Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsUse the GST Portal’s Search HSN Code service to find a likely classification, then confirm the matching entry in current CBIC rate schedules and notifications. A search result alone does not establish the GST treatment: the product or service, transaction details, and any conditions or exemptions can change the answer.
How to check the GST rate for your product or service
- Describe the supply precisely. For goods, note what the item is, its material, function, form, and packaging. For a service, describe what is actually performed rather than relying only on its marketing name.
- Open the official search. On the GST Portal, go to Home > Services > User services > Search HSN Code. Search by HSN/SAC code if you know it, or choose Description and enter the relevant trade description. GSTN says the functionality is available before and after login and covers goods and services. GSTN’s advisory on the Search HSN Code functionality explains that it supports common-parlance or trade descriptions, including partial descriptions.
- Check the full description, not just a code match. Make sure the entry’s technical description fits the actual product or service. If more than one result looks plausible, compare the full wording and characteristics of the supply. The portal’s registration guidance also describes looking up codes by name or code for goods and services. GSTN’s normal-taxpayer registration guide provides that context.
- Verify the current rate and any conditions. Locate the matching entry in the CBIC goods and services rate schedules, then check relevant rate and exemption notifications for conditions, amendments, or corrigenda. Start with CBIC’s GST goods and services rates and review the applicable central tax-rate notifications. A rate summary may not reflect a later change.
- Apply the rules to the transaction. Consider whether the transaction is a supply under the applicable law, whether it is intra-State or inter-State, and whether a composite- or mixed-supply rule or notification condition affects the result. The CGST Act sets out the levy framework and rules for composite and mixed supplies.
What “subject to GST” can mean
Do not use “GST-free” as if it were one legal category. GST Portal reporting guidance identifies nil-rated, exempted, and non-GST supplies separately. Those terms describe different treatments, so use the applicable category rather than grouping them together. See GSTN’s GSTR-1 guidance.
When to get item-specific help
Seek advice from a qualified Indian tax professional or an appropriate official clarification route if two classifications appear possible, a notification has conditions that may apply, or a supply bundles goods and services. The portal is a lookup aid; the cited material does not establish that a search result is a binding ruling.
For businesses checking supplies repeatedly, GST invoice item details also include HSN/SAC and GST-rate fields; see the GST e-Invoice System’s web-form guidance. Those fields support invoice preparation but do not by themselves resolve an uncertain classification.
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