GST Number Search by Name: How to Find a GSTIN, Verify It Online, and Decode the Format

No, not directly. The official GST portal has only two search fields, GSTIN/UIN and PAN, with no field to type a business name. To find a GSTIN when you only have a name, get the number from an invoice, the business's own website, or by asking the business directly, then verify it using the search tool on this page or at services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp.

First get the GSTIN itself, since no government tool searches by name alone. Check a tax invoice from the business (GSTIN display is mandatory on every invoice), the business's website footer or contact page, or a purchase order or delivery challan already exchanged with them. Once you have the 15-character GSTIN, enter it into the search tool at the top of this page to confirm the legal name matches.

Enter the 15-digit GSTIN into the search tool on this page and click Search for instant results, including legal name, trade name, registration date, taxpayer type, and active/cancelled status. Alternatively, go to services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp, select "Search by GSTIN/UIN", enter the GSTIN, and complete the CAPTCHA.

A GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number) is a unique 15-character alphanumeric code assigned to every GST-registered business in India. The format is a 2-digit state code, a 10-character PAN, a 1-digit entity number, the fixed letter Z, and a 1-character check code. It is issued by GSTN (GST Network) under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

A GSTIN is exactly 15 characters. Positions 1-2 are the state code (01 to 38), positions 3-12 are the PAN of the business, position 13 is the entity number, position 14 is always the letter Z, and position 15 is a check digit. Example: 27AAPFU0939F1ZV is a Maharashtra-registered taxpayer.

The first two digits of a GSTIN are the state code. Each Indian state and Union Territory has a unique 2-digit code: 07 is Delhi, 27 is Maharashtra, 29 is Karnataka, 33 is Tamil Nadu, 36 is Telangana, 19 is West Bengal, 09 is Uttar Pradesh, 24 is Gujarat, 32 is Kerala. The full list of all 38 state codes is in the state code table on this page.

Yes. On the GST portal at services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp, select "Search by PAN" and enter the 10-character PAN number. The portal returns every GSTIN registered under that PAN, including registrations in different states, which is useful when a business has multiple state registrations.

Not as a combined filter. PAN search and name search are different tools, and the portal does not let you add a name filter on top of a PAN search. If you have both, use the PAN to run the actual search, then use the name only to cross-check that the legal name returned matches the business you expect.

Enter the GSTIN into the search tool on this page or at services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp. Every GSTIN search already returns the legal name and trade name registered against it, so no separate reverse lookup tool is needed.

No, not directly. A sole proprietorship's GSTIN is registered under the business's trade name linked to the proprietor's PAN, and a partnership or LLP's GSTIN is registered under the firm's legal name linked to the firm's PAN. Neither the proprietor's personal name nor an individual partner's name is a searchable field on the GST portal. Search using the firm's PAN, or ask the business for its GSTIN directly.

No government tool performs a live name-to-GSTIN search. Third-party sites advertising "search GST by name" are querying their own stored database of GSTINs looked up by earlier users, not a live government name index, so their coverage is incomplete and can be outdated. Verify anything they return against services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp before relying on it.

Search the GSTIN on the official GST portal or the search tool on this page. The result shows a status field: "Active" means the registration is currently valid, "Cancelled" means it was surrendered or revoked, and "Suspended" means it is temporarily restricted. Any invoice issued with a cancelled GSTIN is invalid for an ITC claim.

GST registration is mandatory for businesses with annual turnover above ₹40 lakh (goods) or ₹20 lakh (services) in normal states, above ₹20 lakh (goods) or ₹10 lakh (services) in special category states, all e-commerce operators and sellers on e-commerce platforms, inter-state suppliers regardless of turnover, and those required to pay GST under reverse charge.

For FY 2025-26: aggregate turnover above ₹40 lakh for goods suppliers in normal states, ₹20 lakh for goods suppliers in special category states, ₹20 lakh for service providers in normal states, and ₹10 lakh for service providers in special category states. E-commerce operators and sellers have no threshold at all.

A GSTIN is exactly 15 characters, mixing letters and digits. Any number that is shorter or longer is not a valid GSTIN. If a supplier gives you a number with fewer or more than 15 characters, it has either been stated incorrectly or is not a GSTIN at all.

The 14th character of every GSTIN is always the letter Z. It does not vary between GSTINs and carries no business-specific meaning. GSTN includes it as part of the check-digit algorithm that verifies GSTIN integrity, and any GSTIN where position 14 is not Z is invalid.

Yes. GST number search, both on the official GST portal and the search tool on this page, is completely free with no login or registration required. The search returns the legal name, trade name, registration date, state, taxpayer type, and status at no cost.

A single PAN can have one GSTIN per state. A business operating in 5 states registers separately in each and gets 5 GSTINs, all sharing the same embedded PAN. The entity number in position 13 of the GSTIN increments if a business registers more than one vertical within the same state.

First verify on the GST portal that the GSTIN does not exist or belongs to a different business. Then file a complaint on the GST portal under Grievances, or contact your jurisdictional GST officer, or report to CBIC at cbic-gst.gov.in. Fraudulent invoices with fake GSTINs attract penalties under Section 122 of the CGST Act.

GST is the Goods and Services Tax, the unified indirect tax system in India. GSTN (GST Network) is the technology company that manages the GST IT infrastructure. GSTIN (GST Identification Number) is the unique 15-character registration number assigned to each taxpayer. When people say "GST number," they mean GSTIN.

You cannot claim Input Tax Credit on that invoice under Section 16 of the CGST Act. The tax authority can reverse the ITC, charge interest at 18% per annum from the date of claim, and impose a penalty equal to the tax amount under Section 122. Always verify a supplier's GSTIN status before accepting invoices, especially from a new vendor.

If the GSTIN search returns a different legal name than what is printed on the invoice, the invoice is likely fraudulent. Do not pay it or claim ITC on it. Report the discrepancy to your state GST authority or through the GST portal grievance system; a genuine trade name vs legal name mismatch can usually be clarified directly with the supplier.

The Composition Scheme lets small taxpayers pay GST at a fixed flat rate on turnover instead of the normal multi-slab rates. Eligibility is annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore for manufacturers and traders and ₹75 lakh for certain service providers. Composition dealers cannot collect GST from customers or claim ITC.

Core documents are the PAN of the business, Aadhaar of the authorized signatory, proof of place of business such as a rent agreement, bank account details, and a photograph of the signatory. Companies additionally need an incorporation certificate and MOA/AOA, and partnerships need a partnership deed.

GST registration is processed within 7 working days if all documents are in order and no query is raised. If an officer raises a query, the applicant gets 7 days to respond, after which the officer has another 7 working days to approve or reject. Total time with a query is typically 15 to 20 working days.

No. Every seller on an e-commerce platform must register for GST regardless of turnover, under Section 24 of the CGST Act, and the usual threshold exemption does not apply to them. E-commerce operators, the platform companies themselves, are also mandatorily registered.

UIN (Unique Identification Number) is issued to entities that are not liable to pay GST but need a GST identity to claim refunds on tax paid on their purchases, such as UN bodies, embassies, and similar organizations. UIN lookups can be done on the GST portal alongside ordinary GSTIN searches.