HSN / SAC Code Finder
Open the free HSN / SAC Code Finder →
How it is calculated
Type the product or service name and the tool suggests the likely HSN (goods) or SAC (services) code and the usual GST rate. HSN is a 4-to-8 digit classification (more digits required at higher turnover); SAC classifies services. Always confirm the exact code and rate on the CBIC GST portal before filing.
Getting the code wrong is a reporting problem, not just a label
The classification you put on an invoice determines the rate you charge, and an error propagates in both directions. Charge too little and the shortfall is recoverable from you with interest, whether or not you can go back to the customer for it. Charge too much and your customer has paid tax they may struggle to claim, which becomes a commercial dispute rather than a tax one. The code also flows into your GSTR-1, into the summary the portal builds, and into your customer's GSTR-2B — so a wrong code is visible in the department's data long before anyone looks at your invoice. Classification is decided by what the item actually is, not by what it is commonly called in your trade, and the explanatory notes to the tariff are the authority. Where two headings could plausibly apply, that is exactly the situation to take advice on.
How many digits you must show
The number of digits required on an invoice depends on your aggregate annual turnover, and the requirement has tightened over time. Broadly, businesses below ₹5 crore of turnover must report four digits on business-to-business invoices, while those above ₹5 crore must report six. Business-to-consumer invoices are treated more leniently at the lower turnover levels. Exports carry their own requirement of eight digits, aligned to the customs tariff. The safest practice is to hold the full eight-digit code in your item master even when you only print four or six, because the longer code is what you will need for an export invoice or a refund claim, and reconstructing it later across a large catalogue is tedious. Getting the digit count wrong is a distinct defect from getting the classification wrong, and it can attract a penalty on its own.
Goods use HSN, services use SAC
The two systems look similar but cover different things and are not interchangeable. HSN is the Harmonised System of Nomenclature, an international classification for goods that India has aligned to, which is why the first six digits of an Indian HSN code mean the same thing in most other countries. SAC is the Services Accounting Code, used for services, and it is domestic rather than international. Both appear in the same field on a GST invoice, so the practical question is simply which one your supply is. That is usually obvious, but composite and mixed supplies complicate it: where goods and services are naturally bundled together, the whole supply takes the character of the principal supply and is classified accordingly, while a mixed supply of items sold together for a single price attracts the highest rate among them. Decide the nature of the supply first, then find the code.
Check the rate against the notification, not against habit
Rates change, and 22 September 2025 changed a great many of them. Following the 56th GST Council meeting the general slabs became Nil, 5% and 18%; the 12% and 28% slabs were removed, with a 40% rate applying to a short list of demerit goods. Individual life and health insurance became exempt in the same round, where it had previously carried 18%. Any rate you remember from before that date may therefore be the old one, and that includes rates quoted by software, by older articles, and by AI tools trained on earlier material. The tool here gives you a starting point for the code and the likely rate; the authoritative source is the rate notification as it stands today, published on cbic-gst.gov.in. Where a slab moved, remember that the rate attaches to the supply, so invoices, item masters and marketplace listings all need checking.
Composite and mixed supplies change the answer
Where a supply is not a single clean item the classification question shifts, and the two categories are treated very differently. A composite supply is one where goods and services are naturally bundled and supplied together in the ordinary course of business, one of them being principal — the whole supply takes the classification and rate of that principal supply. A mixed supply is two or more independent supplies sold together for a single price where the bundle is not natural; there the entire supply attracts the highest rate among the components, which can be an expensive surprise. The difference is often the difference between one rate and another on the same invoice, so it is worth deciding deliberately rather than by habit. Where a bundle can reasonably be split and priced separately, doing so usually gives a cleaner and more defensible position than arguing about the character of the bundle afterwards.
Where to verify, and how to keep the master clean
Treat any code suggestion, including this one, as a starting point rather than a conclusion. The authoritative sources are the rate notifications and the tariff with its explanatory notes, published on cbic-gst.gov.in, and the GST portal carries a searchable directory as well. Once you have settled a classification, record it in your item master with the date and the basis on which it was decided, so that the same item is not classified two different ways by two different people over time — inconsistency within your own records is harder to defend than an arguable classification applied consistently. Review the master whenever rates change, which the September 2025 restructuring made necessary for a large number of items. For anything genuinely uncertain and commercially significant, an advance ruling gives certainty for your own supplies.
When classification is genuinely disputed
Some classifications are contested for years, and the pattern is recognisable: an item that could sit under two headings, a rate difference large enough to matter, and an industry where practice varies. If your product is in that position, the objective is to reduce exposure rather than to be certain, because certainty may not be available. Apply one classification consistently and document why, with reference to the tariff entry and the explanatory notes rather than to what competitors do. Where the amounts justify it, an advance ruling binds the department in relation to your own supplies and removes the question prospectively. Keep the correspondence and the reasoning together, because a considered position taken in good faith and applied consistently is treated very differently from an unexplained one, particularly when the question is whether an extended limitation period and a higher penalty should apply.
Frequently asked questions
How many HSN digits must appear on my invoice?
It depends on aggregate annual turnover — broadly four digits below Rs 5 crore and six above, on business-to-business invoices, with exports requiring eight. Hold the full eight-digit code in your item master even if you print fewer, because exports and refund claims need it.
Did GST rates change recently?
Yes. From 22 September 2025 the general slabs are Nil, 5% and 18%; the 12% and 28% slabs were removed, with 40% on a short list of demerit goods. Individual life and health insurance became exempt in the same round. Any rate recalled from before that date may be out of date — verify on cbic-gst.gov.in.
How do I classify a bundle of goods and services?
Decide whether it is a composite or a mixed supply. A composite supply is naturally bundled with one principal supply, and the whole takes that supply's rate. A mixed supply is independent items sold for a single price, and the whole attracts the highest rate among them.
What is the difference between HSN and SAC?
HSN (Harmonised System of Nomenclature) codes classify goods; SAC (Services Accounting Code) codes classify services. Both are quoted on GST invoices and returns.
How many HSN digits do I need on my invoice?
It depends on turnover — broadly 4 digits up to ₹5 crore and 6 digits above, with more digits for exports. Verify the current requirement for your turnover.
Is the suggested GST rate final?
No — it is an indicative rate. Confirm the exact HSN/SAC and GST rate on cbic-gst.gov.in before invoicing.
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