GST registration has no government fee. Here's what you're actually paying for
The government charges ₹0. A fair professional fee covers real work — here's what that work is, and the red flags that you're paying for nothing.
The ₹0 nobody advertises
Registering under GST on gst.gov.in costs nothing. Any invoice line that says 'government charges' for a GST registration is fiction. You can absolutely do it yourself — the portal is usable, and for a simple proprietorship with clean documents many people should.
What a professional fee legitimately buys
Correct HSN/SAC code selection (wrong codes cause invoice disputes and notice risk later), correct additional-place-of-business and place-of-supply setup, properly formatted proofs that don't bounce, and — the part that matters most — handling the clarification round if the officer raises one. Roughly a third of applications get a clarification query; unanswered or badly answered, the application is rejected and you start over.
A fair engagement includes clarification handling in the quoted fee. If it's an 'add-on', the low headline is a hook.
The proof that filing happened
The moment an application is submitted, the portal issues an ARN (Application Reference Number). Insist on seeing the ARN the same day — you can track it yourself on gst.gov.in under 'Track Application Status'. If whoever you paid cannot produce an ARN, no application exists. Documented consumer complaints include months of 'processing' where the GST office had never received anything.
If you want it handled
Every Finotrix service shows its complete price — professional fee + government fee — before you sign up, and you pay by milestone with filing proof on each one.
Services & full prices →