GST Filing in India: Why It Is Still Painful
Five years into the GST regime and filing returns is still one of the most dreaded tasks for Indian businesses. Here is why: the GST portal needs data in very specific formats — GSTR-1 requires invoice-level details with buyer GSTINs, HSN codes, and tax breakups, while GSTR-3B summarizes everything at the aggregate level. Getting this data out of TallyPrime and into the portal correctly is where things go wrong.
The typical process involves exporting data from Tally, reformatting it in Excel, validating GSTINs manually, and then uploading to the GST portal. If even one GSTIN is wrong or an HSN code is missing, the entire file gets rejected. For a business with hundreds of invoices per month, this can take a full day every filing cycle.
The ERPPlugs GST Portal connector changes this. It pulls data directly from TallyPrime, validates everything before submission, and generates the filing-ready JSON — cutting the process down to minutes.
What the ERPPlugs GST Connector Automates
The connector handles the heaviest parts of GST compliance:
GSTR-1 data extraction: Pulls all B2B and B2C invoices, credit notes, debit notes, and advances from TallyPrime for the filing period. Each entry includes the correct HSN/SAC code, tax rate, and GSTIN.
Pre-validation: Checks every GSTIN against the government database for format and active status. Flags invoices with missing HSN codes, incorrect tax rates, or mismatched amounts before you file.
GSTR-3B summary generation: Aggregates your data into the GSTR-3B tables automatically — output tax liability, ITC claims, exempt and nil-rated supplies.
JSON generation: Creates the GST portal-compatible JSON file that you upload directly — no Excel reformatting needed.
Mismatch detection: Compares your GSTR-1 data with GSTR-2A/2B to flag ITC mismatches early, so you can follow up with vendors before filing.
Setting Up GST Automation
The setup is straightforward. Install the ERPPlugs bridge app, connect the GST Portal connector from your dashboard, and enter your GSTIN. The connector reads your TallyPrime company file and maps your existing tax ledgers to GST rates.
The key step is validation configuration. You can choose how strict the pre-validation should be — some businesses want to block filing if any GSTIN is unverified, while others prefer warnings. The connector defaults to "warn but allow," which works well for most.
Once configured, the filing workflow becomes: click "Generate GSTR-1" in the ERPPlugs dashboard, review any validation warnings, download the JSON, and upload it to the GST portal. The entire process takes 15-20 minutes instead of an entire day.
E-invoicing and the Future of GST Compliance
The Indian government is progressively lowering the e-invoicing threshold, and most businesses with turnover above Rs 5 crore are now required to generate IRN (Invoice Reference Numbers) for every B2B invoice. ERPPlugs offers a separate e-invoicing connector that works alongside the GST connector.
The e-invoicing connector generates IRN for every B2B sales voucher in TallyPrime automatically. It sends the invoice data to the IRP (Invoice Registration Portal), receives the IRN and QR code, and writes them back to TallyPrime. When it comes time to file GSTR-1, these e-invoiced entries are already validated — they just flow through.
Together, the GST Portal and e-invoicing connectors create a compliance pipeline that runs mostly on autopilot. Your job becomes reviewing and approving, not entering and formatting.