---
title: "GST Network (GSTN): India's GST IT Backbone | Model Diplomat"
description: "The GST Network (GSTN) is the government-owned company running India's GST IT system for registration, returns, and refunds. How it works and why it matters."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/gst-network-gstn"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The GST Network is a non-profit company that builds and operates the shared IT backbone enabling registration, return filing, tax payment, and refunds under India's Goods and Services Tax.
- Who owns GSTN, and why was its ownership changed?
- How is GSTN different from the GST Council?
- What core services does the GSTN portal provide?
- Why was GSTN brought under the PMLA in 2023?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 28 March 2013

   The GST Network (GSTN) is the information-technology backbone of India's Goods and Services Tax regime, incorporated on as a Section 8 (non-profit) private…

2. 1 July 2017

   When GST went live on , GSTN was the single portal through which the indirect-tax obligations of millions of enterprises flowed.

3. 1 April 2018

   The e-way bill system, mandatory for the inter-state movement of goods above a threshold value since and for intra-state movement shortly after, generates a…

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Example

In May 2018, India's GST Council approved converting GSTN into a wholly government-owned company, splitting equity equally between the Union and the states after concerns over private control of taxpayer data.

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