 is a GST return form which will be filed monthly by all the registered taxpayers to provide the details of their inward supplies or purchases made during that particular tax period. The form will be filed online on the GSTN portal. In normal terms, GSTR2 is required to be filed by the 15th of the next month for a particular tax month. The taxpayer has to provide the correct details of his/her inward supplies while filing this return.
GSTR-2 will also be used to provide the details of purchases made on reverse charge supplies. The details provided by a buyer in GSTR-2 are used by the government to reconcile the details provided by the supplier in his GSTR-1.
There is also a GSTR 2A form which reflects the information provided by the respective seller (in GSTR-1) for the supplies made to a particular recipient so that the recipient can check and confirm the same.
Most of the information in GSTR-2 will be auto-filled based on the details available in GSTR-2A. So, the recipient is only required to provide the details of purchases made from unregistered dealers and the ones which are not already reflecting in GSTR 2A.
GSTR 2 is required to be filed by every registered GST taxpayer for every tax month, even if there are no transactions in a particular month. There are some exceptions – composition dealers, people/business collecting TCS, input service distributors, online information/data suppliers, non-resident taxpayers, and those deducting TDS are not needed to file this return.
Due Date for Filing GSTR 2 form
As per the original GST provision, the due date for filing GSTR 2 form will be 15th of the next month for any particular tax period. That means a taxpayer will be required to file his GSTR2 for a particular tax month by the 15th of the next month.
However, due to increasing confusion around GST rules and application, the government has relaxed the GSTR timeline a bit to make it easier for taxpayers to understand and accept the GST norms. As per the latest announcement, the due dates for filing GSTR-2 are mentioned below.
Note: The filing of GSTR-2 has been postponed until 31st March 2018.
What happens if GSTR-2 is filed late or not filed at all?
All the registered taxpayers are required to file their regular GST returns, including GSTR-2, on time. The late filing or not filing of GSTR-2 may result in a penalty and/or fines. If the GSTR-2 form is not filed on time, it will further delay the processing of GSTR-3 and the payments of tax.
There will be an interest of 18% per annum on late filing of GST returns. That means the taxpayer will have to pay an additional interest on the outstanding tax amount for the period from the due date to the actual date of payment.
The late fee of Rs. 100 per day will be levied on the late payment of CGST/SGST (but not on IGST) subject to a maximum penalty of Rs. 5,000.
Note: For subsequent months, i.e. October 2017 onwards, the amount of late fee payable by a taxpayer whose tax liability for that month was ‘NIL’will be Rs. 20/- per day (Rs. 10/- per day each under CGST & SGST Acts) instead of Rs. 200/- per day (Rs. 100/- per day each under CGST & SGST Acts).
GSTR 2 format – Excel and PDF
There is a specific format defined by the government for the GSTR-2 form. All the taxpayers need to file their returns in the same format on GST portal. However, there are many third-party GST software tools that can be used to file GST returns easily.
The official formats of the GSTR 2 form are attached below. There is also a government GSTR offline tool through which users can file their returns offline and then upload the same to the online portal.
GSTR 2 filing guidelines
Some of the guidelines for filing GSTR 2 are mentioned below.
- Use only an authentic website or software to file your GSTR-2 return.
- Keep your GSTN details (ID, password, etc.) secure and do not share them with any unauthorized person.
- Furnish the details of all your inward supplies (purchases), including imports and reverse charge supplies, for that month in your GSTR 2 return.
- GSTR 2 is to be filed after completing GSTR 1 form.
- GSTR 2 is mandatory in order to calculate the total tax liability for a month and file GSTR 3.
- There is a gap of 5 days between the due dates of GSTR-1 and GSTR-2 to give taxpayers enough time to identify and correct errors, if any.
- The date of transaction is the date mentioned in the GST invoice.
The taxpayers are advised to follow these guidelines and other GST rules properly when filing their GST returns.
GSTR 2 filing process/procedure with step by step
The process of GSTR 2 filing will be performed online on the GST portal. This can be a little confusing for the first time GST return filers. Therefore, we have made a complete tutorial mentioning the step-by-step procedure for filing GSTR 2 online.
The taxpayers who have already filed their GSTR1 and now looking forward to filing GSTR 2, can read this guide to get professional help and tips for filing. We have also explained solutions for the common issues, errors and problem you might face while filing your return on the portal.
Click here for the complete procedure to file GSTR-2
