Before you move goods worth more than ₹50,000, you generally need an e-way bill. Some states set a different limit for movement within the state. SmartLedger can build the e-way bill from a sales invoice you've already saved, so you only add the transport details.
Before you start
- E-way bills are included in the Pro plan and above. On other plans, E-Way Bills shows an upgrade screen.
- Get your e-way bill API credentials from ewaybillgst.gov.in under API Registration. These are separate from your e-invoice credentials.
- Save the sales invoice first.
Create the e-way bill
- Go to GST → E-Way Bills and click + Generate E-Way Bill.
- If SmartLedger doesn't have your credentials yet, the E-Way Bill API Credentials dialog opens. Enter your GSTIN, EWB API Username and EWB API Password, then click Save.
- Under Transaction Details, leave Transaction Type as Outward, Sub-Type as Supply and Document Type as Tax Invoice for a normal sale.
- In Document Number, start typing the invoice number and pick the invoice from the list.
- Check the details SmartLedger filled in from the invoice (see below) and correct anything that's missing.
- Under Transport Details (Part B), choose the Transport Mode and enter the Approximate Distance (KM). Add the Vehicle Number, Transporter ID and Transporter Name if you have them.
- Click Generate E-Way Bill.
To finish later, click Save as Draft instead. The bill is saved in SmartLedger but not sent to the portal yet.
What is filled in from the invoice
- Document Number and Document Date from the invoice.
- From (Consignor) — your business. SmartLedger looks up your GSTIN on the GST portal, and falls back to your company details.
- To (Consignee) — the client on the invoice, looked up the same way.
- Goods Details — one row per invoice line, with the product, HSN, quantity, unit, taxable value and GST rate. CGST, SGST or IGST and the totals are worked out for you.
Every Address, City, Pincode and State is required, so fill in any the lookup couldn't find.
What happens next
- The bill opens on its own page with its E-Way Bill No., Valid From and Valid Until. Click Download PDF to get a copy for the transporter.
- The invoice's amounts and line items are locked while it has an e-way bill.
- An invoice can only have one active e-way bill. If you pick an invoice that already has one, SmartLedger tells you and won't generate another until the first is cancelled or expires.
Tips
- If generation fails because the portal is unavailable, your draft is saved. Open it from GST → E-Way Bills and try again.
- The document date can't be more than a year in the past.
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