How to Set Up GST for Your Restaurant

Estackly handles Indian GST automatically once you configure it — CGST/SGST for intra-state orders and IGST for inter-state delivery orders are applied without any manual intervention. This guide walks you through every setting.

Where to find GST settings

Go to Settings → Tax & Charges from your restaurant dashboard. All GST configuration lives on this single tab.

Step 1 — Enable Tax / GST

At the top of the Tax & Charges card you will see an Enable Tax / GST toggle. Switch it on. When disabled, no taxes are added to any order regardless of what is configured below — this is the master switch.

Step 2 — Enter your GSTIN

In the GSTIN / Tax Registration Number field enter your 15-character GST Identification Number (format: 22AAAAA0000A1Z5). This number is printed on bills and invoices. If you are not GST-registered, you can leave this blank and still use tax lines for other levies.

Step 3 — Choose a Tax Calculation Method

The Tax Calculation Method controls where tax sits relative to the item price:

• Order Level (Added to Subtotal) — tax is calculated on the order subtotal and shown as a separate line on the bill. This is the standard setup for most restaurants and is what customers expect to see.
• Item Level (Included in Price) — prices are treated as tax-inclusive. No extra line appears on the bill; the tax is extracted and shown for reporting only.

Most restaurants should use Order Level.

Step 4 — Set your Restaurant State (Place of Supply)

Select the Indian state where your restaurant is registered from the Restaurant State dropdown. This is critical for automatic CGST/SGST vs IGST switching on delivery orders:

• If a delivery customer's address is in the same state as your restaurant → CGST + SGST apply (intra-state).
• If a delivery customer's address is in a different state → IGST applies (inter-state).

Dine-in and pickup orders always use CGST + SGST regardless of this setting.

Step 5 — Choose GST Application mode

The GST Application dropdown controls how the tax rate is determined per order:

• Whole Bill — a single uniform GST rate (from the tax lines you configure below) is applied to the entire order subtotal. Use this if all your menu items attract the same GST rate (e.g. all items at 5%).
• Item-wise (HSN based) — each menu item carries its own GST rate, set individually on the item. Items are grouped by rate; CGST/SGST or IGST is calculated per group. Use this if your menu has a mix of rates (e.g. food at 5% and alcohol at 18%).

Step 6 — Add your tax lines

Click Add Tax to add each individual tax component. For standard Indian GST you need three tax lines:

For 5% GST (most common for restaurant food)

• CGST — Name: CGST, Rate: 2.5%, Type: Percentage, GST Category: CGST
• SGST — Name: SGST, Rate: 2.5%, Type: Percentage, GST Category: SGST
• IGST — Name: IGST, Rate: 5%, Type: Percentage, GST Category: IGST

For 18% GST (alcohol, some premium items)

• CGST — Name: CGST, Rate: 9%, Type: Percentage, GST Category: CGST
• SGST — Name: SGST, Rate: 9%, Type: Percentage, GST Category: SGST
• IGST — Name: IGST, Rate: 18%, Type: Percentage, GST Category: IGST

The GST Category field tells Estackly when to apply each line:

• CGST / SGST / UTGST — applied only on intra-state orders (customer state = restaurant state).
• IGST — applied only on inter-state orders (customer state ≠ restaurant state).
• General (no category) — applied on every order regardless of state. Use for VAT, service charges, or custom levies.

New restaurants already have CGST 2.5%, SGST 2.5%, and IGST 5% pre-configured. You can edit these rates directly from the tax list if you need a different GST slab.

Step 7 — Set GST rates per item (Item-wise mode only)

If you chose Item-wise (HSN based) in Step 5, you also need to set a GST rate on each menu item:

1. Go to Menu → Items and edit any item.
2. Set the GST Rate field (e.g. 5 for 5%, 18 for 18%).
3. Items with no GST rate set are treated as tax-exempt.

Estackly groups items by their GST rate on the bill and shows the CGST/SGST breakdown per slab — fully GST-compliant.

Step 8 — Show GSTIN on receipts

Go to Settings → Receipt and turn on Show Restaurant Tax (GSTIN). When enabled, your GSTIN number appears on every printed and digital bill, which is required for B2B GST-compliant invoices.

Save your settings

Click Save Settings at the bottom of the Tax & Charges card. Changes take effect immediately on the next order.

Quick reference — common GST slabs

Note: GST slabs change periodically. Always verify the current rate with a tax professional or the GST Council website before configuring.