SaralKar
GST COMPLIANCE
[003] GLOSSARY

Purchase register

The books-side record of invoices received and tax amounts booked by the business.

29 May 2026

Definition

A purchase register is the books-side record of invoices received and tax amounts booked by the company.

Why it matters

It is the control file that reconciliation starts from because it reflects what the business expects to claim as input credit.

Example

A row in the purchase register usually includes vendor name, invoice number, taxable value, and the tax split.

Common mistake

People assume the register is already ready to compare. In practice, invoice numbers, GSTINs, and duplicate rows often need cleanup first.

  • GSTR-2B
  • Data normalization
  • Invoice matching
  • Vendor master data

Frequently asked questions

What is a purchase register used for?
It records the invoices the business has booked and becomes the books-side source for GST reconciliation.
Why does it need cleanup before matching?
Because invoice formatting, GSTIN values, and duplicate rows often need normalization before they can be compared reliably.