CGST or IGST? What goes on a GST tax invoice? This plain-language guide explains GST billing for Indian retail shops and shows how the right software handles it automatically.
Every GST-registered retail shop in India issues tax invoices. The rules are simpler than they look once you separate three questions: what must appear on the invoice, which tax applies to the sale, and what you need at filing time. Good billing software answers all three automatically — but it helps to understand what it is doing.
The split depends on where the supply goes. Selling within your own state: the GST rate is split equally into CGST (central) and SGST (state) — an 18% item is billed as 9% + 9%. Selling to another state: the whole rate is charged as IGST. A retail counter mostly bills CGST+SGST; inter-state B2B orders and stock transfers between branches in different states use IGST. Software that picks this automatically from the customer's or branch's state removes the most common filing error.
A single supermarket bill can carry 0% (fresh produce), 5% (packaged food), 12%, 18% (electronics, cosmetics), and 28% items. A compliant invoice groups the tax summary by rate. Configure each product's rate once — via tax groups per category — and the per-bill maths takes care of itself.
Your accountant needs itemised, rate-wise sales and purchase tax reports for GSTR filing. If your billing software cannot export a Sales Tax Report and Purchase Tax Report for an arbitrary date range, you will be reconstructing them from bill copies at the end of the quarter.
Oryx Suite generates GST-compliant invoices with CGST/SGST/IGST selected automatically, GSTIN and HSN/SAC codes on every line, tax groups per category, and exportable sales and purchase tax reports — across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and every other Indian state, with multi-branch consolidation built in.
Unregistered shops can issue a bill of supply instead of a tax invoice. Many still choose GST-capable software so nothing changes at the counter when they cross the registration threshold.
HSN codes classify goods for GST. Requirements vary with turnover, but printing them per line item is standard practice and keeps B2B customers and auditors happy.
Billing software prepares the data — rate-wise tax reports and itemised registers. Filing itself happens on the GST portal or through your accountant, using those exports.
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