GST Registration
GST for E-commerce and Marketplace Sellers
Last Reviewed: 28 July 2026
Reviewed by: IndiaBusiness.ai Editorial
Quick Answer
Yes, GST is required to sell on Amazon, Flipkart, or any major marketplace — regardless of your turnover. This is the one situation where the usual threshold rules don't apply at all.
Quick decision guide
| Scenario | GST registration |
|---|---|
| Interstate sales via marketplace | Required, regardless of turnover |
| Intra-state only, below threshold, goods | May qualify for exemption — check platform + GST conditions |
| Intra-state only, above threshold | Required |
| Selling services via marketplace | Required, no intra-state exemption for services |
Documents you'll typically need
- PAN of the business/proprietor
- Aadhaar
- Bank account proof
- Business address proof
- Photographs of proprietor/partners/directors
Common mistakes to avoid
- Marketplace listing rejection for lacking GST registration where required
- Penalty and interest for operating without registration once liable
- Missing the intra-state exemption's conditions and registering unnecessarily, or wrongly assuming exemption and registering too late
Marketplaces are legally required to collect Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on your sales, which means they need a valid GSTIN on file before they'll activate your seller account — there's no turnover-based exemption here, unlike direct sales.
Beyond registration itself, marketplace selling adds its own GST mechanics: TCS gets deducted automatically on each sale and shows up as a credit you reconcile monthly, HSN codes need to be correctly assigned per product category, and mismatches between your GSTR-1 and the marketplace's reported sales are one of the most common sources of GST notices for e-commerce sellers.
If you're planning to sell on multiple marketplaces, register for GST before approaching any of them — trying to onboard first and add GST later just means a rejected application and a delayed launch.