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To check a GST notice, open the official GST portal yourself and use Services > User Services > Verify RFN—available after login and as a pre-login service. Compare the result with the document. If it carries a CBIC issue number, check that separately on CBIC’s official document-verification site. Do not use links in a suspicious message as your starting point, and do not pay through an unverified link or personal account.
Verify an officer’s notice or order with the GST portal
- Open the GST common portal independently. Type its known official address or use a trusted bookmark; do not follow a link in an unexpected email or text.
- Record the document details. Note its reference number, date, issuing authority, tax period, form or proceeding, amount, and reply deadline. Keep the original message and attachment.
- Run Verify RFN. After login, go to Dashboard > Services > User Services > Verify RFN. Alternatively, use the portal’s pre-login Verify RFN service. Enter the reference details requested and compare the result—including officer details and stated purpose—with the document you received. GSTN’s September 25, 2024 advisory says officer communications initiated through the system can be verified pre-login through the Verify RFN service.
- Check CBIC issue numbers separately. If the document has a CBIC issue number, use CBIC Verify Document. The service asks for the issue number printed at the top-right, in a format such as I/1234567/YYYY. This check applies to documents within that service’s scope; it is not a substitute for Verify RFN for every GST communication.
A matching portal record supports that the communication is present in the relevant official system. It does not prove the amount, allegations, tax treatment, or penalty are correct.
Does a GST notice need a visible digital signature?
No visible signature on a PDF is not, by itself, proof that the document is fake. In its September 25, 2024 advisory, GSTN explained that system-generated documents may be produced after an officer logs in to the common portal using digital-signature authentication, even though the resulting PDF does not display a visible signature. Verify the reference in the portal rather than relying on the appearance of the PDF. A missing signature alone also does not establish that a document is genuine: check the official record and compare its details.
Check a claimed demand and pay only through the portal
Sign in to the GST portal independently and inspect the demand and liability information available for your account. Compare the amount, tax period, reference or order, and status with the notice. An attachment, screenshot, or payment request does not prove that a demand is recorded against your GSTIN.
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- Use the GST portal’s payment flow to create a challan for a payment that is actually due.
- Select an available payment method, such as internet banking through an authorised bank, and follow the portal’s current instructions. Bank and interface availability can change.
- Confirm the result in your account. GST portal guidance describes successful bank-confirmed payment being credited to the Electronic Cash Ledger; see Online Payments Modes.
Do not transfer money to a personal bank account, share banking credentials, or trust a payment link merely because it appears in a notice. If you made a DRC-03 payment, note that it may need to be linked to a demand using DRC-03A; a DRC-03 payment is not automatically mapped to a specific demand. See the GSTN advisory on pre-deposit payments through DRC-03.
Notice verification is different from e-invoice verification
Verify RFN is for officer communications such as notices and orders. E-invoice QR codes, signed invoice data, and Invoice Reference Number (IRN) checks are for invoices—not for authenticating a tax notice or penalty demand. For an invoice, GSTN-authorised IRIS IRP explains how recipients can verify invoice details and why checking IRN status matters, since an invoice may be cancelled after generation: see its guidance on receiving e-invoices and e-invoice tools.
What to do if verification fails or details do not match
A failed lookup, mismatch, or temporary portal problem is a reason to pause—not conclusive proof that the communication is fake. Keep the document and message, retry using the official portal, and contact the relevant GST jurisdiction using contact information obtained independently from an official source. Do not give an unexpected caller or sender your OTP, password, digital-signature credentials, bank details, or remote-access permissions.
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Read the verified notice itself and identify its form, statutory provision, tax period, amount breakdown, evidence relied on, reply channel, and deadline. Sections 73 and 74 of the CGST Act address demand-notice processes in different circumstances, including a distinction involving fraud or wilful misstatement or suppression. Which provision applies depends on the facts, period, and applicable amendments; a single penalty formula should not be assumed for every GST notice. Consult the text of section 73 and section 74, and get qualified GST advice if you dispute the demand or the stakes are significant.
The GST portal’s appeal FAQ gives a general period of three months from communication of an adjudicating authority’s decision or order for an aggrieved taxpayer or unregistered person to appeal. That general statement is not a personalized deadline calculation. Check the applicable procedure and dates promptly with a qualified GST practitioner or tax lawyer; do not let verification delay a response or appeal.
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