FAQs

Frequently asked questions about IRN generation

When do I need to generate an IRN? For what type of invoices do I need to generate an IRN?

IRN can be generated only for B2B invoices and EXPORT invoices( SEZWP- SEZ with payment, SEZWOP - SEZ without payment, EXPWP - Export with payment, EXPWOP - Export without payment , DEXP - Deemed exports)

Up to how many line items can one invoice have for IRN generation?

By default 1000 line items are supported from NIC for one Invoice, however this can be increased to 5000 by request to NIC with business justification.

Can I generate more than one IRN with the same invoice number?

No, you cannot use the same invoice number more than once in a Financial year.

Can I generate e-invoice for invoice number starting with 0 ?

No, the invoice number should not be starting with 0, /and - . If so , the request is rejected.

Can I create an IRN for a purchase invoice?

IRN for purchase invoice is not possible. E-invoices can be generated only for sales invoices.

Can I generate an e-invoice for bill of supply?

E-invovice for (BOS) Exempt, Nil Rated, Non Gst Supplies cannot be raised. IRN can be generated only for B2B invoices and EXPORT invoices( SEZWP, SEZWOP, EXPWP, EXPWOP , DEXP)

When I generate an IRN via clear E-invoicing product, does it update the Govt portal or do I need to explicitly update the Govt. NIC portal?

Yes, if you generate an IRN via Clear E-invoicing, the NIC portal gets automatically updated

On the Clear E-invoicing portal IRN Status is generated but it is not showing on the GST portal/GSTR 1 data

As per NIC, the invoice details will be reflected in GSTR-1 data on the GST portal within 24 hrs of IRN generation. If the invoices are not reflecting after 24 hrs please raise a ticket with the GSTN team along with the invoice and IRN details at https://selfservice.gstsystem.in/ or call them at 1800-103-4786 for further assistance.

If i generate an IRN directly on the NIC portal, does it reflect in Clear E-invoicing?

If IRN is generated directly on the NIC portal those invoices will not be updated in the cleartax portal. However, if you were to regenerate that IRN via Clear E-invoicing, you will get a duplicate IRN message. If you have integrated your ERP with us, you can make a GET_IRN api call within 48 hours to get the IRN details of an IRN generated on NIC portal.

How to generate an IRN for a backdated invoice?

You can generate an IRN for any invoice with a document date (actual date the invoice was generated) that is is less than or equal to the date you generate IRN. The document date should be with in the same financial year i.e. greater or equal to Apr 1. IRNs cannot be created for invoices generated before Oct 2020.

Why did IRN generation fail? How can I check the reason for failure?

IRN generation can fail for multiple reasons. Some of the reasons could be : > HSN code is invalid > GSTIN is invalid/incorrect > Pin code is incorrect > Distance between the pin codes is incorrect However, to know the exact reason for failure, please click on the invoice number that failed (usually highlighted in red) the error reason will show up on top.

How can i get an excel report of all the errors for the failed invoices?

Go to Documents tab and set the filter to choose status as "failed ". You will get a list of all failed documents and under more action you can download the error report. You can choose the lite report or detailed report . Lite reports give very basic information about your download data but the detailed report contains all information and is equivalent to the e-invoice govt template.

Once an IRN is generated can I modify it?

You cannot modify an IRN once it is generated. However, you can cancel it and regenerate a new IRN with modified details provided you do it within 24 hours of creating the original IRN. You cannot cancel an IRN after 24 hrs from time of generation.

I can't find my Generated Invoice

Make sure you've chosen the right set of filers on the documents page. You can identify/search relevant e-invoice documents by narrowing your search using the filter options below: Document date IRN generation date Business Document number Customer name/GSTIN Document Status Supply type Document type Tax value

Please note: Document date is the date on which the original invoice number was raised. While the IRN Generated date will be the date you actually generate an IRN for that invoice. As a general rule your document date will always be less that or same as IRN generated date.

How to check if it is possible to create an E-Invoice for a new GSTIN or how to resolve when we see "GSTIN is invalid" error during IRN Generation but the GSTIN is present on the GST portal?

Check here, if the GSTIN is active and enabled. If it is registered and not enabled then enable it on the same page by clicking on 'Update from GST Common Portal'. This issue could also happen to some old GSTINs due to sync issues between GST portal and E-invoice portal.

I cant find my invoices. Where did my data go?

All the data older than 365 days will be shown in Historical data section/Archives