The monthly GST return problem
Every month the same thing happens in many shops. The owner or the accountant sits with a pile of bills, a calculator and an Excel sheet, sorting sales into B2B and B2C, adding up tax by rate and hunting for the one bill where a GSTIN was typed wrong. The counter was busy all month; now the return is due and nobody is sure the figures match.
GST return software should end that. Cartix Prime prepares the GSTR-1 tables and the GSTR-3B figures straight from the bills, returns and purchase entries made in the shop. Nothing is typed twice, and the problems show up before your CA finds them.
What Cartix Prime prepares for GSTR-1
The GSTR-1 report has the same tables you see on the GST portal:
| Table | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| B2B | Bills to registered buyers, invoice by invoice, with their GSTIN |
| B2CL | Large inter-state bills to unregistered buyers |
| B2CS | All other bills to unregistered buyers, summed by rate and place of supply |
| CDNR | Credit and debit notes to registered buyers |
| CDNUR | Credit and debit notes to unregistered buyers |
| Nil-rated | Nil-rated and exempt sales |
| HSN summary | Sales by HSN code, split into B2B and B2C |
| Document series | The bill number ranges used in the period |
Because the tables come from the bills made at the counter, the totals match what the shop really sold. Our GSTR-1 guide for retailers explains each table in plain words.
If your business has more than one GSTIN, the report is made per GSTIN, so each registration gets its own set of tables.
GSTR-3B from the same data
GSTR-3B is the summary return where you pay the tax. Cartix Prime puts together the GSTR-3B figures from the same bills and from your purchase entries, so the sales side matches your GSTR-1 and the purchase side comes from what you entered. Your CA can check the input tax credit before anything is filed.
Warnings before you file
Most return trouble starts at the counter. Cartix Prime looks for the common mistakes and lists them, so you can fix the bill or the item master first:
- an item sold without an HSN code
- a GSTIN that is not in the right format
- a B2B bill at zero rate
A missing HSN code makes the HSN summary incomplete. A wrong GSTIN means your buyer cannot claim credit for what they paid you, and you get the phone call. Fixing these once in the item or customer record keeps them fixed. Read HSN codes on the invoice to see how many digits your shop should print, and confirm with your CA.
Excel export, one sheet per table
The report exports to Excel with one sheet per table: B2B on one sheet, B2CS on the next, the HSN summary on another, and so on. You can file from it yourself or send the file to your CA on WhatsApp or email. Many accountants prefer it this way because they can check it in a tool they already use.
To be clear about what this is: Cartix Prime prepares your returns for filing or for your CA. It does not file them on the GST portal, and the export is Excel, not the portal's JSON. There is no direct connection to the GST portal.
Gold: match your purchases with GSTR-2B
On Gold, Cartix Prime matches your purchase entries against the GSTR-2B of the period. You see which supplier bills are in GSTR-2B and agree, which ones differ, and which ones your supplier has not reported yet. That tells you which input tax credit is safe to claim and which supplier to call. How to treat the differences is for your CA to decide.
How it works each month
- Bill as usual. Each item carries its HSN code and GST rate, and registered buyers are saved with their GSTIN.
- Enter purchases as they come in, from a supplier bill or a photo of it.
- At month end, open the GST report and pick the period and the GSTIN.
- Clear the warnings: add missing HSN codes, fix any wrong GSTIN.
- Export to Excel and file it yourself, or send it to your CA.
- On Gold, run the GSTR-2B match before claiming input tax credit.
Who it suits
Any regular GST-registered shop: a kirana store that sells mostly to walk-in customers and has a long B2CS table, a supermarket with thousands of items and many HSN codes, a medical store, or a wholesaler in Coimbatore who bills hotels and smaller shops and needs every B2B invoice right. It suits owners who file themselves and owners who hand everything to a CA.
Cartix Prime has no composition mode, so a composition dealer who issues bills of supply should talk to their CA first. For the billing side, see GST billing software.
Which plan
GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B are on every plan, from Starter at ₹2,499 a year (₹599 for a phone only), before 18% GST. Gold, at ₹8,999 a year, adds the GSTR-2B ITC match, e-invoice files, e-way bill files and full accounts. See all prices. Every new shop gets 7 days of Silver free, no card needed.
Questions people ask
Which software is good for GSTR-1 filing for a small shop?
Pick one that builds GSTR-1 from your own bills, so nothing is typed twice, warns about missing HSN codes and wrong GSTINs, and exports a file your CA can check. Cartix Prime does this on every plan, from ₹2,499 a year.
Does Cartix Prime file my GST return on the portal?
No. Cartix Prime prepares the GSTR-1 tables and GSTR-3B figures and exports them to Excel. You or your CA file the return on the GST portal. There is no direct connection to the portal and no JSON export for GSTR-1.
How do I get the HSN summary for GSTR-1?
Set the HSN code on each item once. Cartix Prime then adds up sales by HSN code, split into B2B and B2C, in the HSN summary sheet of the GSTR-1 report, and warns you about any item sold without an HSN code.
Can I get a GSTR-3B report from my billing software?
Yes. Cartix Prime puts together the GSTR-3B figures from your sales bills and purchase entries on every plan. Have your CA check the input tax credit before you file.
What is the GSTR-2B ITC match?
It compares your purchase entries with the GSTR-2B of the period, showing which supplier bills agree, which differ and which are missing. It is on the Gold plan. Your CA decides how to treat any difference.
I have two GSTINs. Can I get separate returns?
Yes. The GST reports in Cartix Prime are made per GSTIN, so each registration gets its own GSTR-1 tables and GSTR-3B figures.