To verify a GST number, first check its format and check digit (the GSTIN validator does this offline). Then open www.gst.gov.in, go to Search Taxpayer > Search by GSTIN/UIN, enter the number and confirm three things: the status is Active, the legal or trade name matches your customer, and the filing table shows recent GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B returns. FundRaksha Trust shows all of this in one view.
The three checks
| Check | What it catches | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Format and check digit | Typos, invented numbers, wrong state code | GSTIN validator, offline |
| Status and name | Cancelled or suspended registration; a GSTIN that belongs to someone else | GST portal Search Taxpayer, or FundRaksha Trust |
| Return filing | A business that has stopped filing, a warning sign for both credit risk and your own input credit | Show Filing Table on the portal |
Most people stop at the first or second check. The third matters just as much: a registration can be active while the business has not filed for months, which is often the first visible sign of trouble.
Official steps on the GST portal
- Open www.gst.gov.in. You do not need to log in.
- Go to Search Taxpayer, then Search by GSTIN/UIN.
- Enter the 15-character GSTIN, type the captcha and click Search.
- Read the result: legal name, trade name, effective date of registration, constitution of business, GSTIN/UIN status, taxpayer type, administrative office, principal place of business and nature of business activities.
- Click Show Filing Table to see which returns were filed, for which period and on what date.
If you have only the PAN, use Search Taxpayer > Search by PAN to list every GSTIN registered against it, state by state. See PAN to GSTIN search.
Why a supplier should verify before giving credit
When you sell on credit, the GSTIN on your invoice is often the most reliable identifier you have for the buyer. If it is wrong, your invoice is wrong: the tax you report in GSTR-1 lands in someone else's account, the buyer cannot claim credit and has a reason to delay payment, and if the matter reaches a legal notice or MSME Samadhaan you will have to prove who the buyer actually is.
- A cancelled or suspended GSTIN suggests the business may be closing, under scrutiny or not filing. Ask for advance payment.
- A name that does not match the purchase order means you may be dealing with an intermediary. Find out who the real buyer is before delivery.
- An active GSTIN with regular returns, registered for several years, is a reasonable basis for normal credit terms.
Worked example
A Rajkot pump maker gets a first order of ₹4,20,000 on 30 days' credit from a Hyderabad dealer. The GSTIN passes the format check: 36 is Telangana and the 4th PAN character is C, a company. On the portal the status is Active, but the legal name is a different company from the one on the purchase order, and the filing table shows no GSTR-3B for the last four months. The supplier asks for 50% advance and the balance on delivery. A two-minute check has changed a ₹4.2 lakh credit exposure into ₹2.1 lakh at most, and only until delivery.
FundRaksha Trust gives the status, names, registration date and filing record in one place, so the decision can be made while the buyer is still on the phone.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-21. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.