Following accounts shall be kept and maintained by every registered person

1. Production or manufacture of goods,
2. Inward and outward supply of goods or services or both;
3. Stock of goods received and supplied containing particulars of the opening balance, receipt, supply, goods lost, stolen, destroyed, written off or disposed of by way of gift or free sample and the balance of stock including raw materials, finished goods, scrap and wastage thereof. A person paying tax u/s 10 is exempted from maintaining this account.
4. Input tax credit availed,
5. Output tax payable and paid;
6. Goods or services imported or exported;
7. Details of tax payable including tax payable on reverse charge u/s 9(3) and 9(4), tax collected and paid, input tax, input tax credit claimed, together with a register of tax invoice, credit notes, debit notes, delivery challan issued or received during any tax period. A person paying tax u/s 10 is exempted from maintaining this account.
8. Advance received, paid and adjustment made thereto.
9. Particulars of names and complete addresses of suppliers from whom he has received goods or services chargeable to tax under the Act;
10. Particulars of names and complete addresses of persons to whom he has supplied goods or services, where required under the provisions of this Chapter.
11. The Commissioner may notify a class of taxable persons to maintain additional accounts or documents for such purpose as specified.

Any entry in registers, accounts and documents shall not be erased, effaced, or overwritten, and all incorrect entries, otherwise than those of clerical nature shall be scored under attestation and thereafter the correct entry shall be recorded.

Each volume of books of account maintained manually by the registered person shall be serially numbered.

Generation and maintenance of electronic records

1. The records may be maintained in electronic form and it shall be authenticated by digital signature. Where the registers and other documents are maintained electronically, a log of every entry edited or deleted shall be maintained.
2. Proper electronic back-up shall be maintained and preserved for restoring within reasonable period, if destructed by accident or natural cause.
3. On demand, it shall be produced in hard copy or in any electronically readable format.
4. On demand, details of files, passwords, explanations for codes used, where necessary for access and any other information which is required for such access along with a sample copy in print form of the information stored in such files, shall be provided.

Special cases: Where the Commissioner considers that any class of taxable persons is not in a position to keep and maintain accounts in accordance with the provisions of Section 35, he may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, permit such class of taxable persons to maintain accounts in such manner as may be prescribed.

Manufacturer shall maintain monthly production accounts showing quantitative details of raw materials or services used in manufacture and quantitative details of the goods manufactured including the waste and by-products thereof.

Service provider shall maintain the accounts showing quantitative details of goods used in the provision of services, details of input services utilised and services supplied.

Works contractor shall keep separate accounts showing

1. Names and addresses of the persons on whose behalf the works contract is executed;
2. Description, value and quantity (wherever applicable) of goods or services received for the execution of works contract;
3. Description, value and quantity (wherever applicable) of goods or services utilised in the execution of works contract;
4. Details of payment received in respect of each works contract;
5. Names and addresses of suppliers from whom he received goods or services.

Agent referred in Section 2(5) shall maintain the following

1. Agreement with each principal to receive or supply on behalf of such principal;
2. Particulars, including description, value and quantity (wherever applicable) of goods or services received on behalf of every principal;
3. Particulars, including description, value and quantity (wherever applicable) of goods or services supplied on behalf of every principal;
4. Details of accounts furnished to every principal;
5. Details of tax paid on inward or outward supply effected on behalf of every principal.

Owner or operator of godown or warehouse and transporters shall maintain the following records:

1. Records of the consignor, consignee and other relevant details of goods in the prescribed manner.
2. Every such person if not registered under the Act, shall submit details of his business electronically in FORM GST ENR-01. Unique enrolment number shall be granted to him and the person so enrolled in any other State or Union territory shall be deemed to be enrolled in the State or Union territory. Where required, he shall amend the details furnished earlier.
3. Subject to the provision of Rule 56:
   1. Any person engaged in the business of transporting goods, shall maintain records of goods transported, delivered and goods stored in transit by him alongwith GSTIN of the registered consignor and consignee for each of his branches;
   2. Every owner or operator of a warehouse or godown shall maintain books of accounts with respect to the period for which particular goods remain in the warehouse, including the particulars relating to dispatch, movement, receipt, and disposal of such goods.
4. The owner or the operator of the godown shall store the goods in such manner that they can be identified item-wise and owner-wise and shall facilitate any physical verification or inspection by the proper officer on demand.

Where to keep the books of accounts: Every registered person shall keep the books of account at his principal place of business and the books of account relating to additional place of business mentioned in the RC and such books of account shall include any electronic form of data stored on any electronic device.

Where more than one place is specified in the RC, the accounts relevant to each place shall be kept at each such place.

Every registered person shall keep the particulars of complete address of the premises where goods are stored including the goods stored during transit along with the particulars of stock stored therein.

If any taxable goods are found stored at other than declared places without the cover of any valid documents, the proper officer shall determine the amount of tax payable on such goods as if such goods have been supplied by the registered person.

Unless proved otherwise, if any documents, registers, or any books of account belonging to a registered person are found at any premises other than those mentioned in the RC, they shall be presumed to be maintained by the said registered person.

Any person having custody over the goods in the capacity of a carrier or C&F agent for delivery or dispatch to a recipient on behalf of any registered person shall maintain true and correct records and shall produce the details thereof as and when required by the proper officer.

Every registered person shall on demand produce the books of accounts which he is required to maintain under any law for the time being in force.

Failures in Accounting: Where the registered person fails to account for the goods or services or both which are lost, stolen, destroyed, written off or disposed by way of gift or free sample as per section 17(5)(h), then in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1), the proper officer shall determine the amount of tax payable on the goods or services or both that are not accounted for, as if such goods or services or both had been supplied by such person and the provisions of section 73 or section 74, as the case may be, shall, mutatis mutandis, apply for determination of such tax.

Period of retention of Accounts: Accounts maintained by the registered person together with all invoices, bills of supply, credit and debit notes, and delivery challans relating to stocks, deliveries, inward supply and outward supply shall be preserved for the period as provided in section 36 and shall, where such accounts and documents are maintained manually, be kept at every related place of business mentioned in the certificate of registration and shall be accessible at every related place of business where such accounts and documents are maintained digitally. He shall retain the accounts until the expiry of seventy two months from the due date of furnishing of annual return for the year pertaining to such accounts and record.

Provided where a registered person, who is a party to an appeal or revision or any other proceedings before any Appellate Authority or Revisional Authority or Appellate Tribunal or court, whether filed by him or by the Commissioner, or is under investigation for an offence under Chapter XIX, he shall retain all such records for a period of one year after final disposal of such appeal, revision etc. or for the period specified above, whichever is later.

Audit of accounts by Chartered Accountant or Cost Accountant: Every registered person whose turnover during a financial year exceeds the prescribed limit (Current limit ₹ 2 Cores) shall get his accounts audited by a chartered accountant or a cost accountant, Accounts and other records. and shall submit a copy of the audited annual accounts, the reconciliation statement under sub-section (2) of section 44 and such other documents in such form and manner as may be prescribed.