Selling guides
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GST and paperwork
How to Check a Supplier's GSTIN Before You Pay
A GST number on a quotation proves nothing by itself. Anyone can type fifteen characters. Before you send an advance for a stock lot, take five minutes to check that the number is real, that it is active, and that it belongs to the business you are actually talking to.
The check is free and needs no login.
How a GSTIN is built
A GSTIN has 15 characters, and each part means something:
| Characters | What they are |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | State code (for example 06 is Haryana, 27 is Maharashtra, 24 is Gujarat) |
| 3-12 | The PAN of the business |
| 13 | Entity number for that PAN in that state (1 for the first registration) |
| 14 | Usually the letter Z |
| 15 | Check character |
Two quick tests before you even open the portal. First, the state code should match the state the supplier says they are in. A seller who claims to ship from Surat should have a GSTIN starting with 24. Second, characters 3 to 12 should match the PAN printed on their invoice or letterhead, if they have given one.
A mismatch is not always fraud. A company can have registrations in several states. But it is a reason to ask.
Check it on the GST portal
- Open the official GST portal at gst.gov.in.
- Go to Search Taxpayer and choose Search by GSTIN/UIN.
- Enter the number and the captcha.
The result shows the legal name, the trade name, the date of registration, the constitution of business (proprietorship, partnership, company and so on), the taxpayer type and, most importantly, the status.
What to look at in the result
Status. It should say Active. Cancelled or suspended registrations cannot issue a valid tax invoice, and you will not get input tax credit on purchases from them.
Legal name and trade name. These should match the business you are dealing with. If the person on the phone calls themselves "ABC Traders" but the GSTIN belongs to a company with a different name, ask why. Sometimes the trading name is simply different from the legal name. Sometimes the number belongs to somebody else entirely.
Taxpayer type. A composition taxpayer cannot charge GST on the invoice, so you cannot claim input tax credit on what you buy from them. That is fine for some buyers and a problem for others. Know it before you agree a price.
Place of business. The principal place of business is shown. It should be in the city or at least the state the stock is supposed to be in.
Return filing. The portal also lets you view the filing status of returns. A supplier who has stopped filing returns is a warning sign, both for your credit and for whether the business is still running.
When the GSTIN checks out but something still feels wrong
A real, active GSTIN tells you that a registered business exists. It does not tell you that the person you are talking to works for it. Fraudsters sometimes copy the GSTIN of a genuine company onto their own quotation.
A few simple habits close that gap:
- Call the business on a number you found yourself (their website, an older invoice, a directory), not only the number on the quotation.
- Pay only into a bank account in the same name as the GSTIN. Be very careful with requests to pay into a personal account or a different company "for this one deal".
- For a first deal, keep the advance small, or inspect the stock before paying in full.
What Bikwao shows
Businesses on Bikwao can add GST, PAN or Udyam details to get the Verified badge, and every business has its own member ID shown on its page. Use the badge as a starting point, not as a guarantee. The check above still takes only a few minutes and is worth doing before any large advance.
You can read more about checks before a deal on the safe trading page, or browse verified sellers in Textiles & Fabrics, Packaging Materials and other categories.
Questions
Can I check a GSTIN without logging in?
Yes. Search Taxpayer on the GST portal is open to everyone and only asks for the GSTIN and a captcha.
Does a valid GSTIN mean the supplier is genuine?
It means a registered business with that number exists and its registration is in the state shown. It does not prove that the person quoting you works for that business. Match the name, call a number you found yourself, and pay only to an account in the same name.
What if the supplier has no GSTIN?
Small businesses below the registration limit may not have one, and you can still trade with them. You will not get a tax invoice or input tax credit, so agree the price on that basis and keep a written bill of sale.
