GSTIN check: type or paste a supplier's GSTIN. This page checks, in your browser, that the 15 characters are correctly formed: the 2-digit State code, the PAN inside it, the registration number and the last character, a check character that catches almost every typing mistake. It cannot tell whether the GSTIN is registered or active. For the business name, address, status and return filing, use Search Taxpayer on the GST portal.
Check a GSTIN
The official Search Taxpayer page shows the legal and trade name, address, status (active, cancelled or suspended), taxpayer type and return filing of any GSTIN, without logging in. It asks for the GSTIN and a captcha, so a whole GSTIN typed here is copied for you to paste there. This page never contacts the portal, and the GSTIN you type is not sent anywhere.
What the 15 characters mean
| Characters | What they are | In 27AAPFU0939F1ZV |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | State code: where the business is registered (see the GST State code list) | 27 Maharashtra |
| 3–12 | PAN of the business (a tax deductor may use its TAN) | AAPFU0939F |
| 13 | Registration number of that PAN in the State: 1 for the first, 2 for the second, up to 9, then A to Z | 1 |
| 14 | Z for a normal registration; D for a tax deductor (TDS), C for an e-commerce operator collecting tax (TCS) | Z |
| 15 | Check character, worked out from the first 14 | V |
Other registrations, such as UIN holders (embassies, UN bodies), non-resident taxpayers and foreign online service providers, use a different middle part with no PAN; the check still tests their State code and check character.
What the PAN's 4th letter says
The 4th letter of the PAN (the 6th character of the GSTIN) tells you what kind of holder it is. In AAPFU0939F it is F: a firm.
| Letter | PAN holder |
|---|---|
P | Individual |
C | Company |
H | Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) |
F | Firm or LLP |
A | Association of Persons (AOP) |
T | Trust |
B | Body of Individuals (BOI) |
L | Local authority |
J | Artificial juridical person |
G | Government |
What this check cannot tell you
- Whether the GSTIN is active. A correctly formed GSTIN may have been cancelled or suspended. Only the GST portal shows the status.
- Whose GSTIN it is. Someone can print another business's real GSTIN on a bill. Match the legal and trade name on the portal with the bill.
- Regular or composition. Both use
Z. A composition taxpayer cannot charge GST on its bills; the portal shows the taxpayer type. - Whether returns are filed. Your input tax credit depends on the supplier filing GSTR-1. The portal shows the supplier's return filing.
See the name and status on the GST portal
- Open Search Taxpayer on the GST portal (Search Taxpayer → Search by GSTIN/UIN). No login is needed.
- Paste the GSTIN and type the captcha.
- Read the legal name, trade name, principal place of business, status, date of registration, taxpayer type and the GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filing.
How the check character works
For the curious: each of the first 14 characters gets a value (0–9 for digits, A = 10 up to Z = 35). Values in the 1st, 3rd, 5th... places are taken as they are and those in the 2nd, 4th, 6th... places are doubled. Each result is split into (result ÷ 36, whole part) + (remainder), and all of these are added up. The remainder of the total divided by 36 is taken away from 36; the answer (36 counts as 0), written as a digit or a letter, is the 15th character. A single wrong character always changes it, and two neighbouring characters swapped almost always do, so a typing mistake shows up at once.
Questions
How do I check if a GSTIN is valid?
Type or paste it on this page: it checks the 15-character format, the State code and the last (check) character in your browser. A correctly formed GSTIN can still be cancelled or belong to someone else, so then search it on the GST portal's Search Taxpayer page (services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp) for the name, address and status.
What is the format of a GSTIN?
15 characters: a 2-digit State code, the 10-character PAN of the business, a registration number (1 to 9, then A to Z), the letter Z for a normal registration and a check character. In 27AAPFU0939F1ZV, 27 is Maharashtra, AAPFU0939F the PAN, 1 the first registration, then Z and the check character V.
What does the last character of a GSTIN mean?
It is a check character worked out from the first 14 characters with a mod-36 formula. If one character is typed wrong, the last character no longer matches, so the check says the GSTIN is not valid and shows what the last character would be for the first 14.
Can I find the business name from a GSTIN on this page?
No. The legal and trade name, address, status and return filing are on the GST portal's Search Taxpayer page, which asks for a captcha. This page never contacts the portal; it copies the GSTIN so you can paste it there.
Does a correctly formed GSTIN mean the supplier can charge GST?
Not by itself. The GSTIN must also be active on the GST portal, and a composition taxpayer cannot charge GST on its bills. Check the status and taxpayer type on the portal before you pay GST to a supplier or claim input tax credit.
See also: GST State code list · GST return due dates · GST calculator
Reference only: a correctly formed GSTIN is not proof of registration. The format follows GSTN's GSTIN structure and the State codes it publishes; the name, status and filing are on the GST portal. See Sources & disclaimer.
