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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallAct immediately, but do not file a generic response until you know exactly what was missed. Download the notice and annexures, identify the notice type, legal provision, tax period, service date, reply date and current case stage. A show-cause notice awaiting a reply follows a different path from a refund communication, summons, audit matter, return-default notice or an order already issued.
For the cited show-cause workflow, prepare a reasoned reply in FORM GST DRC-06, attach the records that answer each allegation, request a personal hearing where useful, and preserve the portal acknowledgment. A late filing is not automatically accepted. If a demand order has already been communicated, treat the matter as an appeal problem as well as a missed-reply problem and check limitation immediately.
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Start by identifying the exact procedural stage
The date printed on a notice is not enough to choose your next step. First establish whether the officer is still inviting a response, has fixed a hearing, or has already issued an order. Also record how the notice was served and when it became available to you. Keep the reference number, officer details and tax period in your working file.
| What you find | What it usually means | Immediate priority |
|---|---|---|
| Show-cause notice with a reply date | The officer is proposing tax, interest, penalty or another action and has not yet completed the adjudication stage. | Prepare the prescribed reply, explain the delay, request a hearing and ask for time only through the route available for that notice. |
| Hearing notice, with no final order visible | The written-reply stage may be closing, but an oral hearing may still be available. | Attend or seek an adjournment for sufficient cause, submit your written position and preserve proof of the request. |
| Refund-related show-cause communication | The portal may use a workflow different from the ordinary demand notice process. | Follow the refund case screen and its stated facility; do not assume a feature documented for a refund SCN exists for every notice. |
| Demand or adjudication order already communicated | The officer has moved from proposal to decision. | Calculate the appeal limitation from communication of the order and obtain case-specific advice without waiting for the missed-reply issue to be resolved. |
| Summons, audit communication or return-defaulter notice | These are not interchangeable with a demand show-cause notice. | Use the form, deadline and officer instructions stated in that communication. |
Check the GST Portal for later notices, hearing dates, uploaded orders and the case status. Download every annexure and linked summary, including any DRC-01 or equivalent document. A notice can be followed by a separate hearing intimation or order, so the original deadline may no longer describe the current stage.
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What to do in the first 24 hours
- Create a deadline record. Write down the notice reference, date and method of service, reply due date, statutory section cited, tax period, officer and the date you discovered the missed deadline. Save the original PDF and screenshots of the portal status.
- Classify the communication. Confirm whether it is a show-cause notice, refund notice, audit request, summons, return-default communication, hearing notice or final order. Do not select DRC-06 merely because the document mentions GST proceedings.
- Check for a later order. Search the portal for an order number, demand summary, hearing record or “communicated” status. If an order exists, start the appeal-limitation analysis the same day.
- Build a point-by-point evidence file. Gather the relevant returns, invoices, e-way bills, ledgers, reconciliations, contracts, payment records, prior correspondence and proof of any technical or personal event that caused the delay.
- Draft a complete response. Address each allegation separately. State which facts are accepted, which are disputed and why, and identify the document supporting every material assertion. Avoid a blanket denial that leaves the officer unable to match your explanation to the notice.
- Use the applicable portal route. For the cited show-cause procedure, enter the reply and attachments in FORM GST DRC-06, consider the personal-hearing option and submit the request for time or adjournment where the workflow permits it.
- Preserve proof. Save the acknowledgment number, submitted PDF, uploaded files, timestamp, delivery evidence and any email or ticket generated by the portal. Keep an offline copy that can be opened without portal access.
Replying late to a show-cause notice
Use FORM GST DRC-06 for the cited demand procedure
FORM GST DRC-06 is the reply form used in the cited show-cause workflow. It provides fields for the taxpayer’s response, document uploads and a choice to request a personal hearing. Complete the form as a substantive answer, not as a one-line apology. Refer to the notice paragraph or allegation, state your position, calculate any amount you believe is payable, and cross-reference the attachment that proves the point.
The form itself does not promise that a reply submitted after the printed date will be accepted. Filing late is still generally more useful than remaining silent, but acceptance and the weight given to the material remain matters for the proper officer under the applicable law and facts.
Explain the delay with evidence
Put the reason for lateness in a separate opening section. Give a short chronology: when the notice was served, what prevented a response, when the problem ended and when you acted. Attach evidence such as hospitalization records, proof of a documented portal outage, change-of-authorized-signatory records or correspondence showing why access was unavailable. A vague statement that you were busy is unlikely to explain a statutory default.
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Request a hearing in writing
Section 75(4) of the CGST Act concerns an opportunity of hearing when the taxpayer requests it in writing or when an adverse decision is contemplated. Select the hearing option in DRC-06 where appropriate and repeat the request in the written submission so there is a clear record. Explain what you need to clarify at the hearing and identify any document that requires oral explanation.
A hearing request does not erase the missed written deadline. Submit the full written reply and evidence even when you expect a hearing. If the officer fixes a hearing before you can prepare, ask for an adjournment promptly and give the specific cause with supporting proof.
Extension, adjournment and hearing: three different requests
Extension of a written-reply date
An extension changes the date by which a written response may be filed. The CGST Act provisions cited for hearing rights do not create an automatic extension for every missed written-reply deadline. Whether an extension can be requested, and how, depends on the notice category, portal design and the officer’s authority.
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An adjournment asks to move an oral hearing that has already been fixed. Section 75(5) states: “The proper officer shall, if sufficient cause is shown by the person chargeable with tax, grant time to the said person and adjourn the hearing for reasons to be recorded in writing.” The provision limits adjournments to three during the proceedings. Give the reason, dates and evidence; do not treat the limit as an entitlement to three postponements.
Request for a personal hearing
A personal-hearing request asks for an opportunity to make oral submissions. It is not the same as asking for more time to file documents. Make both requests separately when both are needed: ask that the late reply be accepted, request the hearing, and seek an adjournment only if you can show why the fixed date cannot be met.
When a portal extension facility may apply
Official portal functionality guidance describes a facility to request an extension of the reply due date or adjourn a fixed hearing in a particular refund-SCN workflow. That documentation is specific to that workflow. It does not establish a universal portal button, statutory right or automatic extension for every GST notice.
Open the case on the portal and read the available actions for that exact reference number. If an extension or adjournment option appears, submit a concrete reason and upload evidence before using it. If no such option appears, use the communication channel stated in the notice and retain proof of delivery. Never assume that an email to a general help desk substitutes for a filing in the case record.
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Once a demand order is communicated, the missed reply and the order are separate procedural problems. Do not wait for the officer to accept a late DRC-06 before checking appeal limitation.
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The GST Portal appeal FAQ describes a general three-month period from communication of the decision or order, with a possible maximum one-month condonation for sufficient cause. It also describes a 10% pre-deposit of disputed tax. These figures must be checked against the current statute, the order, the relevant tax period and the filing prerequisites before you rely on them.
Calculate the last day from the legally recognized communication date, not merely the date printed on the order. Keep proof of when the order became available or was served. Ask a qualified GST professional to verify whether the order is appealable, the correct appellate authority, the amount to be deposited, the form to be filed and whether a condonation request is supportable. An appeal is not an automatic reopening of the show-cause reply stage; it is a separate remedy with its own grounds and limitation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Match the legal provision to the tax period
CBIC statutory material distinguishes proceedings under sections 73 and 74 and states that those sections apply to periods through financial year 2023–24 in the cited materials. Later amendments and newer provisions can change the analysis. Read the section and tax period printed in your notice, then verify the current consolidated CGST Act and rules for that period.
This matters because the allegation, penalty exposure, limitation and available procedure can differ depending on whether the officer alleges a short payment without fraud or an allegation involving fraud, wilful misstatement or suppression. Do not copy a response prepared for another year or another section merely because the form looks similar.
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How to write a useful late reply
Use a clear structure
- Reference block: notice number, date, tax period, section and taxpayer identification.
- Delay explanation: a dated chronology with evidence.
- Preliminary objections: jurisdiction, service, limitation or calculation issues, but only where supported by facts and law.
- Point-by-point response: answer each allegation in the same order as the notice.
- Reconciliation: show how returns, books, invoices and payments tie together. Explain every difference rather than attaching unexplained spreadsheets.
- Relief requested: accept the reply, consider the evidence, drop unsupported proposals, grant a hearing and, if necessary, adjourn it for the stated sufficient cause.
- Verification and index: identify every attachment, its page range and the person authorized to submit.
Avoid accidental admissions
Use precise language. If a figure is undisputed, say so and show the payment or correction. If the notice is wrong, identify the exact invoice, return period or calculation that demonstrates the error. Do not sign a blanket admission simply to make the late filing shorter, and do not make allegations about the officer that are unrelated to the tax issue.
Common mistakes after missing the date
- Using the wrong form: DRC-06 is tied to the cited show-cause workflow; it is not a universal response form for every GST communication.
- Ignoring annexures: the allegation may depend on a spreadsheet or document attached to the notice, so answer the underlying figures, not just the headline amount.
- Assuming a hearing cures everything: a hearing request does not automatically extend the written-reply deadline or suspend an order already communicated.
- Relying on an unrecorded phone call: oral assurances are difficult to prove. Put requests through the portal or the notice’s stated channel.
- Missing a later order: checking only the original notice can cause a separate appeal deadline to expire.
- Uploading unreadable evidence: use legible files, sensible names and an index, and confirm that each upload completed.
- Waiting for a universal answer: the correct route depends on notice type, statutory section, tax period, service date and procedural stage.
When to obtain professional help urgently
Get qualified GST advice immediately if the portal shows an order, the notice alleges fraud or suppression, the disputed amount is material to the business, multiple tax periods are involved, a hearing is imminent, or the appeal period is close. Give the adviser the complete notice trail, service proof, portal acknowledgments, draft reply and evidence index. That allows the adviser to work on both the merits and limitation instead of reconstructing the file from fragments.
Keep a single chronology from service of the notice through every upload, hearing request, order and appeal action. This record can support a sufficient-cause explanation, demonstrate when documents were submitted and prevent a second deadline from being missed.
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