Provided that for the financial year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, every registered person whose aggregate turnover exceeds five crore rupees shall get his accounts audited as specified under sub-section (5) of section 35 and he shall furnish a copy of audited annual accounts and a reconciliation statement, duly certified, in FORM GSTR-9C for the said financial year, electronically through the common portal either directly or through a Facilitation Centre notified by the Commissioner.

Provided also that the said restriction shall not apply during the period from the 20th day of March, 2020 till the 15th day of October, 2020 in case where the return in FORM GSTR-3B or the statement of outward supplies in FORM GSTR-1 or the statement in FORM GST CMP-08, as the case may be, has not been furnished for the period February, 2020 to August, 2020.

Rule 67A - Manner of furnishing of return or details of outward supplies by short messaging service facility.

[67A. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Chapter, for a registered person who is required to furnish a Nil return under section 39 in FORM GSTR-3B or a Nil details of outward supplies under section 37 in FORM GSTR-1 or a Nil statement in FORM GST CMP-08 for a tax period, any reference to electronic furnishing shall include furnishing of the said return or the details of outward supplies or statement through a short messaging service using the registered mobile number and the said return or the details of outward supplies or statement shall be verified by a registered mobile number based One Time Password facility.

Explanation. - For the purpose of this rule, a Nil return or Nil details of outward supplies or Nil statement shall mean a return under section 39 or details of outward supplies under section 37 or statement under rule 62, for a tax period that has nil or no entry in all the Tables in FORM GSTR-3B or FORM GSTR-1 or FORM GST CMP-08, as the case may be.