SmartLedger files your GST returns directly on the GST portal through a GST Suvidha Provider (GSP) connection. To do that it needs a portal session for your GSTIN, which you start with a one-time password (OTP). You don't download a JSON file and upload it yourself.
The session is used to:
- save and file GSTR-1, GSTR-3B and GSTR-9
- load your saved GSTR-3B and GSTR-9 drafts from the portal
- fetch GSTR-2B for a GST reconciliation
Before you start
- Add your company's GSTIN in your company settings.
- Have your GST portal username for that GSTIN.
- Keep the authorised signatory's registered mobile handy. The OTP is sent there.
Connect
- Go to GST → Summary and click Connect GST Portal.
- In the GST Portal Login panel, enter your GST Portal Username.
- Click Send OTP.
- Enter the 6-digit code in Enter OTP and click Verify OTP.
If the code doesn't arrive, click Resend. Once verified, the summary header shows GST Portal: Connected and how long the session has left.
You can also connect from other places. The setup checklists on GST → Summary, GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B have a Connect button. On a GSTR-1 filing, click the GST Portal: Disconnected badge. That opens a small Connect to GST portal window with the buttons Send OTP to registered mobile and Verify & Connect. The GSTR-3B prepare screen and + Prepare Annual Return on GSTR-9 open the login panel for you if you aren't connected.
How long it lasts
- A session lasts about six hours. After that, connect again with a new OTP.
- The session belongs to the browser you connected from. Another browser or device needs its own OTP.
- A session is tied to one GSTIN. If you switch to a company with a different GSTIN, the summary shows "The open portal session is for" the other GSTIN. Connect again for the company you're working on.
If the OTP fails
- Maximum sessions reached — sign out from the GST portal in another tool or device, then try again.
- OTP service temporarily down — the GST portal's OTP service isn't responding. Wait a few minutes and retry.
- OTP session expired — a new OTP has been sent. Enter that one.
- GSTIN format is invalid — correct the GSTIN in your company settings.
What connecting does not do
Connecting lets SmartLedger read from and save to the portal for your GSTIN. It never files a return on its own. Each return is filed only when you complete its final step with an EVC OTP.
E-way bills use separate e-way bill API credentials, not this session. See Creating and managing e-way bills.
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