👉 File your partner/director amendment with CA-verified documents → get the board resolution and stakeholder KYC right the first time, no REG-03 back-and-forth.
Bringing on a new director, or had a partner exit? Your GST registration has to reflect your actual promoters and partners, not just your MCA or Registrar of Firms records. Here's exactly how to add or remove a partner, director, Karta, or trustee in your GST registration online, what documents each scenario needs, and how long it takes.
Quick Answer: To add or remove a partner or director in GST registration, file Form GST REG-14 on the GST portal under Amendment of Registration – Core Fields, select the Promoters/Partners tab, add the new stakeholder's KYC and proof of appointment (or the exiting stakeholder's resignation/retirement proof), and submit for officer approval. This is a core-field change and takes up to 15 working days.
Is Adding or Removing a Partner/Director a Core Field or Non-Core Field Change?
Adding or removing a partner, director, Karta, managing committee member, trustee, or CEO is a core field amendment under Rule 19 of the CGST Rules, 2017. This means the change doesn't go live the moment you submit it - a jurisdictional GST officer has to verify and approve it first, just like a legal name or principal-place-of-business change. Filing this under the "Non-Core Fields" section by mistake - a common error when people confuse a director change with an authorized-signatory change - will get the application rejected outright.
How Do I Add a New Partner or Director in GST Registration?
You add a new partner or director in GST registration by filing Form GST REG-14, selecting the Promoters/Partners tab, and entering the new stakeholder's KYC details along with proof of their appointment. The full process:
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Log in to the GST portal (gst.gov.in) with your GSTIN, username, and password.
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Go to Services > Registration > Amendment of Registration – Core Fields.
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Select the Promoters/Partners tab.
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Click Add New and enter the new stakeholder's personal details - name, designation, DIN/DPIN (for directors), PAN, date of birth, and residential address.
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Upload the required documents (see the table below).
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Enter the date of amendment and the reason - e.g. "New director appointed vide Board Resolution dated [X]".
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Verify and submit using DSC (mandatory for companies and LLPs) or EVC (for other entity types).
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Note your ARN (Application Reference Number) - the tracking ID for your application - from the confirmation SMS and email.
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Track your application using our GST ARN Status Check tool.
How Do I Remove a Partner or Director from GST Registration?
You remove a partner or director from GST registration by opening the same Promoters/Partners tab, selecting the exiting stakeholder's record, marking them as "Deleted", and entering the date and reason for cessation. Along with this, you'll need to upload proof of resignation or retirement - a resignation letter accepted by the board, a retirement deed (for partnerships), or a board resolution recording the cessation. The date entered must match the effective date on the supporting document, since a mismatch here is a common cause of officer queries.
What Documents Are Required to Add or Remove a Partner/Director?
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Scenario
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Documents Required
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Adding a new director (company/LLP)
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PAN and Aadhaar of the new director, photograph, Board Resolution appointing the director, DIN (Director Identification Number)
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Removing a director (company/LLP)
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Resignation letter, Board Resolution accepting the resignation, date of cessation
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Adding a new partner (partnership firm)
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PAN and Aadhaar of the new partner, photograph, supplementary/amended partnership deed reflecting the new partner
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Removing a partner (partnership firm)
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Retirement deed or dissolution/reconstitution deed, date of retirement
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Change in Karta (HUF)
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Declaration/affidavit of the new Karta, PAN and Aadhaar
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For every scenario, keep documents under 3 months old (for KYC proofs) and ensure the name spelling matches exactly across PAN, Aadhaar, and the appointment/resignation document - a mismatch here is one of the most common causes of a REG-03 clarification query.
How Long Does It Take to Approve a Partner or Director Change?
A partner or director change in GST registration takes up to 15 working days for approval, since it's a core-field amendment reviewed by a jurisdictional GST officer. Under Rule 19 of the CGST Rules, 2017, the officer must either approve the change (issuing Form GST REG-15) or raise a clarification query in Form GST REG-03 within that window. If neither happens, the amendment is deemed approved automatically. The effective date of the change is the date you submitted the REG-14 application - not the date of officer approval.
Do I Need to Update the Authorized Signatory Separately?
Yes - changing a partner or director does not automatically update your authorized signatory. The authorized signatory is the person empowered to sign returns and communications on your GSTIN's behalf, and it's tracked as a separate non-core field. If the outgoing director or partner was also your authorized signatory, you must add a new authorized signatory in the same or a separate amendment application before removing the old one - a GSTIN cannot be left with zero authorized signatories at any point, or return filing gets blocked.
Why Do Partner/Director Amendment Applications Get Rejected?
Partner and director amendments most commonly get rejected for a name mismatch across documents, a missing board resolution, or an incomplete stakeholder KYC set. In detail:
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Name spelling mismatch between PAN, Aadhaar, and the appointment/resignation document.
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Missing Board Resolution or partnership deed amendment - a verbal or informal change isn't sufficient evidence.
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Removing the last authorized signatory without first adding a replacement.
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Date mismatch between the amendment date entered on the portal and the date on the supporting document.
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Filing under Non-Core Fields instead of Core Fields - an immediate rejection trigger.
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No response to a REG-03 query within the given timeline, leading to automatic rejection.
If you've already received a clarification notice, our GST Notices page explains how to respond correctly so the resubmission doesn't fail for the same reason. And if your business structure itself is changing - say, a partnership converting to a private limited company - that's a change in constitution resulting in a new PAN, which needs fresh GST registration, not an amendment.
FAQs
What is the difference between changing an authorized signatory and changing a director in GST?
A director/partner change updates who legally owns or manages the business and is a core-field amendment needing officer approval. An authorized signatory change updates who is permitted to sign GST returns and filings on the business's behalf, and is a non-core field that's auto-approved instantly.
How long does a GST director or partner change take to get approved?
It takes up to 15 working days, since adding or removing a partner, director, Karta, or trustee is a core-field amendment reviewed by a jurisdictional GST officer under Rule 19 of the CGST Rules, 2017.
Can a GSTIN have zero authorized signatories?
No. A GSTIN must always have at least one active authorized signatory to file returns and respond to notices. If the outgoing partner/director was your only authorized signatory, add a replacement before or alongside the removal.
What documents are required to add a new director in GST registration?
You need the new director's PAN, Aadhaar, photograph, and Director Identification Number (DIN), along with a Board Resolution formally appointing them to the company.
Can I add and remove a partner in the same amendment application?
Yes, you can add a new stakeholder and mark an existing one as deleted within the same Promoters/Partners tab submission, provided both changes are supported by the correct documents.
Do I still need to update the Registrar of Companies (MCA) separately?
Yes. A GST amendment only updates your GST registration record - it does not automatically update MCA/ROC filings, PAN, or any other regulatory record, all of which need to be filed separately.
Conclusion
A partner or director change is a core-field amendment, so the documents and the exact stakeholder KYC you upload are what decide whether it's approved cleanly or bounces back with a query. If you'd rather not risk a rejected ARN over a mismatched name or a missing board resolution, our CA team verifies every document before filing - start your partner/director GST amendment here →.
About the Author
Omprakash Kumawat is an SEO & Content Specialist at Legal Dev. He combines his expertise in digital marketing and legal tech to write highly researched, engaging content on GST, taxation, and business compliance.