According to the GST rules, e-invoices must be reported to the Invoice Registration Portal (IRP) within the same month in which they are issued1. If the taxpayer fails to do so, he may face a penalty of Rs. 10,000 per invoice or 100% of the tax amount, whichever is higher2.
However, if the taxpayer has filed the remaining two invoices and paid the tax along with interest in the next month’s GSTR-3B, he may avoid the penalty by showing a reasonable cause for the delay. The GST authorities may consider the fact that the taxpayer has a new accountant who made a mistake and rectified it in the subsequent month. The taxpayer may also request for a waiver or reduction of the penalty by filing an application in Form GST DRC-203.
The taxpayer should also ensure that he files the GSTR-1 return for the month in which the invoices were issued and report the correct details of the invoices. He should also reconcile the e-invoices with the GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B returns to avoid any mismatch or duplication