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  • Should a blogger need GST registration in India?


    Are you a blogger? Are you in search of the information if a blogger needs GST registration in India? Our technical experts are here to guide you.

    I am a blogger and have a few blogs which are monetized by AdSense. I am also earning some money by Affiliate marketing. The income I am getting for all this is very low and hardly earn Rs. 6000 after 4-5 months. Still, do I need GST registration in India?

    I have heard somewhere that one needs to file for GST if his or her income from blog or affiliate marketing is more than 20 lacs annually. Please enlighten on this.
  • Answers

    5 Answers found.
  • There is no clear documentation available whether GST is applicable for the bloggers or not. Under the standard conditions, anyone who is earning more than Rs. 20 Lakh per annum should register for GST. However, if you are someone dealing in interstate business or transactions, you need to register for GST compulsorily. As an overview, the same logic should be applied to the blogging profession as well.
    Having said that, how do bloggers earn? Through advertisements. The advertisement is a taxable service as envisaged in the GST act. Since the blogger publishes ads on his platform, he is termed as the supplier and the one who places the ads is the receiver. As such, the blogger should charge the GST to the receiver. From that point of view, a conflict arises in case of bloggers. Is the blogger a supplier? By the face of it, since a blogger publishes the ads on his platform, he is indeed the supplier. But, the people who place the ads are not the direct receivers. Google who makes the payment acts as a clearing house. Bloggers though act as suppliers have no access to how much Google gets paid for the ads by the companies placing the ad.
    As such, as you can see there is no clear understanding in the GST rules as of now. I would request the bloggers not to worry about registering for the GST as of now. Until the exact guidelines emerge, it would be advisable to stay at your current status.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • As per GST guidelines a person whose revenue turnover is not more than Rs 20 lacs ( Rs 10 lacs in some states of India) per year need not to register for GST.

    In absence of clear GST guidelines for blogging, the above guideline is helpful for many people who are earning money from online blogging or likewise activities but their revenue is limited to above limit.

    Those who are earning beyond those limits will have to wait till clear guidelines are issued.

    Interestingly if any online company of Indian origin is deducting GST from the payment then the payee can also register for GST and get it back in his GST return.

    So Govt is using GST as a conduit to catch the transactions rather to collect huge revenues.

    Knowledge is power.

  • Bank account is linked with the revenue and transaction, so, one has to go through it if incomes are higher or touch the given slab, and file for the deduction accordingly.

    Regards,

  • For the amount that you are getting, there is no need to get GST registration. One thing to remember here is that if you fall in taxable income bracket, do pay taxes on the AdSense earning as well.


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