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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor many regular GST-registered businesses in India, filing means preparing GSTR-1 to report outward supplies, then completing GSTR-3B to summarise tax liability, pay or offset it as applicable, and file the return. Your taxpayer category and filing frequency determine which forms apply, so start by checking the return tiles for the correct period on the GST Portal. This guide covers the ordinary GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B workflow, not every taxpayer type or exceptional case.
Which GST return do you need to file?
GSTR-1 is the statement of outward supplies for normal and casual registered taxpayers. It is not required from every registrant: for example, the GST Portal lists composition taxpayers and Input Service Distributors (ISDs) among the exceptions. GSTR-3B is the summary return and payment workflow. Confirm your obligations and filing frequency for your registration before preparing either form. GST Portal: Returns
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The Portal’s general GSTR-1 due-date framework is the 11th of the succeeding month for monthly filers and the 13th of the month after the quarter for quarterly filers. Government notifications can extend those dates. Check the selected period’s live portal due date and any applicable notification rather than relying on a date from an older example. GST Portal: Returns
Filing order matters: the Portal requires earlier returns to be filed before certain later filings can proceed. GSTR-1 for a period must be filed before that period’s GSTR-3B, and prior-period status can also block a later GSTR-1. If a tile is unavailable, check the period and outstanding returns before retrying. GST Portal: Returns
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How to file GSTR-1
You can enter data on the Portal, prepare it with the GST Returns Offline Tool and upload a JSON file, or use a third-party application service provider (ASP) through a GST Suvidha Provider (GSP). Choose the route that fits your record volume and internal review process; the Portal confirms these routes but does not rank third-party providers. GST Portal: Returns
- Open the return: Sign in to the GST Portal and go to Services > Returns > Returns Dashboard. Select the financial year and month or quarter, then open the GSTR-1 tile.
- Enter the applicable transactions: Report the outward-supply details relevant to your business and period. Depending on the transactions, these may include B2B invoices, eligible B2C reporting, credit and debit notes, exports, advances, amendments, exempt, nil or non-GST supplies, and an HSN/SAC summary. Do not assume every table applies to every taxpayer or transaction. GST Portal: Returns
- Validate against your records: Check GSTIN, invoice number and date, place of supply, tax treatment, taxable value, tax amounts and required HSN details against source documents. Resolve validation messages rather than changing invoice identifiers or codes just to get past an error. GST Portal: Returns
- Generate the summary: After entering or uploading the records, generate the GSTR-1 summary. A record may be saved or uploaded without its count appearing on the return tile until the summary is refreshed. Review any pending or rejected records before entering them again.
- Review and file: Check the consolidated figures and filing details. Submit using the authorised signatory with a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) or Electronic Verification Code (EVC). Keep the Acknowledgment Reference Number (ARN), then view or download the filed return. GST Portal: Returns
How to file GSTR-3B
From the Returns Dashboard, open the relevant period’s GSTR-3B tile. Review the draft return, liability and payment details, complete payment or offset as applicable, and file using DSC or EVC. Preview the draft before filing and retain or download the filed return. The Portal’s nil-return manual also documents the preview, filing and download stages. GST Portal: Returns
Fix common GST filing errors
Use the exact error message to identify the remedy. Similar-looking upload or filing failures can have different causes, and portal validations can change.
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| Error or symptom | What to check and do |
|---|---|
| Invoice count or details are missing from the tile | Generate or refresh the GSTR-1 summary, then inspect pending and error records before entering invoices again. The tile count may not update until summary generation. GST Portal: Returns |
| HSN code is rejected or details are incomplete | Use the Portal’s HSN description or code lookup and check which HSN requirements apply to your turnover and current rules. The filing manual validates HSN entries; do not guess a code. GST Portal: Returns |
| Table 12 totals do not match | Reconcile the taxable values and tax amounts in the HSN summary with the related supply tables and invoice-level records. The Portal describes warnings for mismatched totals. GST Portal: Returns |
| Duplicate invoice validation | Check whether the supply invoice was already entered or uploaded in another batch or period. The Portal rejects duplicate supply invoices; do not alter a legitimate invoice number merely to bypass the validation. GST Portal: Returns |
| “File could not be uploaded” or JSON structure error | Download the error report, use the latest GST Returns Offline Tool, correct the source record and regenerate the JSON. The Portal’s known-issues guidance includes a missing required unit-of-measure field in HSN details as an example of a schema error. Avoid editing generated JSON blindly. GST Portal: Returns |
| Amendment or credit/debit note cannot find the original invoice | Check the return history and confirm the referenced invoice is identified correctly and has been uploaded. If it is genuinely missing, upload the original document before proceeding. GST Portal: Returns |
| GSTR-3B reports earlier information was not saved | Return to the GSTR-3B tiles, reopen each relevant section, verify and save it again. Continue to payment or offset and filing only after the saved-return confirmation appears. GST Portal: Returns |
| A later-period return cannot be filed | Check the prior-period GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filing status and complete required returns in sequence. Repeatedly submitting the blocked form will not resolve an outstanding-period restriction. GST Portal: Returns |
How to correct a mistake in GSTR-1
Before filing
Uploaded invoice details remain in draft until GSTR-1 is filed. While the statement is still unfiled, edit or delete the incorrect draft record and check the summary again. GST Portal: Returns
After filing GSTR-1, before that period’s GSTR-3B
The Portal provides optional GSTR-1A for adding omitted records or amending records for the same period. It becomes available after GSTR-1 is filed or after its due date, whichever is later; it can be filed once for that period and must be filed before that period’s GSTR-3B. Changes flow into the filer’s GSTR-3B. GST Portal: Returns
Supplies added or amended through GSTR-1A appear in the recipient’s next tax-period GSTR-2B, not necessarily the same period’s statement. GST Portal: Returns
After filing GSTR-3B
The official guidance cited here does not establish a general process for editing or reopening an already-filed GSTR-3B. Do not assume it can simply be revised. For a tax-liability or input tax credit (ITC) correction, consult current GST law and official instructions or a qualified GST practitioner for the route that applies to your case.
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A nil return is not determined only by whether you made sales. The Portal’s conditions include having no applicable auto-populated data from GSTR-1 or the Invoice Furnishing Facility (IFF), no applicable GSTR-2B data, no manual entries, and no outstanding interest or late fee. If those conditions are met, select the period, prepare the return, preview the draft, file with DSC or EVC, and download the filed return. GST Portal: Returns
Check GSTR-2B before claiming ITC
GSTR-2B is a read-only, static ITC statement: recipients cannot add or change supplier documents in it. Reconcile it with your books and supplier documents, and contact the supplier about missing or incorrect source records. Avoid claiming the same credit twice, make reversals where required, and pay reverse-charge tax as applicable. GST Portal: Returns
This is a practical guide to the ordinary GST Portal workflow, not individual tax or legal advice. Return obligations, due dates, validations, JSON schemas and portal functionality can change; verify the live Portal and applicable notifications for your filing period.
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