Export Invoice Under GST: Complete Format and Compliance Guide

Export invoice under GST: with or without IGST, LUT bonds, shipping bill linkage, and FIRC for service exporters.

Two Routes: With IGST or Under LUT

Indian exporters can choose between two GST treatments: pay IGST on the export invoice and claim a refund later, or export under a Letter of Undertaking (LUT) without paying any tax. The LUT route is preferred for cash flow because it avoids blocking working capital in refund queues that often stretch 6-12 months. LUTs are filed annually in Form GST RFD-11 on the GST portal and are valid from the date of filing until the end of the financial year. Once an LUT is in force, every export invoice must carry the LUT number and a declaration that the supply is made without payment of IGST.

Mandatory Fields on an Export Invoice

An export invoice must include the supplier's GSTIN, the words "Supply meant for export on payment of IGST" or "Supply meant for export under LUT without payment of IGST," buyer name and address abroad, country code, currency, conversion rate to INR, shipping bill or bill of export number, port code, HSN, and total value in both foreign currency and INR. Place of supply is the country of destination, and the invoice is treated as an inter-state supply under Section 7(5) of the IGST Act. Missing the LUT number or shipping bill reference is the most common cause of refund rejection.

Shipping Bill Linkage for Goods

For physical goods, the shipping bill filed at customs acts as the official application for IGST refund under Rule 96 of the CGST Rules. The export invoice number, date, and value must match the shipping bill line by line, and the data flows from ICEGATE to GSTN automatically. Any mismatch — even a typo in the invoice number — blocks the refund until the exporter corrects it through Table 6A of GSTR-1. Exporters should reconcile shipping bills with their invoice register every month to catch errors early.

Service Exporters and FIRC

For service exporters (IT, consulting, design), there is no shipping bill. Instead, payment must be received in convertible foreign exchange within nine months under FEMA, and the bank issues a Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC) or e-BRC. The FIRC is the proof of export realization needed for refund claims under Form GST RFD-01. Place of supply is determined under Section 13 of the IGST Act, and qualifying as "export of service" requires both supplier and recipient to be in different countries with payment in forex.

Tracking Exports in BillBabu

BillBabu lets you mark a buyer as an overseas customer, enter foreign currency invoices, and store the LUT number that auto-prints on every export document. Shipping bill numbers and FIRCs can be attached to each invoice, and the export register report consolidates everything for monthly RFD-01 filing. This is especially useful for freelancers and small IT shops who export to one or two clients but cannot afford expensive ERP add-ons.

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