Sometimes you need to see exactly what went to the GST portal, or what would go. Your accountant may ask for it, you may have to file a bill by hand on the portal, or you may simply want a copy to keep beside the invoice. Billing can give you that file for any single bill.
What the file is
The file is called the NIC JSON. It holds the details of the e-Invoice or e-Way Bill in the standard layout that the portal understands. Downloading it only reads the bill. It does not file anything, cancel anything or change anything at the portal, so it is safe to do as often as you like.
Before you start
- The invoice must be posted.
- You need permission to generate e-Invoices or e-Way Bills. Without it, the e-Invoice and e-Way Bill card does not appear.
Step by step
- Open the posted sales invoice.
- Scroll down to the card named e-Invoice and e-Way Bill. It shows one box for the e-Invoice and one for the e-Way Bill.
- At the bottom of the box you want, select Download NIC JSON.
- While the file is being prepared the link reads Fetching from Smart Books…. You can still use the other buttons on the page in the meantime.
- Your browser saves the file. It is named after the bill: it starts with einvoice or eway, followed by the document number, and ends in .json.
The link is offered even when the portal is not connected. That is useful when you are filing by hand instead.
If no file arrives
Sometimes Billing cannot build the file. Instead of handing you an empty file, it shows the reasons on screen so you can fix the bill. You may see one of these:
- A message that the JSON could not be read from Smart Books just now, with a request to retry. Wait a moment and select the link again.
- A message that Smart Books could not build the payload for this bill. Correct the bill in Smart Books, for example a missing detail, and try again.
- A list of warnings from Smart Books explaining what is missing.
When to use the file
Keep the file with your records if your accountant likes to see what was sent. If you file on the portal by hand, upload the file there. If you only want to check a detail, such as the vehicle or the amounts, open the file in any text editor. Do not edit it and expect Billing to change; the bill itself can only be corrected in Smart Books.