How to register for GST — Rohit's 6-day walkthrough

First, the honest pep talk

The GST portal looks like it was built by people who hate humans. Cluttered, unforgiving, full of acronyms. But the actual process is short. Rohit finished his entire application in 90 minutes — most of it spent uploading documents.

You'll do two things: prove you exist (Part A), then describe your business (Part B). That's it.

Before you click anything — gather these

If you have these ready, the application takes one sitting. If you don't, you'll keep restarting. (For the full, entity-wise document list — proprietor, partnership, LLP, company — see our GST documents checklist.)

• PAN of the business (proprietorship = your personal PAN)
• Aadhaar linked to a mobile you actually have access to
• Passport-size photo — JPG, under 100 KB (most phone photos are too big — resize)
• Address proof — recent electricity bill, property tax receipt, or rent agreement
• NOC from owner if the place is rented or in someone else's name
• Bank proof — cancelled cheque, passbook first page, or bank statement
• Business proof — incorporation certificate (companies) or partnership deed; proprietors just declare

How the application flows

Three checkpoints. Each unlocks the next.

Part A — get your TRN (5 minutes)

Open gst.gov.in in a desktop browser (avoid mobile — the upload dialog is awful on phones).

Top menu → Services → Registration → New Registration. You'll see a form. Fill it like this:

• I am a: Taxpayer
• State / District: where you actually operate
• Legal name: exactly as on PAN — no shortenings, no spaces fixed
• PAN: your business PAN
• Email + mobile: one you check daily (OTPs and notices come here for years)

Click Proceed. Two OTPs arrive — one on email, one on mobile. Enter both. Done.

You'll see your TRN on screen: 15 characters, looks like 121730AB1234567. Screenshot it. Email yourself a copy. This is the only way back into your half-saved application.

Part B — fill the real application

Back to gst.gov.in → Login (top right) → switch tab to TRN → enter TRN + captcha → another mobile OTP. You're in.

You'll see a single saved application — click the pencil icon to continue. There are 10 sections. Save after each one.

The 10 sections, in plain words

• Business details — trade name, constitution (proprietorship / partnership / company), start date, reason for registration ("Crossed threshold" or "Voluntary").
• Promoters / Partners — for each person: name, PAN, photo, address. Solo? Just you.
• Authorised Signatory — usually the same person. They sign every future return.
• Authorised Representative — skip unless you've engaged a CA / tax practitioner.
• Principal Place of Business — your main office address + upload address proof + NOC (if rented).
• Additional places — branches, godowns. Skip if you have none.
• Goods & Services — top 5 HSN codes (for goods) or SAC codes (for services). The portal has a search.
• Bank Account — can be added post-registration; do it now if you already have a current account.
• State-specific information — varies. Usually just professional tax number if applicable.
• Verification — submit with Aadhaar OTP (proprietors), EVC (some), or DSC (companies / LLPs).

Aadhaar authentication — say yes

While you're filing, a pop-up will offer Aadhaar authentication. Always say yes.

👉 With Aadhaar — approval in ~3 working days, no officer visit.
👉 Without Aadhaar — 7–10 days, and a physical verification of your premises is likely.

The only catch: your Aadhaar must be linked to a mobile you can OTP from. If it's not, fix that at any nearby UIDAI centre first.

Submit — and get your ARN

After verification, the portal shows your ARN (Application Reference Number). Save it. This is your tracking ID for the next 10 days.

Track status anytime: Services → Registration → Track Application Status → enter ARN.

What the officer might do

Three possible outcomes:

The 5 reasons your application gets stuck

Rohit's CA friend has seen these on repeat:

👉 Name mismatch — your PAN says "Rohit Kumar Sharma", your electricity bill says "R K Sharma". Officer flags.
👉 Blurry photo of your face or premises. Reshoot in daylight.
👉 NOC missing when the address proof is in a parent / landlord's name. Mandatory.
👉 Stale bills — electricity bill older than 2 months gets rejected.
👉 Wrong HSN code — random guesswork. Spend 5 minutes picking the right one.

What it actually costs

Spoiler: nothing, if you DIY.

The day after — what to do with your GSTIN

Login at gst.gov.in with your new GSTIN. Take 30 minutes for these:

👉 Update your bank account if you skipped it earlier
👉 Add the GSTIN to your invoice template — name + address + 15-digit number
👉 Note your filing dates: GSTR-1 by 11th, GSTR-3B by 20th of the next month
👉 If turnover < ₹5cr — opt into QRMP (quarterly returns, monthly payment) for less filing pain

Quick answers

Rohit's next step

How to pay GST online — the full payment flow

When you might want a hand

The application itself is free and DIY-able. Where founders typically ask for help: matching name across PAN / Aadhaar / electricity bill (the #1 rejection cause), picking the right HSN/SAC codes, getting DSC set up for a company, and configuring the invoice template + return filing flow on day one so you never miss a due date.