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GSTIN checker: is this GST number valid?

Updated · free, no login

Paste a GSTIN to check, offline, that it is a correctly built 15-character GST number: valid state code, PAN pattern, the Z and the check character. It also decodes the state and PAN. It does not show whether the GSTIN is registered or active; for that, search it on the official GST portal.

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A GST number split into state code, PAN and check character

✓ Format and check character are correct

State code (1-2)
27: Maharashtra
PAN (3-12)
AAPFU0939F
PAN holder type (6th character)
Firm / LLP
Entity number (13)
1: 1st registration of this PAN in this state
14th character
Z (default)
Check character (15)
V ✓

This does not verify registration. A GSTIN can have a perfect format and still be cancelled, suspended or never issued. To see the legal name, status and registration date, search it on the official GST portal (Search Taxpayer).

Check many GSTINs at once

How to use it

  1. Type or paste the GSTIN. Copy it from the bill or the supplier's letterhead. Spaces and lower case are fine.
  2. Read the result. The tool checks the length, the state code, the PAN pattern, the 14th character and the check character, and shows the state, PAN and PAN holder type.
  3. Fix typos. If only the check character is wrong, the tool shows what it should be for the first 14 characters. Usually one character was copied wrong; ask the party to confirm.
  4. Verify on the GST portal. A correct format does not mean the GSTIN is active. Search it on the GST portal's Search Taxpayer page to see the legal name and status before you claim input tax credit.

GSTIN structure

PositionMeaningExample: 27AAPFU0939F1ZV
1-2State code27 = Maharashtra
3-12PAN of the businessAAPFU0939F (4th letter F = firm)
13Entity number for this PAN in this state1 = first registration
14Z by defaultZ
15Check characterV

PAN holder types

P: Individual (proprietor) · C: Company · H: Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) · F: Firm / LLP · A: Association of Persons (AOP) · B: Body of Individuals (BOI) · T: Trust · L: Local authority · J: Artificial juridical person · G: Government

To check status, legal name and filing history, use the GST portal's Search Taxpayer page. More in how to check if a GST bill is genuine, and the GSTIN rules for your own bills in B2C bill rules.

Questions

Does this tool tell me if a GSTIN is active or genuine?

No. It works offline in your browser and only checks that the number is built correctly: right length, valid state code, PAN pattern and check character. A GSTIN can pass all of that and still be cancelled, suspended or never issued. For the legal name, status and registration date, search the GSTIN on the official GST portal (services.gst.gov.in, Search Taxpayer).

What do the 15 characters of a GSTIN mean?

Characters 1-2 are the state code (for example 27 Maharashtra, 24 Gujarat, 07 Delhi). Characters 3-12 are the PAN of the business. Character 13 is the entity number: 1 for the first registration of that PAN in the state, then 2-9 and A-Z. Character 14 is Z by default. Character 15 is a check character worked out from the first 14.

How is the GSTIN check character calculated?

Each of the first 14 characters is turned into a number (0-9 stay as they are, A=10 to Z=35). Alternate positions are multiplied by 1 and 2, each product is split into its quotient and remainder by 36 and added up, and the check character is the value that brings the total to a multiple of 36. That is why one wrongly copied character is almost always caught.

What does the PAN part tell me?

The 4th character of the PAN (6th of the GSTIN) shows the type of holder: P individual, C company, F firm or LLP, H HUF, A association of persons, T trust, and so on. A proprietor's GSTIN carries the owner's personal PAN.

Why would a GSTIN not have Z as the 14th character?

Regular taxpayers and composition dealers have Z there. Some special registrations, such as TDS and TCS deductors, UN bodies and embassies (UIN) and non-resident or online service suppliers, follow other patterns. This tool checks the regular format; search the others on the GST portal.

Why should a shop check a supplier's GSTIN?

Input tax credit is allowed only for tax shown on invoices from a valid registered supplier that appears in your GSTR-2B. A typo in the GSTIN on the bill, or a cancelled registration, can cost you the credit. Check new suppliers once on the portal and keep the GSTIN right in your purchase entries.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. The check runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to our server or to the GST portal. Only the optional Excel of a bulk check asks for your name and WhatsApp number once.

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