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GST Invoice Number Format — Sahi format kya hai?
What your GST invoice number format must look like — everything you need to know.
GST Invoice mein kya-kya hona zaroori hai?
Under CGST Act Rule 46, a valid tax invoice must include these fields:
Invoice Number ke rules
Maximum 16 characters
Invoice number must be a maximum of 16 characters. The GST portal does not accept longer numbers.
Allowed characters: A-Z, 0-9, /, -
Only capital letters (A–Z), numbers (0–9), forward slash (/), and hyphen (-) are allowed. Special characters like @, #, &, etc. are not allowed.
Financial year mein consecutive hona chahiye
Invoice numbers must be sequential within a financial year (April to March). You can start a fresh series in the new financial year. Skip karna ya duplicate invoice number banana GST rules ka violation hai.
Spaces allowed nahi hain
Invoice numbers must not have spaces. Use a hyphen or slash to separate words.
Invoice Number Validator
Apna invoice number check karein — valid hai ya nahi
Allowed: A–Z, 0–9, /, - · Maximum 16 characters · No spaces
Common Invoice Number Formats
| Format | Example | Valid? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple number | 1, 2, 3... | Valid ✓ | Minimal format — works fine |
| With prefix | INV-001 | Valid ✓ | Most common format |
| With year | INV/24-25/001 | Valid ✓ | Good practice — easy to organize |
| With date prefix | INV-240601-001 | Valid ✓ | Date encoded in number |
| Company initials | SE/2024/0001 | Valid ✓ | Clear and professional |
| Too long | INVOICE/2024-25/00001 | Invalid ✗ | Exceeds 16 characters |
| Special characters | INV@001 | Invalid ✗ | @ not allowed |
| Spaces | INV 001 | Invalid ✗ | Spaces not allowed |
Invoice numbers automatically manage karo
Brihat Books has automatic sequential invoice numbering. No chance of duplicates or skips.
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