What does section 22 regulate?

It regulates persons liable for registration. Read the exact text, conditions, exceptions and transaction date together.

Which subordinate law should be checked?

Rule 8, Rule 9, Rule 9A, Rule 10, Rule 10A, Rule 10B, Rule 11, Rule 12, Rule 13, Rule 14, Rule 14A, Rule 15. Notifications, circulars, forms and the corresponding SGST/UTGST layer may also apply.

What evidence should be retained?

Preserve the contract or transaction record, invoice or form, portal acknowledgement, payment/ledger evidence, correspondence, legal working and the official source version used.

Can portal behaviour override the statute?

No. Portal functionality is operational evidence; legal entitlement and liability remain controlled by the Act, Rules, notifications and binding decisions.

Is GST registration compulsory for me?

Test threshold and compulsory-registration provisions separately, then determine the correct State/UT registration and effective date.

Do I need a separate GST registration in another State?

Fix the transaction date first, then follow the applicable rate/exemption notification chain. GST rates are effective-date driven, not timeless slabs.

What happens when my GST registration is suspended?

Test threshold and compulsory-registration provisions separately, then determine the correct State/UT registration and effective date.

How do I restore a cancelled GST registration?

Test threshold and compulsory-registration provisions separately, then determine the correct State/UT registration and effective date.

Section 22 - Persons liable for registration

Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta and Kajri Singh · Last reviewed 30 August 2026

Chapter VI - Registration

ACTIVE

Official source: The controlling wording and amendment notes are maintained by India Code and CBIC. Open consolidated Act PDF.

Finin2min Summary - Section in 2 Minutes

Creates turnover-based registration liability, with base thresholds and notification power for enhanced goods threshold. Base threshold is ₹20 lakh, or ₹10 lakh in specified special category States. Exclusive suppliers of goods may qualify for the notified ₹40 lakh threshold subject to conditions. Aggregate turnover is PAN-wide and all- India. Transfer/succession and amalgamation/ demerger have specific effective-date rules.

Provision position

Present in current consolidated Act

CGST chapter

Chapter VI — Registration

Legal source control

India Code + CBIC official repositories

Law checked

27 July 2026

How to use this page: Application remains transaction-date sensitive: check commencement, amendment history, Rules, notifications and State/UT overlay before reliance. The official consolidated Act controls the statutory wording; the Finin2min layers explain how to apply and evidence it.

Why Section 22 matters

Section 22 (Persons liable for registration) is the section-level control point within Chapter VI — Registration. Registration determines the GSTIN, jurisdiction and compliance perimeter from which invoicing, returns, payments and notices follow.

Current-law and amendment control

validation 1 — controlling consolidated Act

India Code — Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. Used for the current chapter/section inventory and consolidated provision status.

validation 2 — independent official cross-check

CBIC Tax Information Portal. Use the Act HTML/PDF and amendment history together with current notifications/circulars.

Transaction-date rule: Never treat today’s consolidated wording, a portal screen or an enacted-but-uncommenced amendment as proof of the law that applied on another date. Fix the relevant tax period first.

Official statutory text

The authoritative provision, footnotes and amendment notes are maintained in the official consolidated Act. This analytical page does not re-typeset amendment markers into the running statutory sentence.

Official-source reference reviewed on 2026-07-28. Apply the version and commencement position relevant to the transaction period.

Clause-by-clause / paragraph-wise decode

Section–Rule–Form–Notification–Circular bridge

Rule 8 Rule 9 Rule 9A Rule 10 Rule 10A Rule 10B Rule 11 Rule 12 Rule 13 Rule 14 Rule 14A Rule 15 Rule 16 Rule 16A Rule 17 Rule 18

The mapping is a legal concordance, not a round-robin related-link list. It is limited to instruments listed in this repository.

Practical example

A PAN has ₹25 lakh taxable goods turnover in one State and ₹12 lakh exempt turnover elsewhere. Aggregate turnover includes both, so threshold testing is PAN-wide. PROFESSIONAL ALERT The ₹40 lakh limit is not universal and does not apply where disqualifying supplies/registrations exist.

Professional alert

Confirm the transaction-date amendment and commencement position before reliance.

Finin2min decision path

Identify each place of business and State/UT footprint.
Test threshold registration and compulsory-registration rules separately.
Determine the correct effective date and registration category.
Complete application/amendment/cancellation/revocation with prescribed evidence.
Update invoice, ERP, return and jurisdiction masters after any registration change.

Practical case studies

Case 1 — Section-specific application — A taxpayer encounters an issue involving persons liable for registration. The working paper should identify the exact subsection/proviso, linked Rule/Form/instrument, tax period and evidence before recording the conclusion.

Case 2 — A service business begins activity in another State. Determine whether that creates a registration requirement before issuing invoices from the new location.

Case 3 — A registration is suspended or cancelled while transactions continue. Separate the legal status, portal restrictions and corrective procedure.

Accounting, ERP & portal touchpoints

GSTIN, legal name, trade name, address, State code and registration status should be controlled master data with effective dates.

Control: keep the legal conclusion separate from system configuration; document every tax-code/master change and its effective date.

Notice, litigation & evidence risk

Incorrect registration can contaminate invoices, place-of-supply, returns and ITC. Preserve application, ARN, certificate and amendment/cancellation orders.

Evidence hierarchy: source transaction → books/ERP → statutory return/form → portal acknowledgement → legal working → correspondence/order.

Judicial position — how to read precedent

Start with binding Supreme Court authority, then the jurisdictional High Court, other High Courts and GSTAT where applicable. AAR/AAAR rulings are fact- and jurisdiction-sensitive and should not be presented as universal law. Always check whether a decision has been stayed, reviewed, distinguished or overtaken by amendment.

Open the Finin2min provision citator · Open the connected GST case-law module

Common mistakes to avoid

Using only turnover threshold and ignoring compulsory registration.
Assuming one GSTIN covers every State.
Continuing old GSTIN master data after cancellation or restructuring.
Missing the effective-date consequences of registration changes.

Questions professionals actually ask

Is GST registration compulsory for me?: Test threshold and compulsory-registration provisions separately, then determine the correct State/UT registration and effective date.
Do I need a separate GST registration in another State?: Fix the transaction date first, then follow the applicable rate/exemption notification chain. GST rates are effective-date driven, not timeless slabs.
What happens when my GST registration is suspended?: Test threshold and compulsory-registration provisions separately, then determine the correct State/UT registration and effective date.
How do I restore a cancelled GST registration?: Test threshold and compulsory-registration provisions separately, then determine the correct State/UT registration and effective date.

Related law and practical resources

Chapter VI guide Practical GST pathways CGST Rules GST Forms Notifications Circulars Provision citator Case law GST Portal controls State/UT overlays

Finin2min takeaway: Section 22 should never be applied alone. Read the exact provision, the connected Rules/forms/instruments, the transaction date, the State/UT overlay and the binding judicial position together.

Implementation checklist

Fix the transaction, taxable period and jurisdiction.
Read every subsection, proviso, explanation and omission marker.
Open the mapped Rule, form, notification and circular.
Test State/UT variation and portal version.
Preserve evidence, approvals, working papers and acknowledgements.
Record the conclusion, assumptions, source date and reviewer.

Evidence and retention checklist

Contract, purchase order, invoice or underlying transaction document.
Registration, return, ledger, challan and portal acknowledgement.
Official Act/Rule/notification version used and effective date.
Internal tax position paper, computation and management approval.
Correspondence, notices, replies, orders and appeal papers where applicable.

Practical Q&A

What does section 22 regulate?: It regulates persons liable for registration. Read the exact text, conditions, exceptions and transaction date together.
Which subordinate law should be checked?: Rule 8, Rule 9, Rule 9A, Rule 10, Rule 10A, Rule 10B, Rule 11, Rule 12, Rule 13, Rule 14, Rule 14A, Rule 15. Notifications, circulars, forms and the corresponding SGST/UTGST layer may also apply.
What evidence should be retained?: Preserve the contract or transaction record, invoice or form, portal acknowledgement, payment/ledger evidence, correspondence, legal working and the official source version used.
Can portal behaviour override the statute?: No. Portal functionality is operational evidence; legal entitlement and liability remain controlled by the Act, Rules, notifications and binding decisions.

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