Restaurants might be charging you GST without registering themselves under GST. Which means you’re paying GST which is going to the restaurant’s pocket, and is not authorised by the government. In fact, this is illegal and you should report this immediately!
Here’s how to find such restaurants:
Step 1. Check the GST registration number on the bill. If there is no GST number, the restaurant is not registered under GST or is not following the basic rule which is to print the GST number on the bill.
Step 2. If they have a GST number on the bill, make sure it’s a registered number. To verify the GST number, just enter it on this link: https://services.gst.gov.in/services/searchtp and check if it’s registered.
Step 3. Once the restaurants qualify for the above steps, make sure they’re charging the correct GST rates
GST is 12% (split into 6% + 6%) for restaurants matching the following criteria:
> non-AC
> roadside eateries that don’t serve alcohol
> local delivery restaurants
GST is 18% (split into 9% + 9%) for restaurants matching the following criteria:
> restaurants with full air-conditioning (both with or without alcohol)
> non-AC eateries that serve alcohol
> restaurant-cum-bars even if only the 1st floor area is AC and used for serving food and liquor while the ground floor only serves food and is non-AC.
Step 4. If the restaurant and bill qualifies for all the above 3 steps, pay it with a smile ;) If not, report the restaurant immediately after clarifying your bill verbally with the restaurant staff.
You can email to helpdesk@gst.gov.in, call 0120-4888999 or 011-23370115, or tweet to @askGST_Goi, @FinMinIndia to report.
You can also tweet to us at @durofy and we will help you take the complaint to the right people.