Importer GST Compliance at a Glance
📌 TL;DR - GST Returns for Importers Services at a Glance
Importers pay IGST at customs under Section 5(1) proviso IGST Act read with Section 3(7) Customs Tariff Act on (Assessable Value + BCD + SWS). Data flows from ICEGATE to GSTR-2B Part-D. ITC is claimed in GSTR-3B Table 4(A)(1) by reference to the BoE. The Section 16(2)(aa) supplier-reporting condition does not apply to imports since the BoE is self-paid. From October 2025, IMS has a separate Import of Goods section. Schedule III Entry 8(b) treats high sea sales / bond-to-bond as outside supply. Patron Accounting monthly compliance starts from INR 2,499 per month.
Importers face a GST compliance flow that runs across two different government systems. Customs collects IGST at the port at the time of clearance under the proviso to Section 5(1) of the IGST Act, 2017 read with Section 3(7) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and Section 12 of the Customs Act, 1962. The same data then flows from ICEGATE to GSTN and appears in GSTR-2B Part-D as Import of goods from overseas on bill of entry or Import of goods from SEZ units / developers on bill of entry. The importer claims input tax credit (ITC) in GSTR-3B Table 4(A)(1) and matches the figures to the customs records, books of accounts, and any IGST refund claims.
Where this flow breaks - wrong GSTIN on the BoE, ICEGATE reference date in a subsequent month, BoE missing from GSTR-2B, IGST paid manually outside ICEGATE, SEZ supplier reporting via GSTR-1, courier imports below the personal-import threshold - the importer loses or delays material ITC and risks DRC-01C mismatch notices. The October 2025 Invoice Management System (IMS) introduced a dedicated Import of Goods section that has further changed the reconciliation flow. Patron Accounting LLP runs monthly managed GST compliance for importers starting from INR 2,499 per month, with BoE-to-GSTR-2B reconciliation, ICEGATE query handling, IGST ITC claim, and DRC-01C mismatch defence.
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