General information, not tax or legal advice. GST and transport rules change from time to time. Check the official source linked below, or ask your CA, before acting on anything here.
The basic rule
- Sale within the same State (intra-State): charge CGST + SGST. The GST rate is split into two equal halves — one for the Centre, one for the State. In a Union territory without its own legislature, UTGST takes the place of SGST.
- Sale to another State (inter-State): charge IGST at the full rate.
The total tax is the same either way. What changes is which government receives it — and that is why charging the wrong type causes trouble.
How to find the place of supply
“Within the State” or “to another State” is decided by comparing where you are (your registered location) with the place of supply. For goods, the IGST Act sets the place of supply like this:
- If the goods are moved (by you, the buyer or a transporter): the place where the movement ends for delivery to the buyer.
- If the goods are delivered to someone else on the buyer's instruction (“bill to one, ship to another”): the principal place of business of the person who gave the instruction.
- If the goods are not moved at all — for example the buyer takes them from your counter: the place where the goods are at the time of delivery.
Three examples
| You are in | Goods go to | Tax to charge |
|---|---|---|
| Jalna, Maharashtra | Pune, Maharashtra | CGST + SGST |
| Jalna, Maharashtra | Indore, Madhya Pradesh | IGST |
| Jalna, Maharashtra | Buyer from Gujarat collects at your shop | CGST + SGST (goods delivered in Maharashtra) |
For an item with 5% GST and a taxable value of ₹10,000, the first case shows CGST 2.5% (₹250) + SGST 2.5% (₹250); the second shows IGST 5% (₹500).
Special cases
- Supplies to a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) unit or developer are treated as inter-State, so IGST applies even within the same State.
- Exports are also treated as inter-State supplies.
- Services have their own place-of-supply rules, which depend on the type of service. Check them separately.
If you charged the wrong type
If you charged CGST + SGST where IGST was due (or the other way round), paying the “right” tax does not automatically cancel the wrong one. The law lets you pay the correct tax and claim a refund of the tax paid under the wrong head. It is far easier to get it right on the invoice — so always check the buyer's State before you bill.
A quick habit
Keep the buyer's State saved with their details. The first two digits of a GSTIN are the State code (27 is Maharashtra), which is a quick way to check where a registered buyer is based.
Official sources
GOODLOAD compares your State with the buyer’s State and puts CGST + SGST or IGST on the bill for you.
Open the app