GST Council May Propose Single Application For Multi-State Registration, Standardised Documents

New Delhi, Oct 6 (KNN) The GST Council is likely to consider allowing businesses to apply for GST registration across multiple states through a single application and standardising the documents tax officers can seek from applicants.

The proposals are part of a broader plan to simplify GST registration for businesses and improve ease of doing business. India currently has more than 1.68 crore GST-registered businesses.

Under the proposed system, businesses would use a redesigned registration form with step-by-step guidance and a clear list of documents required for uploading. Information submitted for one state would be carried forward for registrations in other states, allowing businesses to file multiple applications together.

The GST system would determine the appropriate jurisdiction based on the location provided in the application, sources said, PTI reported.

Standardised Registration Process

The Council is also likely to approve guidelines specifying which documents tax officers can seek, the purpose for seeking them and when the documents should be considered sufficient.

“This would bring about consistency across states for GST registration. An applicant in one state will be asked for the same things as an applicant in another,” a source said.

The proposed changes would complement the simplified registration scheme approved in September 2025 for small and low-risk businesses. Rolled out from November 1, 2025, the scheme allows eligible applicants to receive GST registration within three days.

Businesses identified as small and low-risk through GST data analysis, or those self-assessing their monthly output tax liability at up to ₹2.5 lakh, including CGST and SGST/UTGST, can opt for the scheme.

The scheme covers around 61 per cent of the 1.68 crore GST registrations. The proposed changes would primarily cover the remaining businesses, sources said.

Automatic Approval For Registration Changes

The Council may also consider streamlining changes to key GST registration details and providing automatic approvals.

GST backend analysis shows that around 66 per cent of applications for registration amendments relate to changes in a company's name, director, partner or 'karta', and address of an additional place of business.

Of around 16 lakh annual applications for changes to registration documents, nearly 10.5 lakh relate to these fields.

Only changes to the principal place of business would require approval from the concerned tax officer.

However, for businesses that obtained GST registration through the three-day automatic route, such requests would also be eligible for automatic approval.

(KNN Bureau)