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Do not pay, click, or share an OTP because an unexpected GST message looks urgent. Preserve the message and attachments, identify the authority and reference number, verify it through the matching official service, and then sign in to the GST Portal manually to check the notice and its attachments. Read the actual notice for its form, legal provision, tax period, allegations, reply channel, and deadline. A PDF without a visible digital signature is not automatically fake: GSTN’s 25 September 2024 advisory says portal-generated documents can be verified by their Reference Number (RFN) through the GST common portal.
If the notice involves a large demand, disputed facts, missing records, a fraud allegation, or an imminent deadline, obtain advice from a qualified Indian GST practitioner or tax lawyer promptly.
How do I verify a GST notice is genuine?
Use the verification method that matches the issuing route. A GST Portal-generated communication is normally checked with its RFN. A Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) communication may require a DIN, GSTN RFN, or eOffice Issue Number, depending on the platform and document. A GSTIN search only confirms taxpayer registration details; it does not authenticate a particular notice.
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- Save the original email, SMS, portal alert, PDF, attachments, and the date and time received.
- Keep the sender address, telephone number, message headers where available, and the exact reference number visible on the document.
- Do not open an attachment that your security software identifies as malicious. Preserve the original file separately if it is safe to do so.
- Do not click a payment, login, or “verify” link in a threatening message. Type the known GST Portal address into your browser or use a saved official bookmark.
2. Identify the issuing authority and identifier
Look at the letterhead, officer designation, office name, document title, and identifier. Do not assume that every number printed on a GST document is an RFN or DIN. The identifier determines which official verifier to use.
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| Communication route | Identifier to look for | Official check | What to compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| GST Portal-generated notice or order | RFN (Reference Number) | GST Portal Verify RFN, before login or after login | Document reference, issuing officer and purpose |
| DGGI or related communication | DIN, GSTN RFN, or eOffice Issue Number | DGGI Public Services verifier for the identifier shown | Document details returned by the verifier and the printed communication |
| Taxpayer identity cross-check | GSTIN or UIN | GST Portal Search Taxpayer | Legal name and registration details |
DGGI’s public-services guidance cautions: “Do not act on suspicious communication unless the relevant DIN, RFN No., or eOffice Issue No. is validated.” That warning does not mean every document without a visible DIN is invalid; it means you should use the identifier required for that communication route.
3. Verify a GST Portal document with Verify RFN
- Open the official GST Portal by navigating to it yourself; do not use a link in the message.
- Use the pre-login Verify RFN facility, or sign in and go to Dashboard > Services > User Services > Verify RFN.
- Enter the RFN and any other details requested by the service.
- Compare the returned document information with the PDF or message: reference number, issuing officer, document purpose, taxpayer details, and date.
- Save or print the verification result with the original document.
GSTN’s advisory dated 25 September 2024 explains that portal-generated document data is stored with the issuing officer’s digital signature and can be verified through RFN. Therefore, the absence of a visible digital-signature graphic on a downloaded PDF, by itself, is not proof of forgery.
4. Check the notice after signing in
- Manually navigate to the GST Portal and sign in with your own credentials.
- Open Services > User Services > View Additional Notices/Orders.
- Find the item matching the communication’s reference, subject, tax period, and date.
- Open the portal copy and download every attachment, annexure, statement, and order linked to it.
- Confirm that the GSTIN and legal name, issuing authority, reference number, subject, tax period, and stated response route are consistent.
Portal presence is a strong cross-check, but it is not a substitute for checking the issuing route. If the communication says it came from DGGI or another office using a separate system, validate its DIN, RFN, or eOffice Issue Number through that authority’s official service as well.
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5. Use Search Taxpayer only for identity
Search the GSTIN or UIN in the GST Portal’s Search Taxpayer service. Compare the legal name and registration details with the notice. This can reveal a mistyped GSTIN or an impersonation attempt. It cannot establish that the named officer issued the notice, that the allegations are correct, or that the document is currently enforceable.
6. Treat conflicts and failed verification as a stop signal
Do not pay through a message link or disclose passwords, one-time passwords, digital-signature credentials, or bank details when:
- the relevant identifier is missing where the issuing authority requires one;
- the verifier returns no match or returns a different taxpayer, officer, purpose, or document;
- the GST Portal account has no corresponding notice and the claimed route is unclear;
- the document asks for an unusual payment method, personal account transfer, remote-access software, or an immediate OTP;
- the attachment contains a different GSTIN, legal name, period, or demand from the portal record.
Contact the authority using contact information independently obtained from an official government page, or seek professional advice. Do not reply to a suspicious sender merely to ask whether the message is genuine.
How do I respond to a GST notice?
There is no single response deadline or universal form for every GST notice. Start with the notice actually served, not a generic deadline chart. The service date, statutory provision, proceeding type, tax period, and instructions printed on the document control what you must do.
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Create a working copy and record these items exactly:
- date and method of service;
- reply-by date and any hearing date;
- form number or document title;
- issuing authority and officer;
- legal section or rule cited;
- tax periods and GSTINs involved;
- alleged tax, interest, penalty, or input-tax-credit amount;
- factual allegations and the documents requested;
- specified reply form, portal menu, email address, or other filing channel.
Download the notice and attachments from the official portal where available. Preserve the RFN, DIN, eOffice Issue Number, acknowledgement, and file names so that you can prove which version you answered.
2. Determine whether the document is a show-cause notice, order, or another communication
A request for information, a scrutiny communication, a show-cause notice, an adjudication order, and a recovery or payment communication can have different forms and remedies. Read the heading, statutory provision, operative paragraph, and filing instructions together. Do not infer the procedure solely from the word “notice” in an email subject.
3. Understand when DRC-06 applies
The official GST forms catalogue describes FORM GST DRC-06 as “Reply to the Show Cause Notice.” The same catalogue identifies DRC-01 as the officer’s summary of a show-cause notice. DRC-06 is therefore relevant when the actual proceeding is a show-cause notice and the notice directs or permits that route. It is not a universal answer to every GST communication.
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4. Build a point-by-point factual reply
Answer each allegation under a numbered heading that mirrors the notice. For every point:
- state whether you admit, deny, or partly accept the allegation;
- give the relevant facts in date order;
- identify the return, invoice, ledger, challan, e-way bill, contract, correspondence, or prior submission supporting those facts;
- explain any calculation, reconciliation, correction, or payment;
- state the relief or action you request, such as dropping an allegation, correcting a factual error, accepting a reconciliation, or granting an opportunity to clarify.
Do not replace evidence with a general statement that the notice is wrong. If a figure differs from your books, show the calculation and identify the records from which each amount is drawn.
5. Assemble and label evidence
Use clear file names and an index. Typical records include filed returns, invoices, credit or debit notes, purchase and sales registers, electronic cash and credit ledgers, payment challans, e-way bills, bank records, contracts, delivery evidence, reconciliations, and earlier replies. Label each annexure and refer to it in the corresponding paragraph. Remove unrelated personal information where it is not needed, but do not alter a record’s substance.
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Check that scans are readable, dates and amounts match the written reply, and the total upload size and file types meet the portal’s requirements. Keep the original files and a complete, dated copy of the final submission.
6. File through the specified channel
- Sign in to the GST Portal yourself and open the application or notice workflow named in the communication.
- Complete the prescribed fields, attach the final reply and indexed evidence, and review the GSTIN, period, amount, and declaration.
- Submit using the authorised electronic-signature or verification method available to the taxpayer.
- Download the acknowledgement, ARN, submission receipt, or other proof of delivery immediately.
- Store the proof with the notice, reply, attachments, and a note of the submission date and time.
If the notice specifies an official email, physical submission, or another government system instead of the GST Portal, use that channel exactly as instructed and retain delivery evidence. A draft saved in the portal is not the same as a filed reply.
7. Deal with missing records or a near deadline
Do not wait for perfect evidence if the deadline is close. File a truthful response identifying what is available, explain which records are being obtained, and request any relief that the applicable procedure permits. Never invent invoices, backdate explanations, or upload altered records. Ask a qualified GST professional whether a hearing request, additional submission, correction, or other procedural step is available in your case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Notice reply and appeal are different stages
An initial reply to a show-cause notice is not an appeal against an adjudication or demand order. Treating one as the other can cause a missed remedy.
| Feature | Reply to a show-cause notice | Appeal against a communicated order |
|---|---|---|
| Starting document | Show-cause notice alleging tax, interest, penalty, or another contravention | Communicated decision or adjudication order |
| Typical GST Portal route | The route and form stated in the notice; DRC-06 is the catalogue entry for a show-cause reply | Services > User Services > My Applications > Appeal to Appellate Authority |
| Period described in the GST Portal FAQ | The notice-specific deadline controls | Three months ordinarily; up to one additional month may be condoned for sufficient cause |
| Pre-deposit described in the GST Portal FAQ | Not the appeal pre-deposit | 10% of disputed tax is described as the minimum before appeal |
The three-month period, possible one-month condonation, and 10% figure come from the GST Portal FAQ for FORM GST APL-01. Confirm the current statute, order type, service date, and any applicable special rule before relying on them. A reply deadline printed on a notice does not become an appeal deadline, and filing a reply does not automatically replace an appeal.
What sections 73 and 74 signal
The provision printed on the notice helps identify the allegation, but the section heading alone does not prove the department’s case.
Section 73
CBIC’s current Act text describes section 73 as covering tax not paid or short paid, erroneous refunds, or input tax credit wrongly availed or utilised for reasons other than fraud, wilful misstatement, or suppression of facts. Read the notice’s factual paragraphs and period carefully; do not assume that every discrepancy is a section 73 matter.
Section 74
Section 74 addresses comparable tax, refund, or input-tax-credit matters alleged to arise through fraud, wilful misstatement, or suppression of facts to evade tax. The displayed section 74 text is expressly limited to periods up to financial year 2023-24. Because amendments and section numbering can change, use the provision and period printed on your notice and check the current law before drafting admissions or defences.
Common mistakes that make a response weaker
- Ignoring a notice because the PDF has no visible signature, despite a valid RFN and matching portal record.
- Assuming a GSTIN lookup proves that the notice was authorised.
- Using DRC-06 automatically without confirming that the document is a show-cause notice.
- Replying to a message link instead of checking the logged-in GST Portal.
- Sending a narrative without answering each allegation or reconciling the amount claimed.
- Uploading evidence without an index, labels, or a copy retained by the taxpayer.
- Confusing a notice reply with an appeal against an order.
- Paying a demand or sharing credentials before the identifier and issuing route are validated.
- Waiting until the last day to discover that the portal account, digital signature, or authorised signatory is not ready.
A practical decision path
- Message received: preserve it and avoid its links.
- Authority identified: note whether it is a GST Portal, DGGI, or another official route.
- Identifier validated: use Verify RFN or the relevant DGGI verifier.
- Portal cross-check complete: inspect View Additional Notices/Orders and attachments.
- Proceeding classified: determine whether it is a show-cause notice, order, information request, or another process.
- Deadline recorded: use the date and method of service stated in the actual document.
- Reply prepared: answer point by point and attach indexed evidence.
- Submission proved: retain the ARN, acknowledgement, or other delivery record.
- Specialist advice obtained: do this promptly for high-value, contested, fraud-related, record-intensive, or appeal matters.
The safest response is neither to ignore an alarming message nor to obey it immediately. Authenticate the route and document first, then follow the procedure and deadline printed on the genuine notice.
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