Deadline for filing annual GST returns extended till March 31

New Delhi : The government has extended the last date of filing annual Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns by three months till March 31, 2019 providing much-needed relief to businesses struggling to comply with the year-end deadline.

"The competent authority has decided to extend the due date for filing Form GSTR-9, Form GSTR-9A and Form GSTR-9C till March 31, 2019. The requisite forms shall be made available on the GST common portal shortly," an official statement said.

The GSTR-9 (normal taxpayers), GSTR-9A (composition taxpayers) and GSTR-9C (reconciliation statement) forms relating to details of sales, purchases and input tax credit (ITC) during fiscal 2017-18 were to be filed by December 31, 2018.

The three forms were notified in September, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said in a statement.