New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- Small business owners, freelancers and first-time entrepreneurs applying for Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration may benefit from clearer documentation requirements and faster approval timelines under new guidelines issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

In a circular dated 26 October 2026, the tax authority clarified the documents required for registration, the circumstances in which officers can seek additional information and the timelines for processing applications. The guidelines aim to reduce unnecessary paperwork, repeated queries and delays.

One of the key provisions concerns the time required to obtain GST registration.

Under the simplified registration mechanism introduc...