Glossary
GSTIN
Definition
The 15-character Goods and Services Tax Identification Number issued to a registered business, unique per state registration.
A business operating in several states generally holds a separate GSTIN per state, which matters the moment you open a warehouse outside your home state.
Each GSTIN is effectively its own compliance identity: its own returns, and its own sequential invoice series. Sharing one invoice series across two GSTINs is a compliance problem, not a preference.
Related terms
- HSN codeThe Harmonised System of Nomenclature code that classifies a product for tax purposes and determines its GST rate.
- Credit noteA document issued against an existing invoice that reverses part or all of its value and tax, used when goods are returned or an invoice was overstated.
- TCS (Tax Collected at Source)Tax that an e-commerce operator collects on the net value of taxable supplies made through its platform and deposits against the seller's GSTIN.