# What Is the IRP (Invoice Registration Portal) Under GST?

**Category:** GST | **Published:** 2026-06-25 | **Last reviewed:** 2026-06-25 | **Author:** Mrs. Swapna Patel

The Invoice Registration Portal (IRP) is the government-authorised system that validates a B2B invoice reported for e-invoicing and returns the Invoice Reference Number (IRN), a digital signature, and a signed QR code under Rule 48(4) of the CGST Rules. It does not generate or deliver the invoice; the business still creates the invoice and sends it. Under Rule 48(5), a notified taxpayer invoice without a valid IRN from the IRP is not a legal document. The first IRP was run by NIC at einvoice1.gst.gov.in, and several GSTN-authorised IRPs now exist, so businesses have more than one portal to report through.

> **Myth:** There is one government website that prints your e-invoice and emails it to your buyer.
>
> **Fact:** The IRP does not create or send the invoice. It validates the invoice you report and returns an [IRN](/answers/what-is-an-irn-invoice-reference-number) and signed QR code under [Rule 48(4) of the CGST Rules](https://www.cbic.gov.in/htdocs-cbec/gst/cgst-rules-as-amended).

## What is the IRP?

> **Short answer:** The IRP, Invoice Registration Portal, is the government-authorised system that validates a reported e-invoice and returns an [IRN](/answers/what-is-an-irn-invoice-reference-number), a digital signature, and a signed QR code under [Rule 48(4)](https://www.cbic.gov.in/htdocs-cbec/gst/cgst-rules-as-amended).

Under e-invoicing, you do not just print a tax invoice. You report its details to the IRP in a fixed schema. The IRP checks them, signs the data, and hands back the IRN and QR code. Only after that round trip is the invoice legally complete.

## What does the IRP actually do?

> **Short answer:** It validates and registers, it does not create or deliver your invoice.

- It checks the reported invoice against the e-invoice schema and for duplicates.
- It generates the unique IRN, a hash derived from your GSTIN, invoice number, and financial year.
- It digitally signs the invoice data and returns a signed QR code the buyer can scan.
- You still build the invoice in your own tool and send it to the buyer; the IRP only registers it.

**[See when an invoice must carry an IRN and QR code](https://hrareceipt.in/atlas/e-invoicing-irn-5-crore-threshold)**

## Is there only one IRP?

> **Short answer:** No. The first IRP was run by NIC at einvoice1.gst.gov.in, and several GSTN-authorised IRPs now operate.

- Multiple registrars exist so the system runs 24x7 with redundancy.
- The IRN a business gets is the same in effect whichever authorised IRP it reports through.
- Choice of IRP is an operational decision; the legal validity comes from holding a valid IRN, not from which portal issued it.

## How is the IRP different from the IRN?

> **Short answer:** The IRP is the portal, the system. The [IRN](/answers/what-is-an-irn-invoice-reference-number) is the 64-character number the portal returns.

- IRP = the validating system you report the invoice to.
- IRN = the unique reference number the IRP gives back as proof of registration.
- Under Rule 48(5), a notified taxpayer invoice with no valid IRN from the IRP is not a legal document, so the buyer ITC on it is at risk.

**[Generate a GST tax invoice ready for IRP reporting](https://hrareceipt.in/pakka-bill)**

## Primary sources

- [Rule 48(4), Central Goods and Services Tax Rules 2017 — CBIC](https://www.cbic.gov.in/htdocs-cbec/gst/cgst-rules-as-amended) — Reporting of invoice particulars to the IRP and generation of the IRN.
- [GST e-invoice portal (IRP) — GSTN](https://einvoice1.gst.gov.in) — The portal that validates the invoice and returns the IRN, signature, and QR code.
- [GST e-invoice system overview and FAQs — GSTN](https://www.gstn.org.in/faqs-category-details) — Role of the IRP, multiple registrars, and the Rule 48(5) validity condition.

## Related

- [What is an IRN — the 64-character code the IRP returns](https://hrareceipt.in/answers/what-is-an-irn-invoice-reference-number)
- [The Rs. 5 crore e-invoicing threshold for FY 2026-27](https://hrareceipt.in/answers/e-invoicing-gst-5-crore-threshold-fy2026-27)
- [What is a pakka bill — the GST invoice that counts as valid](https://hrareceipt.in/answers/what-is-a-pakka-bill)

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