Good record-keeping is less about collecting more files and more about making every transaction easy to trace. A short monthly routine can prevent a stressful year-end search.

Records to organise every month

  • Sales invoices and bills of supply, in number order
  • Purchase and expense invoices received from suppliers
  • Credit notes, debit notes, revised invoices and cancelled-document records
  • Bank statements and payment references matched to invoices
  • Customer advances, refunds and adjustments
  • Expense receipts and the business purpose of each expense
  • Input tax credit supporting documents
  • E-way bills, delivery challans and transport records where applicable
  • Export, import or reverse-charge documents where applicable
  • Copies of GST returns, working papers and payment challans

A simple monthly close

  1. Check the sequence: investigate gaps or duplicates in invoice numbers.
  2. Match payments: mark invoices paid, partially paid or overdue.
  3. Reconcile sales: compare invoice totals with your sales register and return data.
  4. Review purchases: confirm supplier details and supporting documents before considering input tax credit.
  5. Back up: keep a second secure copy and test that files open correctly.
  6. Share exceptions: send uncertain items to your accountant with a short written question.

Use a predictable folder structure

A structure such as 2026-27 / 09-September / Sales, Purchases, Bank and GST filings makes retrieval faster. Use filenames that include the date, supplier or customer, invoice number and amount. Keep final invoices separate from drafts.

How long should GST records be kept?

Section 36 of the CGST Act generally requires registered persons to retain relevant accounts and records for 72 months from the due date of the annual return for the relevant year. If an appeal, proceeding or investigation is involved, a longer period can apply. Do not delete records solely because six calendar years have passed—calculate the period from the statutory starting point and check for ongoing matters.

Practical rule: Keep originals or reliable electronic copies, preserve their audit trail, and make sure each reported figure can be traced back to a source document.

Official references

Use our downloadable monthly records checklist for your next accountant handoff.

See Sections 35 and 36 of the CGST Act and the CBIC accounts and records rules.

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