Monthly GSTR filings, ITC reconciliation, e-invoicing — the compliance burden hits small businesses far harder than the policy estimates predicted.

The original GST promise was simplification. The 2026 reality is opposite: monthly GSTR-1 + GSTR-3B filings, e-invoicing for businesses above ₹5Cr, mandatory input-tax-credit reconciliation, and GST notices triggered by 2B mismatches. For a small business with ₹2-5Cr turnover, compliance now consumes 4-6 hours per week of someone's time. The right fix isn't scrapping GST — it's simplifying for SMBs. A turnover-based quarterly composition scheme with auto-computed liability would solve 80% of the small-business pain. Until then, every SMB above ₹40 lakh turnover needs either a CA or a competent in-house person managing this.