What must be printed on a restaurant bill in India: GSTIN, FSSAI and more
A restaurant bill is a tax document and a food-safety record at the same time. Most of the fields people forget are the ones an inspector reads first.
ATBy Ashish TiwariWriter, YUVAVI POS
The tax fields
A bill from a GST-registered restaurant should carry the business name and address, the GSTIN, a unique invoice number from one consecutive series, and the date. The taxable value, the tax rate, and the tax amount split into CGST and SGST should be on the bill itself, followed by the total.
Restaurant service has its own service accounting code, SAC 996331. Ask your CA whether and how it must appear on your invoices, since requirements depend on your turnover and registration type.
- Name, address and GSTIN of the business
- Invoice number from one series, and the date
- Taxable value, rate, CGST and SGST shown separately
- Grand total, with how it was paid
The food-safety field people forget
FSSAI's own licensing FAQ says food businesses must declare their 14-digit FSSAI licence or registration number on cash receipts, invoices, cash memos and bills. It is a line on the bill, not only a certificate on the wall.
It is also the field that is easiest to lose. A bill template is set up once, the number is typed in, the licence is renewed or the outlet moves, and the old number keeps printing for months. Put the number in the outlet settings so one change updates every bill, and add a renewal date you will actually see.
Cancelled and re-issued bills
A cancelled bill keeps its number. A gap in the series is what draws questions, so the record should show the cancellation, who made it and why, rather than a missing number.
If a bill has to be corrected after printing, issue the correction as a new document that refers to the first. Overwriting the original leaves nothing to reconcile against.
Per outlet, not per laptop
Each outlet has its own address, its own FSSAI number and sometimes its own GST registration. A bill printed at the second branch with the first branch's FSSAI number is a small mistake that looks like a large one during an inspection.
These details belong to the outlet record in your billing software, so every counter in that outlet prints the same header, and a new counter inherits it instead of being set up by hand.
- Outlet name, address, GSTIN and FSSAI number kept in one place
- Every counter and every printer reads from it
- A renewal date for the FSSAI licence that someone is reminded about
A quick check you can do today
Print a test bill from each counter and lay them side by side. The header, GSTIN, FSSAI number and tax split should match line for line. Any difference is the place a template was copied rather than shared.
Rules and thresholds change, so confirm anything specific to your registration with your CA or the current FSSAI and GST notifications.
Questions people ask
What must be on a restaurant bill in India?
The business name and address, GSTIN, a unique invoice number and date, the taxable value with CGST and SGST shown separately, the total, and the 14-digit FSSAI licence or registration number.
Does the FSSAI number have to be printed on the bill?
FSSAI's licensing FAQ says food businesses must declare their 14-digit licence or registration number on cash receipts, invoices, cash memos and bills. Keep it in your outlet settings so it updates on every bill.
Can a cancelled restaurant bill be deleted?
No. A cancelled bill keeps its number and stays in the record with who cancelled it and why, because a gap in the invoice series is what raises questions.