05 October,2026 04:24 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Image. File pic.
In a bid to improve the ease of doing business, the GST Council at its October 7 meeting is likely to consider a proposal to allow businesses to file for GST registration in multiple states through a single application process, according to news agency PTI.
At present, there are over 1.68 crore businesses registered under Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the council headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to deliberate on a redesigned and simpler GST registration form for large businesses.
Once the revamped registration system is implemented, businesses will not have to re-enter their details when applying for GST registration in other states, as the information will be carried forward, according to PTI sources.
The sources said that if a business applies for registration in multiple states, then the applications can be filled together, adding that the GST system will determine which office has jurisdiction based on the location given when filling the form.
They further said the new registration form will be comparatively easier to fill and will be accompanied by guidance at all stages. It will also include the list the documents that need to be uploaded.
The council is also likely to consider a set of guidelines for officers specifying the documents and the purpose they are called for.
"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," the sources said.
Last year, the council had approved a simplified GST registration scheme for small and low-risk businesses, which was launched from November 1, 2025, with these entities are granted registration within 3 days.
Small and low-risk businesses are those whom the GST system identifies based on data analysis, or those applicants who self-assess that their output tax liability does not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh per month, inclusive of Central Goods and Services Tax, State Goods and Services Tax/Union Territory Goods and Services Tax. This covers around 61 per cent of the about 1.68 crore GST registrations, as per PTI.
The GST registration changes will now cover the remainder of the businesses, PTI sources said.
Besides, the council is likely to further simplify the process by streamlining changes to key fields in GST registrations and allowing automatic approvals.
Around 66 per cent of applications for changes to GST registrations relate to changes in a company's name, director, partner or 'karta', and the address of an additional place of business, according to an analysis based on GST backend technology.
Of the nearly 16 lakh applications filed annually for changes to registration details, about 10.5 lakh pertain to these categories.
Only changes to the principal place of business would require approval from the concerned tax officer. For businesses that received GST registration through the automatic approval route within three days, requests for such changes would also be processed automatically.
(With inputs from PTI)
