New Delhi, March 23 -- Registering for GST as a freelancer or small business owner seems simple on paper. A quick look at the mandatory requirements on the official website shows that you need just two documents-your picture and proof of the residence where you will conduct your business, like an electricity bill or a rent agreement.

The next step is the online registration process-uploading the documents and submitting the application and Aadhaar authentication through OTP.

However, the process may not be as simple as it sounds. GST (goods and services tax) officers often ask for additional allied registrations, such as shops and establishment licences, MSME Udyam certificates and no-objection certificates (NOC), among other things, th...