NOGST FIELD GUIDE · 7 min read
GST Registration Threshold for Freelancers and Small Businesses
For most Indian service professionals, GST registration generally becomes mandatory when aggregate turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh in a financial year. That headline number is useful—but it is not the whole rule.
Services: the general threshold
CBIC’s threshold update states ₹20 lakh for suppliers of services and ₹10 lakh in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Aggregate turnover is calculated across India for persons sharing the same PAN and includes categories beyond only taxable local sales.
Goods: a different threshold may apply
Eligible persons engaged exclusively in supplying goods may use a ₹40 lakh threshold in many states. A ₹20 lakh threshold applies in specified states and union territories, and exclusions in Notification 10/2019 must be considered.
Do not wait for the number blindly
Some persons and transactions can trigger compulsory registration below the general threshold. Check current CBIC/GST guidance or speak with a qualified adviser when you add a new sales channel, begin cross-border or inter-state work, or approach the threshold.