GSTR 3B: Format, Filing, Eligibility, and More

GSTR 3B form is a summarised self-declaration of GST liabilities for a particular taxation period. Filing this form allows a vendor to discharge these liabilities. The form comprises:

• An outline of your monthly sales data.
• ITC or Input Tax Credit that you are obliged to pay.

Since a GSTR 3B form is for monthly returns, one must file the same by the due date of the following month. For example, if a taxpayer is filing the return for March, the GSTR-3B filing due date will fall in April.

The accurate due date to file GSTR 3B depends on the annual turnover of the previous fiscal year and the state or union territory that houses your business. Taxpayers falling under QRMP (Quarterly Returns with Monthly Payment) scheme must file their GSTR-3B returns for every quarter by the 22nd or the 24th of the forthcoming month as per their business’s location.

Here is a tabulated representation for a clear understanding:

Every vendor who is registered under the GST norms must file GSTR 3B. Even if your monthly transaction is zero, you must submit this form with the relevant details. However, certain taxpayers are not required to file GSTR-3B viz.,

• Input service distributors
• Persons registered under the  GST composition scheme
• Non-Resident taxpayers
• Non-resident online service providers under OIDAR

Before submitting GSTR 3B form, a taxpayer must file of the following returns beforehand:

• GSTR 1
• GSTR 2
• GSTR 3

Filing of these forms is necessary as details from a supplier's GSTR-1 form and the system-generated GSTR-2B form are automatically filed in GSTR-3B. Note that only positive values are auto-populated while all negative values are given as zero.

The GSTR-3B form is divided into the following tables:

Before diving into the online process of filing GSTR 3B, one must keep the following things in mind:

• Copy-pasting is not permitted in the GST portal, one has to fill all sections manually
• Liabilities are measured post-return submission
• Taxpayers will need to provide their GSTIN and HSN codes for goods and services and report ITC on imports

Now, let's get started with the step-by-step GSTR-3B filing process:

• **Step 1:** Sign in to the GST portal using your account details.
• **Step 2:** Navigate to 'Services', 'Returns', and then, 'Returns Dashboard'.
• **Step 3:** On the 'File Returns' page, pick the applicable financial year and the 'Return-Filing' period of return filing from the drop-down list. Then, click on 'Search'.
• **Step 4:** The next page will contain a tile named 'Monthly Return GSTR-3B' with two options, click on the 'Prepare Online' button.
• **Step 5:** This step will display a questionnaire, answer the questions and proceed with 'Next'. Please note, you can also auto-fill the details from  GSTR-1 and  GSTR-2B forms, in that case only the first question will appear. Once auto-populated, the advisory page will reflect the data from Tables 3 and 4. Click on 'Proceed' for the next step.

To file a nil GSTR 3B, select 'Yes' for the first question and click on 'Next'.

The penalty for late filing of GSTR 3B depends on the type of returns. Let's have a closer look:

There is a maximum limit of charges for late filing GSTR 3B other than nil filings. The annual threshold amount determines the charges. Here's in detail:

Note that untimely filing will also attract an interest of 18% on the due tax per annum.