GSTR 3B- Filing, Format and Due Dates

Pramit Pratim Ghosh |Updated on: June 28, 2022

• GSTR 3B
• Revised GST Returns Filing Due Dates
• How to go about filing Form GSTR 3B?
• Recent changes in GSTR 3B

GSTR 3B

On the 18th of June, 2017, the GST Council in its 17th meeting decided to extend the timeline for an invoice – wise return filing in Form GSTR 1 and Form GSTR 2 for the first two months of the GST era. The move was made to provide relief to businesses, and to smoothen the roll-out of GST across the country. As per this decision, businesses will need to file a much simplified GSTR 3B returns, by declaring the summary of their inward and outward supplies for the months of July and August. However the invoice – wise details for both months, also do need to be filed, but at a later date.

As per the latest GST council notifications, GSTR 3B filing has been extended till March 2018, and it will continue to be filed by the 20th of the next month.

Revised GST Returns Filing Due Dates

How to go about filing Form GSTR 3B?

Form GSTR-3B consists of 6 tables in all, each requiring a specific detail. The GSTR-3B format is as follows:

Table 1: Details of outward supplies and inward supplies liable to reverse charge

In this table one needs to capture the total taxable value (both intrastate as well as interstate) along with the tax applicable (CGST, SGST / UTGST, IGST & Cess) of the following supplies:

• Outward Taxable Supplies other than Zero Rate, Nil Rate and Exempted
• Outward Taxable Supplies (Zero Rated)
• Outward Supplies towards Nil Rated and Exempted
• Inward Supplies liable to be paid on reverse charge basis
• Non-GST Outward Supplies

Table 2: Details of Interstate supplies made to unregistered persons, composition dealers and UIN holders

In this table one needs to capture the place of supply, total taxable value and the IGST applicable for all interstate supplies made to the following entities:

• Interstate supplies made to Unregistered Persons
• Interstate supplies made to Composition Dealers
• Interstate supplies made to UIN Holders

Table 3: Details of eligible Input Tax Credit

In this table, one needs to capture the following details:

• ITC Available: On inward supplies on which the ITC was availed, such as Import of Goods or Services, supplies liable to fetch reverse charge, supplies from ISD, and other inward supplies, as applicable.
• ITC Reversed: On the usage of inputs/input services/capital goods used for a non-business purpose, or partly used for exempt supplies. Also, if the depreciation is claimed on the tax component of capital goods, plant and machinery - then the ITC will not be allowed. Such reversals need to be captured in this table.
• Eligible ITC: Calculated by deducting ITC Reversed from ITC Available.
• Ineligible ITC: Details of GST paid on inward supplies listed in the negative list, which are not eligible to fetch input tax credit.

Table 4: Details of exempt, nil-rated and non-GST inward supplies

In this table one needs to capture the details of interstate and intrastate supplies for the following:

• Supplies from composition dealers, exempt and nil-rated inward supplies
• Non-GST inward supplies

Table 5: Payment of Tax

In this table, one needs to declare the self-ascertained tax payable. The tax payable will emerge from the following details:

• Tax paid through ITC (CGST, SGST / UTGST, IGST & Cess)
• Tax paid TDS / TCS
• Tax / Cess paid in Cash
• Interest & Late Fees

Table 6: TDS / TCS Credit

In this table, one needs to capture the details of TDS and TCS, for CGST, SGST / UTGST & IGST. However, as a business, these will not be that crucial at the moment, as these provisions are deferred from the initial rollout of GST, and are not applicable, till notified further.

In conclusion, GSTR 3B returns are bound to be a big relief for businesses across the country. However, one needs to gear up for the month of September, which is bound to be a heavy return filing month.

Click here to view the tables and understand the GSTR-3B format.

Recent changes in GSTR 3B

At the 26th GST Council meeting, it was decided to continue GSTR 3B till June 2018. In short, summary GSTR 3B returns are here to stay for the time being, till we hear more from the GST Council on the simplified GST return filing process.

Payment on GST Returns

Earlier, a taxpayer was required to submit the return, in order to ascertain the tax liability amount against his name. Also, once the return was submitted, no changes were allowed. However, the entire details - the current balance of input tax credit i.e. ITC, the current balance of cash registers, tax head wise liability, suggested the best way to utilise ITC and the amount of tax liability to be paid in cash or credit - will be displayed in a single table view, before the return is submitted. Thus it will now be much easier for all taxpayers to keep track of the input tax credit, and compute the pending tax liability to be paid for.

Generation of Challan

Earlier, a taxpayer was required to manually fill in the input tax credit utilization amount, as well as the amount to be paid in cash, and then generate the challan for the same. However, he has an option to edit the ITC amount to be utilized and not to consider the credit utilisation amount, which is auto-generated and suggested by the system. Once the ITC utilisation is changed by the tax payer, the amount required to be paid gets automatically changed. In other words, the tax payment challan can now be auto-generated, with the click of a button, after offsetting the input tax credit available in the credit ledger.

One of the biggest advantages of this change is, that the earlier scenario of taxpayers putting incorrect tax amount the incorrect tax head, while filling up challan manually, will completely be eliminated.

Facility for downloading Draft Return

Now, a new feature of downloading a draft return at any stage of the return filing process has been provided, so that the tax payer can verify the saved details in offline mode.

Tax Amount getting Auto-filled

Now, a taxpayer needs to fill in either the CGST amount or the SGST/UTGST amount. Based on what he feeds in, the other taxes will get auto-populated.

In addition to these 4 changes listed above, the GSTN has strived to make the process easier, by providing detailed user manuals with the step-by-step method of the GSTR 3B return filing process, which can now be used by businesses in case of any doubt or query.

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