Individuals and businesses that have registered themselves under Goods and Services Tax (GST) are also provided with a plethora of services in relation to GST that are specifically available on the official GST portal https://gst.gov.in. This portal/website was launched by the government of India and is regularly maintained by the authorities of the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). Sometimes, numerous situations may occur where you will be required to look for a GST Number of a particular vendor/supplier, company, or customer online. Therefore, in order to accomplish this task, you may search GST Number by PAN for the particular person or company you are doing business with. In this article, we will show you a guide on how to search GST Number (GSTIN) by PAN (Permanent Account Number) on the official GST portal.

What is a GST Number/GSTIN?

The Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) or GST Number is a 15-digit registration number that is a composition of the state code, PAN, entity code, blank code and check sum digit. This GST Number is usually a state-specific unique number that is based on the Permanent Account Number (PAN). Thus, taxpayers can initiate inquiries and carry out other services related to tax online on the GST portal with the help of their GSTIN.

Format of GST Number

/GSTIN
Basically, the format of the Good and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) or GST Number consists of a 15-digit number. This 15-digit number is further comprised of:

* First 2 digits represent the State code
* Next 10 digits represent the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of the individual or owner of the business
* The 13th digit of GSTIN indicates the business vertical number in the same state.
* The 14th digit of GSTIN is set default to letter ‘Z’ (for future use)
* The 15th digit of GSTIN indicates the check digit

Example: A sample of a GSTIN/GST Number is shown below:

XX-ABCDEXXXXX-X-Z-X

An approximate total of 35 business verticals of the same legal entity can be registered within the same state.

Simple Guide On How To Search Your GST Number (GSTIN) Using Your PAN Details

Every taxpayer who is already registered under GST is provided with a Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN). This GSTIN is also called the GST Number, which can be used for several purposes, which include inquiry, generating forms, submitting other vital information and so on.

Because the GSTIN is generated using the taxpayers’ vital information, it is also possible to search one’s GST Number (GSTIN) via PAN as the GSTIN of a taxpayer can be easily identifiable based on his/her PAN.

Given below is a simple procedure on how to search GST Number (GSTIN) by PAN:

Steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to the official GST portal/website https://gst.gov.in.

Note: You can easily access the GST portal on any device (desktop PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone), as long as your device is connected to the Internet (Ethernet/LAN, Wi-Fi, mobile data) and has a supported web browser installed. Browsers supported are Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari.

2. When you are on the homepage, click Search Taxpayer from the main menu and click again on Search by PAN.

3. Now, you will be redirected to the Search Taxpayer page, where you are required to enter you’re (or of the person or company you are doing business with) PAN details in the Permanent Account Number (PAN) field and verify the characters displayed on the image below, then click the Search button to proceed.

4. After clicking the Search button, the process could take a few seconds and the details of the GSTIN registration with the associated PAN will be displayed on your screen.

These are all the steps required in order to search GST Number (GSTIN) by PAN.

Conclusion

The Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) or GST Number of any individual or business is crucial because at a time when you purchase goods/commodities from a vendor or supplier and you are not certain of the person’s GST Number is valid, then you may be faced with issues, especially when filing your GST return or claiming the Input Tax Credit (ITC).