Shopify takes the order fine. The GST invoice is where Indian stores usually end up adding an app, or leaving it to the CA at month end. This page covers what the invoice needs to show, the cases that trip people up, and how to stop doing it by hand.
For a normal sale from your online store. Your CA has the final word, but these are the fields they'll look for.
| Field | What to put |
|---|---|
| Your details | Business name, address and GSTIN |
| Invoice number | A running serial, unique within the financial year. Many brands restart the series each April with a prefix like 26-27/ |
| Invoice date | Date of the invoice, normally the date of dispatch |
| Buyer details | Name and delivery address. For B2B sales, the buyer's GSTIN too |
| HSN code | Per product line. Set it once on the product and it carries through |
| Item lines | Description, quantity, unit price, discount and taxable value |
| Tax | Rate and amount, split as CGST + SGST (same state) or IGST (other state) |
| Place of supply | State name and code, usually where the delivery ends |
| Shipping charge | If you charge shipping, it's taxable too, normally at the rate of the main item |
| Signature | Digital signature or "computer generated invoice" note, as your CA prefers |
A buyer in Delhi ordering from a Delhi-registered brand pays CGST and SGST. The same order shipped to Pune is IGST. If your invoice tool works off the billing address instead of the delivery address, you'll get some of these wrong, and they show up as mismatches when your CA files GSTR-1.
Once an invoice number is used, it stays used. Cancel the order and you raise a credit note against that invoice. Delete it instead and there's a gap in your series. COD returns are the most common culprit, because the parcel comes back days after the invoice went out.
Tax is charged on the value after the discount shown on the invoice. Coupon apps that apply discounts in odd ways can leave the taxable value on the invoice not matching what the customer actually paid.
If HSN isn't set on the product, every invoice for it goes out without one. It's worth an afternoon to fill HSN and GST rate on every product once. Shopify has an HS code field on products, but check that your invoicing tool actually reads it.
If getting this together takes more than an hour every month, it's worth automating. Credit notes for cancelled COD orders are usually the part that gets missed.
D2 Commerce OS sits behind your Shopify store. Every order gets a GST invoice with your GSTIN, HSN, place of supply from the delivery address and the right tax split, numbered in sequence for the financial year. When an order is cancelled or a COD parcel comes back, the credit note is raised against the original invoice without anyone touching it. At month end you download one file for your CA.
More detail on GST invoicing and credit notes, or see everything we add to Shopify stores. If COD is also a headache, try the COD cost calculator.
Shopify can show tax on orders and send order confirmations, but its default documents aren't built around Indian GST invoice rules. Most Indian stores add a GST invoicing app or generate invoices from accounting software so that HSN codes, place of supply and the CGST/SGST or IGST split appear the way their CA expects.
It depends on your turnover and who the buyer is. Businesses above ₹5 crore turnover generally need 6-digit HSN on all invoices; smaller businesses have lighter rules for B2C. Rules change, so confirm with your CA. Putting HSN on every invoice is the safe habit and costs nothing once it's set on the product.
For goods delivered to a buyer, place of supply is usually where the delivery ends. If that's in the same state as your registration, you charge CGST plus SGST. If it's a different state, you charge IGST. The invoice should state the place of supply.
Issue a credit note against the original invoice rather than deleting it. Invoice numbers have to stay in sequence for the financial year, so a deleted invoice leaves a gap your CA will ask about.
E-invoicing applies to B2B invoices for businesses above the notified turnover limit. Normal sales to consumers don't need an IRN. If you also sell to businesses and you're above the limit, those B2B invoices do.
Every order gets an invoice with your GSTIN, HSN, place of supply and the right tax split, numbered in sequence for the financial year. Cancel or return an order and the credit note is raised against the original invoice automatically. It works on top of your Shopify store.
Leave your number and we'll take it from there — your store, your catalogue, your delivery setup, done by our team.
Takes 10 seconds · we reply within a working day
Shopify is a trademark of Shopify Inc. This page is general information, not tax advice. GST rules and thresholds change, so confirm details with your CA.
Chat on WhatsApp