Enhancements to Address-Related Fields in GST Registration Functionalities
July 4th, 2024
Dear Taxpayers,
The GST Network (GSTN) has implemented several enhancements to the address-related fields in the GST registration functionalities. These enhancements apply to New Registration, Amendment Application (Core & Non-Core), and Geocoding Business Addresses. They are based on the analysis of tickets and user feedback. Here are the detailed changes:
1. Updated Validations for Address Fields
a. Address within India:
- Interlinked Fields: The fields PIN Code, State, District, and City/Town/Village are now interlinked and must be selected from the autosuggestions provided by the system.
- Special Characters: For other fields, taxpayers can use alphanumeric values along with limited special characters such as Hyphen (-), Forward Slash (/), Ampersand (&), Comma (,), Apostrophes (‘), Hash(#), Period(.), Small Brackets (), Inverted Commas (“”), Colon (:), Semi Colon (;), Underscore (_) and Space. Special characters are not allowed at the beginning of the entry.
- Example: You can input “123 Main St. #4, Apt (5A)” but not “#123 Main St.” as special characters like the hash (#) are not permitted at the beginning.
b. Address outside India:
- Allowed Values: Taxpayers can enter values for Zip Code, State, and District without special characters ` {}.
- Special Characters: For other fields, taxpayers can enter alphanumeric values and limited special characters as mentioned above. Special characters are not allowed at the beginning of the entry for fields other than Zip Code, District, and State.
2. Instructions for Input Values
Proper instructions have been added to address fields, indicating the allowed and not allowed input values for each specific field. When hovering over the icon next to the field, taxpayers can view these instructions for guidance.
3. Impact on Existing Data
These changes will not affect data already saved in the system, even if it contains special characters that are no longer allowed. However, if a taxpayer files an amendment application and edits the tab containing address details, the system will validate the address based on the new logic.
4. Addressing Common Issues
The changes address common issues reported by users, such as being unaware of the allowed characters in address fields or confusion over editable fields versus drop-down menu selections. For instance, taxpayers previously inserted a hash (#) at the beginning of the Building Number field. In such cases, the help desk advised them to remove the hash (#) and resubmit the application.
5. Applicability
These changes apply to the following taxpayer categories:
- Normal Taxpayers – Regular
- SEZ Unit
- SEZ Developer
- Composition
- Input Service Distributer
- Casual Taxpayers
6. Locality/Sub-locality Field
The Locality/Sub-locality field is not mandatory. If this field is left blank or mapped to a different Pin Code, the system will display warning messages:
- Messages: “Locality/Sub-locality does not match the Pin Code. Do you want to save the details?” or “You have not filled in Locality/Sub-locality. Do you want to save the details and proceed further?”
- Example: If you enter Pin Code 123456 but leave the Locality/Sub-locality field blank, the message will read: “You have not filled in Locality/Sub-locality. Do you want to save the details and proceed further?”
- Action: Click “YES” to proceed and the system will allow you to continue with the registration.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Team GSTN
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