The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has issued an important advisory regarding proposed enhancements in the E-Way Bill (EWB) portal aimed at improving data quality, traceability, and operational efficiency. The advisory outlines the following key changes:
1. Mandatory Capture of “Ship-To GSTIN” in Bill-To Ship-To Transactions
- “Ship To GSTIN” shall become a mandatory field in ‘Bill-To/Ship-To’ transactions during EWB generation
- In cases where the consignee is unregistered, “URP” shall be entered in the field
2. Introduction of EWB Closure Functionality
- A new EWB closure facility has been introduced to enable for closure of EWB after delivery completion on a voluntary basis
- The EWB can be closed by the supplier, recipient, transporter, or the driver/ authorized person through the registered mobile number provided in the EWB system
- The closure can be performed either EWB-wise or date-wise
- The EWB can be closed on the same day of delivery of goods or on the immediately succeeding day after delivery completion
- A separate mobile number may be entered at the time of EWB generation for closure purposes, and currently, this option is voluntary in nature
- Necessary API changes have been released by National Informatics Centre (NIC) in the Sandbox environment. The proposed changes are scheduled to be deployed in the production environment by 15 June 2026.
It is imperative for the businesses to evaluate the impact of the changes and initiate necessary action steps.