The Tool Desk
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Do not start from a link in a suspicious message, and do not pay an individual or an unverified payment link. Check any claimed liability in your own GST portal account and keep the notice’s response deadline in view.
Verify the notice on the GST portal
- Open the portal yourself. Go to the GST common portal using an address you know to be official, rather than a link in the email, text, or messaging app that delivered the notice. A logo, sender name, phone number, or urgent wording is not proof of authenticity.
- Record the document details. Note the reference number, date, issuing authority, tax period, form or proceeding, amount, and response deadline. Keep the original message and attachment.
- Use Verify RFN. After login, go to Dashboard > Services > User Services > Verify RFN, or use the portal’s pre-login Verify RFN service. Enter the reference details and compare the result—including the issuing officer and stated purpose—with the document you received. GSTN’s September 25, 2024 advisory identifies Verify RFN as a way to check communications initiated by officers through the system.
- Check a CBIC issue number separately, if present. For a document within the service’s scope that bears a CBIC issue number, use CBIC Verify Document. The service asks for the issue number printed at the top-right of the document; an example format is I/1234567/YYYY. This check is distinct from GST portal Verify RFN and does not establish that every GST document is covered.
- Check the alleged demand in your account. Sign in independently and compare the amount, tax period, form or order reference, and status against the demand and liability information shown for your GSTIN. An attachment or payment screenshot alone does not establish that a demand is recorded against your account.
If the portal result is unavailable, absent, or inconsistent with the document, do not treat that alone as proof that the notice is fake. Preserve the communication, retry through the official portal, and contact the relevant GST jurisdiction using contact details obtained independently from an official source.
What a missing digital signature does—and does not—mean
A PDF that has no visible digital signature is not automatically fraudulent. GSTN’s advisory dated September 25, 2024 explains that system-generated documents may be produced after an officer logs in to the common portal using digital-signature authentication, even though the resulting PDF does not display a visible signature. GSTN says system communications can also be verified pre-login through Verify RFN.
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Use the portal record and matching document details to check the communication; do not decide authenticity from the PDF’s appearance alone. Verification also does not determine whether the allegations, tax calculation, or proposed penalty are legally or factually sound.
Keep notice, demand, and invoice checks separate
| Check | Use it for | What it can establish | What it cannot establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| GST portal Verify RFN | System communications such as officer-issued notices and orders | Whether the reference and document details can be verified in the GST system | Whether the tax position or proposed penalty is correct |
| CBIC Verify Document | Documents bearing a CBIC issue number and within the tool’s scope | Whether the issue number is recognized by that CBIC service | Whether the service covers every GST document, or whether a demand is well-founded |
| GST portal demand or account view | A claimed liability or payment request | Whether relevant demand or payment records appear in your account | Whether a genuine demand is legally correct |
| E-invoice QR, signature, or IRN tools | Supplier invoices, not officer-issued notices | Whether invoice data or QR details verify, and whether an IRN status is available | Whether a tax notice or penalty is authentic |
For an invoice rather than an officer communication, GSTN-authorised IRP guidance describes checking signed invoice data and QR codes, and recommends checking IRN status because an invoice may be cancelled after generation. See recipient guidance and the IRP’s verification tools.
If the notice asks for payment
Use the GST portal’s own payment flow after signing in independently. GSTN’s online payment guidance describes creating a challan, selecting internet banking through an authorised bank, and receiving a successful payment in the Electronic Cash Ledger after bank confirmation. Available banks and portal options may change, so follow the current options displayed in your account. Do not transfer money to a personal account or rely on an unverified payment link.
If you have made a payment through DRC-03, check whether it has been mapped to the demand. GSTN’s DRC-03 advisory says a DRC-03 payment is not automatically linked to a specific demand; DRC-03A may be needed to link it.
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If the notice is genuine but you disagree
Read the actual notice rather than relying on the verification result. Identify the form, statutory provision, tax period, amount breakdown, evidence cited, reply channel, and deadline. Sections 73 and 74 of the CGST Act address demand-notice processes in different circumstances, including a distinction involving fraud or wilful misstatement or suppression; the applicable provision depends on the period, amendments, and facts. See the text of section 73 and section 74. Do not assume one penalty formula applies to every GST notice.
The GST portal’s appeal FAQ gives a general period of three months from communication of an adjudicating authority’s decision or order for an aggrieved taxpayer or unregistered person to appeal. This is general portal information, not a calculation of your case-specific deadline. If the notice is disputed or a deadline is approaching, promptly ask a qualified GST practitioner or tax lawyer to review the document and current procedure.
Quick Recap
Protect your account while you check
- Do not share OTPs, passwords, digital-signature-certificate credentials, or bank details with someone who contacted you unexpectedly.
- Do not grant remote access to a device as part of a claimed GST verification or payment process.
- Keep the original message, document, portal result, and payment records so you can refer to the same details if you contact the jurisdiction or a professional.
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