GSTIN
What GSTIN means, where you will meet it and what it means for your business.
DefinitionA GSTIN is the 15-character Goods and Services Tax Identification Number issued to each registered business in each state, built from the state code, the PAN, an entity digit and a check character.
The first two characters of a GSTIN are the state code, the next ten are the business's PAN, the thirteenth counts registrations under the same PAN in that state, the fourteenth is Z by default, and the last is a checksum. One PAN can therefore hold several GSTINs, one per state where the business has a place of supply. You get it within about a week of applying on the GST portal, or through AGILE-PRO-S at incorporation, once the officer approves and Aadhaar authentication is done. You meet it on every tax invoice, in every return, on your signboard and on vendor forms. What it means for you: a GSTIN commits you to filing returns from the month of registration, so apply when you need it, not before, and cancel it properly if you stop the business.