GST Returns are being archived-GSTN advisory issued!

In a significant development for businesses and taxpayers, the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has recently issued an advisory announcing the archiving of old GST returns. This move is part of a broader effort to streamline the GST portal and optimize its performance. 

Let’s understand the advisory!

Advisory dated 24^th September 2024

Archival of GST Returns data on the GST portal

Sep 24th, 2024

1.  Section 39 (11) of the CGST Act, 2017, implemented w.e.f 01-10-2023 vide Notification No. 28/2023 – Central Tax dated 31st July 2023, provides that the taxpayers shall not be allowed to file their GST returns after the expiry of a period of three years from the due date of furnishing the said return.

2.  Further, as per the GST portal data policy, data for the view of the taxpayer to be retained for seven years only. Therefore, the same data policy is being implemented on the GST portal. Thus, return data will not be available to view beyond 7 years for taxpayers.

3.  Accordingly, on 01st August 2024 return filed for July 2017 has been archived and on 01st September 2024, data for August 2017 has been archived. Further, this data archival is going to be a monthly activity hence on 01st October, 2024 data of September 2017 shall be taken down from the GST portal and so on.

4.  Hence, hereby the taxpayers are advised to download their relevant data from the GST portal for any future reference if required.

Thanks,
Team GSTN

Key Highlights of the advisory

1. Archiving of Old GST Returns:

• The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has announced the archiving of old GST returns starting from August 2024.
• The initiative aims to streamline the GST portal and improve its efficiency.

2. Data Retention Policy:

• The GST portal will only retain return data for seven years from the date of filing.
• Data older than seven years will be archived and no longer available for taxpayers to view.

3. Ongoing Archival Process:

• The archival process is a monthly activity. For instance, data for July 2017 was archived on August 1, 2024, and data for August 2017 was archived on September 1, 2024.
• Future data will continue to be archived on the 1st of each month.

4. Taxpayer Advisory:

• Taxpayers are advised to download relevant return data from the GST portal if needed for future reference before the data is archived.

Conclusion

The recent advisory issued by GSTN marks a crucial shift in the way old GST returns are managed on the portal. By archiving returns older than seven years, the GSTN aims to enhance the platform's efficiency and ensure smoother operations for taxpayers. Businesses must stay vigilant and download any historical data they may require, as archived data will no longer be available for future reference. This development underscores the importance of timely compliance and proactive management of records to avoid any potential disruptions.

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