Smart Books collects the sales and purchase vouchers you have already posted and turns them into GST return worksheets, so you do not have to retype figures. This guide shows how to open a return, choose the right period, check the numbers and save or file it.
Before you start
- Post all sales, purchase, credit note and debit note vouchers for the month first. Drafts are not counted as posted entries.
- Select one branch in the company bar at the top. GST returns belong to a branch's GSTIN, so the GST page shows a "Select a branch" notice when All branches is chosen.
- To fetch data from the GST portal (for example GSTR-2B or GSTR-3B), add your GST portal credentials under Workspace → Credentials.
Open the GST page and pick a period
Select GST in the left menu. The page shows your branch's registration type and groups everything under Returns, Registers, Summaries and Reconciliation. Use the period bar to choose the month you want to file. When you then open a monthly return, Smart Books carries that month across.
Only returns that apply to the branch's registration are shown. If you open one that does not apply, Smart Books says "Return not applicable for this branch" and offers a button to open a suitable return instead, or to go to Manage branch registration.
Prepare GSTR-1 (sales)
GSTR-1 lists the sales you made. Choose GSTR-1 under Returns. You can pick a Frequency in the period bar. Quarterly filing is available only for branches registered to file GSTR-1 quarterly (the QRMP scheme).
Read the sections on screen, such as business-to-business sales, consumer sales, HSN summary, exports, credit/debit notes and the document summary. If a section is missing an invoice, use the entry option for that section, which opens the matching sales screen. Post the missing voucher, then come back and the report refreshes.
When the figures look right, select Save draft to keep a copy, or File return. For GSTR-1, File return opens a window called Upload GSTR-1 to GST portal. Enter the one-time password the GST portal sends to the mobile number and email registered with your GSTIN, and Smart Books checks the data against portal rules before upload. If the check finds errors, fix them in your vouchers first. After upload, Smart Books tells you to sign in at gst.gov.in, open Returns, choose the period and GSTR-1, generate the summary and file with a digital signature (DSC) or EVC OTP on the portal.
Prepare GSTR-3B (monthly summary)
Choose GSTR-3B. The page shows the tax you owe and the input tax credit (ITC), which is the GST you paid on purchases and can set off. Select Sync GSTR-3B from portal to compare with portal figures; enter the OTP if asked. Then use Save draft or File return.
Match purchases with GSTR-2B
Choose GSTR-2B and select Sync GSTR-2B, then enter the portal OTP. After syncing you can download the data with Download JSON or Download CSV. Use the Reconciliation column of the GST page, such as GSTR-2B Recon, to see which supplier bills are missing from your books.
Check what you filed
Scroll to Return history at the bottom of the GST page. It lists each return, its period, its status and the date filed. The page also has E-way Bill and E-Invoice shortcuts if you need those documents.
If something does not look right
- If a return is empty, check the period and that the right branch is selected.
- If Save draft and File return are not shown, the selected period may not be a filing period for that branch.
- If portal sync is blocked, add or refresh your credentials under Workspace → Credentials.