Get legal & compliant

Register, get GST-ready, protect your name, and clear the licenses you need to sell.

What founders use for get legal & compliant, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. Unpacks the exact Section 52 mechanism our short answer leans on, so you understand why marketplaces withhold a cut and how... GST Gyaan Article Guide on Section 52 of the CGST Act: Collection of Tax at Source (TCS) under GST GST Gyaan
  2. Covers the one real loophole worth knowing before you assume the marketplace door is shut entirely: since October 2023, goods... Tax Ninja Article Budget 2023: Composition Scheme Benefit to E-commerce Goods Suppliers Tax Ninja
  3. Inc42 covers India's startup economy closely, and this piece ties the September 2025 GST 2.0 rate cuts directly to D2C brand... Inc42 Report GST Reforms: Booster Shot For D2C Startups, New-Age Brands? Inc42
  4. Puts a real number on exactly what composition costs a performance-marketing-heavy D2C brand: the 18 percent IGST on Meta ad... Wittelsbach Article India GST and Meta Ads: What D2C Founders Need to Know Wittelsbach
  5. A real number attached to a real brand: shows what disciplined ITC claiming on imports, packaging, and shipping is actually... Pitchers Global Article How We Unlocked ₹23 Lakhs in GST Refunds for a D2C Skincare Brand Pitchers Global
  6. The shortest, most direct list of everything composition takes away: no ITC, no ability to charge GST on your invoice, no... Learn by Quicko Article GST Composition Scheme Disadvantages Learn by Quicko
  7. Written specifically for the online seller and D2C use case rather than GST in general, worth the cover price if you want the... Amazon Kindle Book GST for E-Commerce and Online Business: A Practical Guide for Sellers, Startups & Digital Entrepreneurs S. Akhila
  8. Written for founders rather than accountants, it places the composition-versus-regular decision inside the wider tax stack,... GenZCFO (GrowthX) Article GST, TDS, and Income Tax for Startups: A Founder's Guide GenZCFO (GrowthX)
  9. A real practitioner forum thread on the practical, annoying mechanics of switching schemes, worth reading before you register... CAClubIndia forum Thread I opted GST regular instead of composition scheme by mistake, can it be converted, if yes how? CAClubIndia forum
  10. Directly answers the single biggest variable in your timeline: whether you land on the fast Aadhaar OTP route or the slower... GST Tutorial (GSTN) Article FAQs: Aadhaar Authentication GST Tutorial (GSTN)
  11. The official government note explaining the GST 2.0 package, including the policy push toward faster, more automated registration. Press Information Bureau, Government of India Report GST Reforms 2025: Relief for Common Man, Boost for Businesses Press Information Bureau, Government of India
  12. Plain English news coverage of the exact policy change, a 3-day auto-approval track for low-risk applicants, that shapes your... Business Standard Article Simplified registration under GST 2.0 from Nov 1, says FM Sitharaman Business Standard
  13. Explains the underlying rule behind the up to 7 working days figure, plus the deemed approval backstop most founders don't know... TaxGuru Article Time limit increased for grant of GST registration from 3 to 7 working days TaxGuru
  14. Summarizes the actual GSTN advisory that decides whether you get an easy Aadhaar OTP or a mandatory Suvidha Kendra visit, state... TeamLease RegTech Report GSTN Advisory for Biometric-Based Aadhaar Authentication and Document Verification (Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab) TeamLease RegTech
  15. Answers the exact timeline question with the working day nuance, weekends and holidays don't count, that catches first time... IndiaFilings Article In How Many Days Is GST Registration Approved in India? IndiaFilings
  16. ClearTax is one of the most used filing platforms in India and this guide is written specifically around the newer fast track... ClearTax Article GST Registration in 3 Days: Step by Step Process Guide ClearTax
  17. If you plan to use Amazon FBA or Flipkart FBF warehouses, your GST registration doesn't stop at one state, this explains the... Virtual Office Kochi Article Multi-State GST for Amazon & Flipkart Sellers: The 2026 Guide Virtual Office Kochi
  18. This is the actual GSTN advisory behind the 30-day rule, straight from the regulator rather than a paraphrase, so you know... GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network) Report Advisory on Bank Account Validation GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network)
  19. The official step-by-step manual for the exact screen you will be on when you add your bank account, so you are not guessing... GST Portal (tutorial.gst.gov.in) Article Manual: Amendment of Non-Core Fields (Bank Account Validation) GST Portal (tutorial.gst.gov.in)
  20. Cuts through the portal's cryptic status labels so you actually know whether you're done or still exposed to suspension after... ClearTax Article All About Bank Validation Status on GST Portal ClearTax
  21. The clearest field-by-field breakdown of what Rule 46 actually requires, with the HSN-digit rule spelled out by turnover slab... Tally Solutions Article GST Invoice: Format, Types, Mandatory Fields & Examples Tally Solutions
  22. Worth a skim even at invoice-zero, since a DPIIT-recognized D2C startup may qualify for GST and income-tax carve-outs that... Startup India / DPIIT Report Tax Playbook for Startup Ecosystem (May 2026) Startup India / DPIIT
  23. The clean global baseline for what belongs on any invoice, useful to sanity-check your GST-specific template is not missing... Xero Article What to include on an invoice: a complete guide for small businesses Xero
  24. If you bill through Shopify, this is the primary doc for where your GSTIN and tax settings actually plug into the platform,... Shopify Article Shopify Help Center: Taxes Shopify

Show the next 24

The questions

Registering your business 6

The right entity to sell and to raise.

I'm just starting out, should I register as a proprietorship, LLP, or private limited company? 4 → Once I've decided on Private Limited, what's the actual step-by-step to incorporate it? 4 → Is it worth applying for Startup India / DPIIT recognition, and what does it actually get me? 4 → I'm a solo founder with no co-founder, does an OPC (One Person Company) make more sense than an LLP? 4 → Beyond incorporation, what other registrations do I actually need before I can legally take my first order? 4 → All 6 questions in Registering your business →
GST registration & basics 6

Get GST-ready before your first online sale.

Do I need a GST number before I make my very first sale, or can that wait? 20 → What's the actual step-by-step to register for GST myself, without paying a CA? 18 → What documents do I need lined up before I start the GST application? 16 → I'm a small maker just starting out, does the GST composition scheme make sense for me? 20 → How long does GST registration actually take and what does it cost? 18 → All 6 questions in GST registration & basics →
GST across states & e-commerce 7

Place of supply, TCS, and selling pan-India cleanly.

Do I actually need a GST registration to sell online, or can I start without one? 4 → A customer in another state ordered, do I charge IGST or CGST + SGST? 4 → Why is Amazon/Flipkart holding back a cut of my payout, what is this TCS? 4 → I store stock in a 3PL or Amazon FBA warehouse in another state, do I need a separate GST registration there? 4 → What HSN code and GST rate apply to my product, and where do I look it up? 3 → All 7 questions in GST across states & e-commerce →
Trademark & brand IP 6

Own your name before someone else does.

Should I trademark my brand name before I even launch, or can it wait till I have traction? 4 → How do I check if my brand name is already taken before I fall in love with it? 4 → What trademark class do I actually file under for my D2C brand, just one, or more? 3 → How much does trademark registration actually cost and how long does it take in India? 3 → What's the difference between the ™ I'm already using and getting an actual registered ®? 3 → All 6 questions in Trademark & brand IP →
Product licenses & certifications 6

FSSAI, cosmetics, BIS, drug, legal-metrology, get legal to sell.

I'm selling packaged food/snacks online, what FSSAI license do I need, and does my turnover matter? 4 → I make skincare/cosmetics at home or with a small manufacturer, do I need a CDSCO license before I can sell? 2 → I import or sell gadgets/electronics, what's this BIS CRS mark I keep hearing about? 3 → What exactly has to be on my product label/pack to be legally compliant under Legal Metrology? 3 → How do I even figure out which licenses apply to MY specific product, is there a single checklist? 3 → All 6 questions in Product licenses & certifications →
EPR & sustainability compliance 6

Plastic EPR, packaging rules, and green claims that hold up.

Do I actually need EPR registration for my D2C brand's plastic packaging, and what happens if I skip it? 3 → What's the actual step-by-step to register for EPR on the CPCB portal? 4 → What are the recycled-content and QR code traceability rules I need to hit in 2025-2026? 3 → Can I call my packaging 'eco-friendly' or 'sustainable' on my product page without getting into trouble? 3 → Where do I actually source compostable or plastic-free packaging in India without blowing my per-order cost? 3 → All 6 questions in EPR & sustainability compliance →
Data privacy & the DPDP Act 6

Handle customer data legally under India's DPDP Act.

Do I actually need to worry about DPDP as a small D2C brand, or is this a big-company problem? 3 → What exactly counts as valid consent under DPDP for my checkout and signup forms? 3 → What do I need to put in my privacy policy, and how do I actually draft one? 4 → What tools should I use to get DPDP-compliant without hiring a lawyer for every step? 2 → What actually happens to my brand if I don't comply, what are the real penalties? 3 → All 6 questions in Data privacy & the DPDP Act →
Business insurance & risk 6

Cover product liability, inventory, and shipping risk.

Do I actually need product liability insurance as a small D2C brand, or am I overthinking it? 3 → What does product liability insurance in India actually cost and cover? 3 → My marketplace is asking for liability insurance before I can keep selling, what do I actually need to show them? 3 → How do I insure my inventory against fire, theft, or damage sitting in a warehouse? 3 → What about goods lost or damaged in transit or shipping, is that covered separately from warehouse insurance? 3 → All 6 questions in Business insurance & risk →
Counterfeits & IP enforcement 6

Stop fakes and hijackers on marketplaces and your store.

How do I get my brand onto Amazon Brand Registry and Project Zero to fight counterfeits? 3 → What's Flipkart's equivalent, and how do I actually report a fake or unauthorised listing there? 3 → Someone's hijacked my own product listing and is undercutting my price, what do I do? 3 → Do I need a trademark before I can even start protecting my brand, and how do I register one in India? 2 → My brand is being sold as fake on Instagram and WhatsApp, not just on marketplaces, what do I do? 3 → All 6 questions in Counterfeits & IP enforcement →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →