The Ministry of Finance has issued Notification No. 15/2025 - Central Tax (S.O. 4205(E)) providing a major compliance relief for small businesses under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. On the recommendations of the GST Council, the government has exempted registered persons with an aggregate turnover of up to Rs 2 crore in any financial year from filing the GST annual return (Form GSTR-9) for FY 2024-25 and onwards.
Key Highlights of the Notification
Exemption from Annual Return Filing
- Registered taxpayers with turnover up to Rs 2 crore will not be required to file the annual GST return.
- This exemption applies for the financial year 2024-25 onwards, bringing permanent relief to small taxpayers.
Legal Basis
- The notification has been issued under the first proviso to Section 44(1) of the CGST Act, 2017, empowering the Commissioner to exempt certain classes of registered persons from filing annual returns.
Who Benefits?
- Small taxpayers, MSMEs, and small traders with turnover below the ₹2 crore threshold.
- This move reduces compliance costs and eases the GST filing burden on businesses with limited resources.
Background
Since the introduction of GST in 2017, the annual return (Form GSTR-9) has been a mandatory compliance requirement for most taxpayers. However, over the years, the government has consistently provided relief to small taxpayers through annual exemptions. This latest notification makes the exemption applicable from FY 2024-25 onwards, offering long-term certainty.
Official copy of the notification has been attached
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