Preface

Under the GST regime, every registered taxable person (other than an input service distributor, a person required to deduct or collect tax at source, a casual taxable person and a non-resident) is required to file his annual return. A regular taxable pesson having aggregate turnover more than Rs. 2 crore in the financial year is required to file annual return in Form GSTR-9. A composition taxable person is required to file annual return in Form GSTR-4 and an Electronic Commerce Operator, who is required to collect tax at source under section 52 of the Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017, is required to file annual return in Form GSTR-9B.

In addition, every registered person whose aggregate turnover for the financial year exceeds Rs. 5 crore, is required to furnish a reconciliation statement also in Form GSTR-9C.

For the financial year 2024-25, the due date of furnishing of annual return and reconciliation statement is 31st December, 2025.

We are pleased to present a thoroughly revised and updated edition of our book titled Annual Return and Reconciliation Statement under GST. The Book is devised to provide a handy approach for preparing and furnishing of annual returns in Form GSTR-9 and Form GSTR-9A and reconciliation statement in Form GSTR-9C for a financial year.

The Book is divided into following six parts, namely;

Part I : Overview of Returns under GST

Part II : Annual Return by a Regular Taxable Person

Part III : Annual Return by a Composition Taxable Person

Part IV : Reconciliation Statement in Form GSTR-9C

Part V : Departmental Audit and Special Audit under GST

Part VI : GST Return Forms

Part I of the Book provides an overview of the law and practice for furnishing of the important GST returns viz., GSTR-1/IFF, GSTR-3B, GSTR4. Since most of the information in the GSTR-9 would be auto-populated from these returns, proper filing of these returns would ensure accuracy in filing of Annual Return in Form GSTR-9 and reconciliation statement in Form GSTR-9C.

Part II of the Book is divided into fourteen chapters which are devoted at providing an overview of furnishing of annual return by a regular taxable person. The step-by-step precedure and clause-wise guide for preparing annual return in Form GSTR-9 has also been provided in different chapters.

Part III of the Book aims at providing an overview of the provisions relating to furnishing of annual return by a composition taxable person. This part also contains step-by-step procedure and clause-wise guide for preparing annual return in Form GSTR-9A, in different chapters.

Part IV of the Book attempts to make an analytical study of the procedure relating to furnishing of reconciliation statement. It also provides para wise analysis of various clauses and procedure for preparing and filing of reconciliation statement in Form GSTR-9C.

Part V of the Book provides an analytical study of the law and procedure in respect of Departmental Audit as envisaged under section 65 and Special Audit under section 66 of the CGST Act.

In Part VI of the Book, full text of Form GSTR-1, Form GSTR-1A, Form GSTR-2A, GSTR-2B, Form GSTR-3B, Form GSTR-4, Form GSTR-4A, Form GSTR-9, Form GSTR-9A and Form GSTR-9C is provided for ease of reference for preparing annual return as well as reconciliation statement.

Each and every paragraph of Form GSTR-9, Form GSTR-9A and Form GSTR-9C has been discussed in detail in the light of currently applicable statutory Provisions, Rules, Departmental Clarifications, Orders and FAQs. The step-by-step procedure for online as well as offline preparation and filing of annual returns and reconciliation statement has been discussed in the respective chapters. Guidance has also been taken from 'FAQs on Form GSTR-9' and 'FAQs on Form GSTR-9C' issued by the Indirect Tax Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

I believe that the Book would provide a handy approach in preparing and filing of the annual returns as well as reconciliation statements and would prove to be indispensable for the taxpayers, indirect taxes executives in industries and the tax consultants, who are going to file annual returns and reconciliation statements of their clients for any financial year.

Notwithstanding the best of care, likelihood of certain short-comings creeping into this book cannot be ruled out. We solicit creative feedback from our learned readers bringing to our notice any mistakes, errors, omissions or discrepancies, as and when noticed.

JODHPUR
12 September, 2025	CA. SATYADEV PUROHIT