Key Takeaways
- Any supplier with AATO above ₹5 crore must generate IRNs for B2B, B2G, exports, and credit/debit notes in FY 2025–26; B2C invoices are excluded from IRN.
- SEZ units, insurers, banks, NBFCs, GTAs for road transport, passenger transport services, and Government Departments or Local Authorities remain exempt.
- Taxpayers with AATO ≥ ₹100 crore must report invoices, debit notes, and credit notes to the IRP within 7 calendar days of document date; day-8 submissions are rejected.
- IRN cancellation is allowed only within 24 hours of generation; post-24 hours, use credit or debit notes to correct errors.
- E-Way Bill validity is 1 day per 200 km, 1 day per 20 km for ODC, with an 8-hour post-expiry extension window for the transporter.
A single rejected IRN can block a shipment, freeze a customer's Input Tax Credit, and trigger a ₹10,000 penalty, all before your accounts team realises anything went wrong. In FY 2025–26, with the e-invoicing threshold at ₹5 crore aggregate turnover, most active B2B suppliers in India are inside the mandate.
TallyPrime handles the full e-invoicing and e-way bill lifecycle, IRN generation, QR printing, EWB creation, cancellation, and offline JSON fallback, but the real failure point is master data: wrong HSN digits, inactive GSTINs, mismatched PIN codes, and document numbers with disallowed characters. This guide gives you the setup path, the daily runbook, and the month-end controls to run both workflows without surprises.
TallyPrime E-Invoicing And E-Way Bill: The Short Answer
TallyPrime supports end-to-end e-invoicing and E-Way Bill generation for FY 2025–26, covering IRN creation, QR code printing, EWB Part-A and Part-B filing, cancellation, and offline JSON export for IRP upload when the portal is unavailable.
- Governing threshold — E-Invoicing: AATO > ₹5 crore, any FY from 2017–18; E-Way Bill: consignment value > ₹50,000.
- Covered documents — E-Invoicing: B2B, B2G, exports, credit/debit notes; E-Way Bill: all taxable goods in inter-state and intra-state movement.
- Exempt entities — E-Invoicing: SEZ units, banks, insurers, GTAs, NBFCs, Government Departments; E-Way Bill: non-motorised conveyance and specified exempt goods.
- Cancellation window — E-Invoicing: 24 hours from IRN generation; E-Way Bill: 24 hours from EWB generation.
- Amendment route — E-Invoicing: credit or debit note with a new IRN; E-Way Bill: extension or fresh EWB before or within 8 hours after expiry.
- Reporting deadline — E-Invoicing: 7 days for AATO ≥ ₹100 crore, no hard limit for others; E-Way Bill: valid within EWB validity from dispatch.
- Auto-population — E-Invoicing: GSTR-1 Tables 4A, 4B, 4C, 6A, 6B, 6C, 9B; E-Way Bill: not auto-populated to GSTR-1.
- Penalty for non-compliance — E-Invoicing: ₹10,000 or tax evaded, whichever is higher; E-Way Bill: 200% of tax payable, Section 129.
The most common misconception: cancelling an invoice in Tally does not automatically cancel the IRN on the IRP. You must explicitly trigger cancellation through the e-invoice menu in TallyPrime within the 24-hour window, or the IRN stays live on the government portal and pollutes your GSTR-1.
What Does TallyPrime Support For E-Invoicing And E-Way Bill In 2026?
TallyPrime covers the full IRN and EWB workflow natively, but the boundary conditions matter as much as the feature list. Knowing exactly which documents require an IRN and which attract an EWB prevents both over-compliance and under-compliance.
Documents That Require An IRN In FY 2025–26
TallyPrime generates IRNs for B2B invoices, B2G invoices, export invoices, supply to SEZ with or without payment of IGST, and credit and debit notes linked to any of the above. IRP FAQs on einvoice1.gst.gov.in confirm B2C invoices are excluded. If your AATO exceeds ₹500 crore, TallyPrime also prints a Dynamic QR code on B2C invoices under CBIC Notification No. 14/2020.
Example: You issue a ₹3 lakh B2B invoice to a registered dealer and a ₹3 lakh B2C invoice to an unregistered customer on the same day. Only the B2B invoice requires an IRN. The B2C invoice needs a Dynamic QR only if your AATO crosses ₹500 crore.
When Does An E-Way Bill Apply?
An EWB is required for movement of goods worth more than ₹50,000, consignment value, whether inter-state or intra-state, per CBIC Rule 138(2) of the CGST Rules, 2017. TallyPrime generates EWB Part-A and Part-B directly from the voucher data. EWB is not required for transport by non-motorised conveyance or for goods listed in the Annexure to Rule 138 — including postal baggage, currency, jewellery, and kerosene under PDS.
What TallyPrime Does Not Do Automatically
TallyPrime does not validate master data before submission. If a recipient GSTIN is inactive on the GST Common Portal, TallyPrime will still attempt the API call and return the IRP rejection code. HSN digit count, UQC codes, and PIN-to-state consistency must be correct in the ledger and stock item masters before the voucher is saved.
Frequently Asked Questions About TallyPrime E-Invoicing Scope
Does TallyPrime handle e-invoicing for export invoices?
Yes. TallyPrime generates IRNs for export invoices under both With Payment of Tax and Without Payment of Tax categories. The IRP schema requires the export type, the shipping bill number where available, and foreign currency details. If the shipping bill number is not available at invoice time, leave it blank and correct via a credit note or amendment workflow later.
Can TallyPrime generate IRNs for debit notes?
Yes, provided the issuer's AATO exceeds ₹5 crore. A supplier-issued debit note requires an IRN just like the original invoice. The debit note IRN auto-populates GSTR-1 Table 9B, per GSTN advisory. Capture the original invoice reference correctly in the Tally debit note voucher to avoid schema rejection.
How Do You Enable And Configure E-Invoicing And E-Way Bill In TallyPrime?
Setup takes under an hour if your ledger masters are clean. The work expands if HSN codes, UQC mappings, and address fields are incomplete.
Prerequisites Before You Touch The Settings
Confirm four things in your master data. First, every party ledger must carry the correct, active GSTIN. An inactive GSTIN causes an IRP rejection. Second, every stock item must have an HSN with at least 6 digits if your AATO exceeds ₹5 crore, per CBIC Notification No. 78/2020. Third, UQC in every stock item must match the IRP-approved UQC list. Fourth, the PIN code in every party ledger must correspond to the correct state code.
If you are above ₹100 crore AATO, set a calendar alert: every invoice, debit note, and credit note must reach the IRP within 7 days of the document date. Late submissions are rejected.
Enabling E-Invoicing In TallyPrime: The Setup Path
Go to Gateway of Tally → F11 (Features) → GST. Set Enable e-Invoice to Yes. Enter IRP API credentials. Confirm your company GSTIN. Save. From the next voucher saved, TallyPrime will push the invoice JSON to the IRP, retrieve the IRN and QR code, and embed them in the print.
For EWB, in the same GST screen, set Enable e-Way Bill to Yes. Enter EWB portal credentials separately. Generate EWB Part-A from the sales voucher and update Part-B later when vehicle details arrive.
Printing IRN And QR Codes On Invoices
After IRN generation, TallyPrime embeds the QR code and IRN reference on the invoice print layout automatically. If you use a custom print configuration, ensure the template pulls from the e-invoice fields. For B2C Dynamic QR at ₹500 crore+, configure it under GST settings separately.
Offline JSON Fallback When IRP Is Unavailable
If the IRP is unavailable, TallyPrime can generate the e-invoice JSON offline. Upload the JSON to the IRP once connectivity is restored, per IRP FAQs. Note: for AATO ≥ ₹100 crore, the 7-day window still applies unless GSTN issues a relaxation. Check gst.gov.in for advisories.
Frequently Asked Questions About TallyPrime Configuration
What credentials do I need to enable e-invoicing in TallyPrime?
API credentials from the NIC IRP portal or your GSP. These are separate from your GST portal login. Register on the IRP with your GSTIN, set an API username and password, and enter them in Tally. EWB credentials are registered on ewaybillgst.gov.in and entered separately.
Do I need different credentials for e-invoicing and e-way bill in TallyPrime?
Yes. IRP credentials are only for IRN generation. EWB credentials are only for EWB creation and Part-B updates. Maintain both in Tally under their respective sections.
Daily Workflow In TallyPrime: Generate, Cancel, And Amend E-Invoices And E-Way Bills
The daily runbook is straightforward once masters are clean. The delays happen when an IRN has an error, shipment details change after EWB creation, or an amendment is needed after the 24-hour window.
Generating An IRN And EWB For A New Invoice
On saving a B2B sales invoice with e-invoicing enabled, TallyPrime pushes the JSON to the IRP and returns the IRN, Acknowledgement Number, and Date within seconds. If applicable, EWB Part-A is generated from the same voucher. Update Part-B when the transporter confirms the vehicle.
Vehicle number format: Use standard RTO format, for example MH01AB1234, no spaces or special characters. The EWB portal rejects numbers with spaces or hyphens. Transporter ID is a 15-digit GSTIN or portal-issued Transporter ID.
Cancelling An IRN Within 24 Hours
If an invoice has an error and the IRN is less than 24 hours old, cancel it from Tally's e-invoice menu. Once cancelled, it cannot be reused. Create a fresh voucher and generate a new IRN.
EWB cancellation follows the same 24-hour rule under CBIC Rule 138(9). If goods have moved, the EWB cannot be cancelled even within 24 hours.
Handling Amendments After The 24-Hour Window
After 24 hours, no changes are possible on the IRP. Issue a credit note or a debit note. The note itself requires an IRN if your AATO exceeds ₹5 crore, per Rule 48(5). The original IRN remains in GSTR-1; the note appears in Table 9B.
Extending An E-Way Bill When Delivery Is Delayed
The transporter must extend EWB validity before expiry or within 8 hours after expiry, per Rule 138(11). After 8 hours, the EWB is dead. Moving goods under an expired EWB is a Section 129 violation, penalty is 200% of tax payable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Daily E-Invoice And EWB Operations
What happens if I generate an EWB but the vehicle changes mid-transit?
The transporter updates Part-B using Update Vehicle on the EWB portal, citing a valid reason. No cancellation required. Use correct RTO format, multiple updates are permitted within validity.
Can I generate a consolidated EWB in TallyPrime for multiple invoices?
Generate individual EWBs in Tally. Create the consolidated EWB on the portal by grouping those EWB numbers for the same vehicle and trip.
Controls That Prevent IRN Rejections And EWB Stoppages
IRN rejections are almost always master-data or formatting issues. Address these controls to reduce failures drastically.
HSN Validation: 6-Digit Minimum For ₹5 Crore+ Taxpayers
If your AATO exceeds ₹5 crore, every line item needs at least a 6-digit HSN per CBIC Notification No. 78/2020. Fix HSNs in stock masters, not during voucher entry.
Example: Item with HSN 8413 is rejected. Update to 841319, regenerate, IRN is issued.
GSTIN Status Check: Active Status Must Be Confirmed Before Posting
The IRP validates GSTIN status in real time. Suspended or cancelled GSTINs cause rejection. Build a monthly GSTIN status check using gst.gov.in before creating or using party ledgers.
Document Number Rules: 16-Character Limit, No Special Characters
Schema restricts invoice number to 16 characters, no spaces or special characters, per IRP FAQs. Replace series like INV/2025–26/0001 with compact alphanumeric, for example INV2526001.
PIN Code And State Code Consistency
PIN must correspond to GSTIN state code. Mismatches trigger errors. Cross-check the first two PIN digits with the GSTIN state and fix ledgers.
UQC Codes: Map Every Stock Item Before Going Live
Use IRP-approved UQCs. Map non-standard units to the nearest approved code, for example BAG or NOS. If none fits, use OTH, and document your mapping.
Frequently Asked Questions About IRN And EWB Error Prevention
What does error code Duplicate IRN mean and how do I fix it?
It means an IRN already exists for the same GSTIN, FY, and document number. Check the IRP portal. If valid, import it into Tally. If cancelled earlier, regenerate with a new number.
My transporter does not have a GSTIN — what do I enter as the Transporter ID?
They must enrol on the EWB portal to get a 15-digit Transporter ID. Enter that ID in Tally. Do not leave it blank for consignments above ₹50,000.
Month-End Close: Reconcile IRNs, E-Way Bills, GSTR-1, And Tally
Month-end is where daily errors surface as filing discrepancies. Fix the data, then file.
Step 1: Reconcile IRP Auto-Population With GSTR-1 Before Filing
E-invoices auto-populate GSTR-1 within hours, per GSTN advisory. Compare auto-populated entries with Tally. Resolve cancellations not reflected on IRP and IRNs raised outside Tally before filing.
GSTR-1 due dates FY 2025–26: Monthly by the 11th of the succeeding month. QRMP by the 13th after the quarter. IFF for first two months of each quarter by the 13th, per CBIC Notification No. 10/2024.
Step 2: Check EWB Compliance For Dispatched Consignments
EWBs do not auto-populate GSTR-1. Run a Tally EWB report to confirm valid EWBs covered every dispatch above ₹50,000 and remained valid through movement.
Step 3: Reconcile Purchase Register Against GSTR-2B
GSTR-2B reflects suppliers' filed GSTR-1. If a supplier generated an IRN but did not file GSTR-1, it will not appear in 2B. Under Section 16(4) of the CGST Act, 2017, ITC for FY 2025–26 must be availed by 30 November 2026, or it is lost.
Step 4: Confirm Cancelled IRNs Are Not In Filed Returns
Filter GSTR-1 drafts for entries whose IRN status is Cancelled on the IRP and remove them before filing to avoid phantom liabilities and buyer disputes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Month-End Reconciliation
Does every IRN automatically appear in GSTR-1 or do I need to add them manually?
IRNs auto-populate the relevant GSTR-1 tables. You still must review and submit. Entries can be edited before submission if needed.
How do I handle an IRN generated in March — do I report it in March GSTR-1?
Yes. Report in March GSTR-1. If filed incorrectly, amend in the next period using amendment tables or issue a credit/debit note with a new IRN as appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the penalty for not generating an IRN when required?
An invoice without an IRN, where mandated, is invalid under Rule 48(5). Penalty under Section 122 is ₹10,000 or the tax evaded, whichever is higher. The recipient also cannot claim ITC, creating commercial disputes.
My company crossed ₹5 crore AATO for the first time in FY 2024–25 — when does e-invoicing apply?
From 1 April 2025, the start of FY 2025–26. The threshold applies if AATO exceeded ₹5 crore in any year from FY 2017–18 onward, and it continues even if turnover later dips.
Can I generate an EWB without an IRN for a B2B shipment?
Yes. IRN and EWB are independent obligations. Evaluate each transaction for both: document type and AATO for IRN, consignment value and goods movement for EWB.
What happens if I move goods after an EWB expires?
It violates Rule 138. Under Section 129, goods and conveyance are liable for detention, penalty is 200% of tax payable for taxable goods. Avoid by extending within the permitted window.
How do I correct a wrong GSTIN on a B2B invoice after the 24-hour IRN cancellation window?
Issue a credit note to nullify the original, then raise a fresh invoice with the correct GSTIN. Both documents need IRNs if you are mandated. This preserves a clean audit trail and recipient ITC.
Does the 7-day IRP reporting limit apply to businesses below ₹100 crore AATO?
No. As of FY 2025–26, the 7-day limit applies only to AATO ≥ ₹100 crore. Below ₹100 crore, the IRP accepts invoices beyond 7 days, but timely reporting is still best practice.
Can an SEZ unit supplier issue e-invoices voluntarily even though they are exempt?
SEZ units are exempt under CBIC Notification No. 13/2020. Voluntary IRNs can create schema and return-matching complications, so most advisors discourage it. Reconfirm exemption status annually.
What is the ITC deadline for FY 2025–26 and what happens if I miss it?
ITC must be availed by 30 November 2026, or the date of filing the annual return, whichever is earlier, under Section 16(4). Missed credits are permanently lost.



