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To check an Indian GST notice, open the official GST portal independently and use Services > User Services > Verify RFN—after login or through the pre-login service. Compare the portal result with the notice. For a document carrying a CBIC issue number, also check CBIC’s official document-verification service. These checks can help confirm that a communication is recorded in an official system; they do not prove that its tax calculation or penalty is correct.
Verify the notice through the GST portal
- Open the official portal yourself. Do not start from a link in an unexpected email, text message, or messaging-app alert. A familiar logo, sender name, phone number, or urgent wording does not authenticate a notice.
- Find the reference details. Note the reference number, issue date, issuing authority, tax period, form or proceeding, amount, and stated response deadline. Keep the original message and attachment.
- Use Verify RFN. After login, go to Dashboard > Services > User Services > Verify RFN. Alternatively, use the GST portal’s pre-login Verify RFN service at https://services.gst.gov.in/services/verifyRfn.
- Compare the result with the document. Check that the reference, issuing officer, date, and purpose correspond to the notice you received. A result that belongs to a different communication is not a match.
GSTN’s September 25, 2024 advisory says that officer communications initiated through the system can also be verified pre-login. The advisory also explains that a system-generated PDF may not show a visible digital signature: it can be generated after the officer logs in to the common portal using digital-signature authentication. So an absent visible signature alone does not establish that a notice is fake—or that it is valid. Verify the record through the portal. Read GSTN’s advisory on notices and orders without visible digital signatures.
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Use CBIC verification when the document has an issue number
Some documents carry a CBIC issue number, printed at the top right and formatted, for example, as I/1234567/YYYY. For a document within the service’s scope, enter that number in the official CBIC Verify Document service. This is a separate check from GST portal Verify RFN; it is not a universal verifier for every GST notice.
Check a claimed demand and payment request separately
A notice lookup and a liability check answer different questions. Sign in to your GST account independently and inspect the relevant demand and payment records. Compare the amount, tax period, form or order reference, and status with the communication. An attachment, screenshot, or payment link sent to you does not prove that a demand is recorded against your GSTIN.
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If payment is due, use the payment flow reached from the GST portal—not a link supplied in an unexpected message, and never a personal bank account. GST Portal guidance describes creating a challan, choosing internet banking through an authorised bank, and crediting a successful payment to the Electronic Cash Ledger after bank confirmation. Available banks and portal steps can change; check the current options shown in your account. GST Portal guidance on online payment modes.
Take care with DRC-03 payments
A DRC-03 payment is not automatically mapped to a particular demand. GSTN’s advisory explains that a DRC-03 payment may need to be linked to the demand using DRC-03A. Check the applicable portal procedure and confirm that the payment is reflected against the intended liability. GSTN advisory on payment of pre-deposit through DRC-03.
Know what each check can—and cannot—tell you
| Check | Useful for | Can establish | Cannot establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| GST portal Verify RFN | System communications such as officer notices and orders | Whether the reference and document details can be verified in the GST system | Whether the allegation, tax calculation, or proposed penalty is correct |
| CBIC Verify Document | Documents bearing a CBIC issue number | Whether the issue number is recognized by that service | Whether every GST document is covered or whether a demand is legally sound |
| GST account demand and payment records | Checking a claimed liability or payment | Whether relevant records appear against your account | Whether a genuine demand is legally or factually well-founded |
| E-invoice QR, signature, or IRN tools | Supplier e-invoices | Whether invoice data or QR details verify, and whether an IRN status is available | Whether an officer-issued notice or penalty is authentic |
If verification fails, conflicts, or the portal is unavailable
A failed lookup by itself is not conclusive proof of fraud. The service could be unavailable, the entered reference could be wrong, or the communication may require a different verification route. Preserve the message and attachment, retry by opening the official portal yourself, and contact the relevant GST jurisdiction using contact details obtained independently from an official source. Do not use the contact number or link in the suspicious message as your only means of verification.
Do not disclose an OTP, password, digital-signature certificate (DSC) credentials, or bank details to someone who contacted you unexpectedly. Do not install remote-access software or grant a caller control of your device to “verify” or pay a notice.
If the notice verifies but you dispute it
Authentication is not an assessment of the case. Read the notice and identify its form, cited statutory provision, tax period, amount breakdown, evidence relied upon, reply channel, and deadline. Sections 73 and 74 of the CGST Act address demand proceedings in different circumstances, including a distinction involving fraud, wilful misstatement, or suppression. Which provision and procedure applies depends on the facts, period, and applicable amendments; do not assume one penalty formula covers every GST notice. See the current text of CGST Act section 73 and section 74.
Keep the response deadline in view while you check the merits. The GST Portal’s appeal FAQ gives a general period of three months from communication of an adjudicating authority’s decision or order to appeal. That general information is not a calculation for your case; the applicable route and deadline depend on the order and circumstances. Seek advice from a qualified GST practitioner or tax lawyer promptly when the amount, consequences, or deadline warrants it. GST Portal FAQ on filing an appeal against a demand order.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse a GST notice with an e-invoice
GST portal Verify RFN is for officer communications. E-invoice QR-code, signature, and IRN checks are for invoices, not notices or penalty orders. GSTN-authorised IRIS IRP materials describe verifying signed invoice data and QR codes, and checking IRN status because an invoice may be cancelled after generation. Use those tools for supplier invoices, not to authenticate a tax notice: recipient guidance for e-invoices and IRIS IRP tools.
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