The Goods and Services Tax (GST) portal has opened for annual return filing for the financial year 2024-25. With the system now live, taxpayers can begin submitting Form GSTR-9, which captures details of sales, purchases and tax payments made during the year. Larger businesses are also required to file Form GSTR-9C, a reconciliation statement that cross-verifies their declared figures with audited accounts.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has set December 31, 2025, as the deadline for both forms. Officials have urged taxpayers to file early this year, noting that the filing window is shorter than usual and late submissions could lead to congestion on the portal closer to the deadline.
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Who needs to file the annual return
All registered taxpayers under the regular GST scheme, including Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units and developers, must submit Form GSTR-9. Those who shifted from the composition scheme to the regular scheme during the financial year are also required to file it.
Taxpayers under the composition scheme will continue to file Form GSTR-9A. However, casual taxpayers, non-resident taxpayers, Input Service Distributors (ISD) and Online Information and Database Access or Retrieval (OIDAR) service providers are not required to file annual returns.
The government can, through official notifications, exempt certain classes of taxpayers from filing GSTR-9, as has been done in previous years.
GSTR-9C for large taxpayers
Form GSTR-9C applies to businesses whose turnover crosses the limit prescribed by the government. Such taxpayers must get their accounts audited by a Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant and submit the audited financial statements along with the reconciliation statement.
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Compliance and audit process
The annual return forms provide a consolidated summary of a taxpayer’s outward and inward supplies, input tax credits and tax liabilities. For FY 2024-25, businesses with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 2 crore must file Form GSTR-9.
Officials have advised taxpayers to cross-check their data carefully before submission to avoid errors or mismatches that could trigger scrutiny. Filing ahead of time, they said, would also help prevent server slowdowns and last-minute issues as the deadline approaches.
