23 September 2017
Dear Sir, My question is Section 46 of the CGST Rules, 2017 provides “a consecutive serial number of Invoice. A GST dealer sell product many portal Like : Filipkart, amazon etc. but serial number of Invoice auto generated by system ( for example) Filipkart : Fa00001,...........10 Amazon : IN-01 ................10,
23 July 2025
Your question relates to **Section 46 of the CGST Rules, 2017**, which deals with the **format and requirements of a Tax Invoice**, particularly about **serial numbering**.
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### 🧾 **What Section 46 of the CGST Rules Says:**
Section 46 (of the CGST Rules), read with **Rule 46(b)**, mandates:
> “A **consecutive serial number not exceeding sixteen characters**, in **one or multiple series**, containing **alphabets or numerals or special characters** (like hyphen or slash) **unique for a financial year** shall be mentioned on every tax invoice.”
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### ✅ **Now to Your Scenario:**
You are selling through **multiple e-commerce platforms**, like:
* **Flipkart** uses auto-generated invoice numbers: `FA00001`, `FA00002`, etc. * **Amazon** uses: `IN-01`, `IN-02`, etc.
This means:
* You are **maintaining separate series for each platform**. * Each series is **consecutive** and **unique for the financial year**.
👉 **This is absolutely permitted** under Rule 46. The law **allows multiple series** of invoice numbers **as long as each is consecutive and unique**.
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### ✅ **Conclusion:**
✔️ **It is **RIGHT** under GST** to use separate invoice number series (e.g., `FA0001` for Flipkart, `IN-01` for Amazon), **provided**:
1. Each series is **consecutive**. 2. Each series is **unique within the financial year**. 3. The invoices are **properly documented** and **reflected in your books and GSTR filings**.
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Let me know if you want a sample format for multi-series invoicing or guidance on reconciling e-commerce sales with GSTR-1!