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How to download emSigner for GST?

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In light of greater automation and improved technology, government authorities and agencies have started to accept documents with digital signatures widely. All a taxpayer needs to do is procure a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and install emSigner on their system to sign the document and submit it to authorities electronically. Here, we will discuss the complete process of how to download emSigner for GST.

The emSigner is a software utility tool that is required to sign documents digitally. The facility encrypts the data and thus facilitates a fast and secure way of signing the documents. The emSigner can be downloaded from the GST portal itself. It is important to install the emSigner utility to sign documents using a DSC.

Prerequisites for Installing emSigner :

Now first let’s look into the system requirements for downloading the emSigner facility. In case your computer system or laptop do not fulfil any of the below mentioned requirements, then you might face technical difficulties:

  • Windows 32 / 64 bit OS
  • Java 1.6 JRE 1.6.0_38+, Java 1.7, Java 1.8
  • Windows: Admin access to install the emSigner component.
  • Any of the ports among 1585, 2095, 2568, 2868 or 4587 should be free.

How to download emSigner on your computer system/laptop?

  1. Login to the portal: Visit the GST portal and login using your login credentials, i.e., username and password.

2. Go to ‘Select Register/Update DSC’: Once you login, the system will take you to the GST dashboard. At the right-hand corner above, you will see a drop-down menu right beside your name. Click on that and select the ‘Register/update DSC’ option.

3. Download emSigner: The ‘Register Digital Signature Certificate’ page will now be displayed. Go to ‘Click Here For Instructions on Installing emSigner Utility’. The link will take you to the ‘Document Signer Installer’ page, wherein you will be required to download the emSigner file depending on the operating system that you use, i.e., Windows, Linux or Mac. Once you click the appropriate link, the facility will be downloaded.

How to install the emSigner facility on the system?

1. Open the file: Open the downloaded file by double clicking on it.

2. Select the folder: Next, a dialog box, i.e., emSigner Setup Assistant Wizard, will be displayed. Click on ‘Next’ to continue with the installation process. Here, a default folder will be selected where the emSigner will be installed. If you wish to change the installation location, then go to ‘Browse’, navigate and select the required location where you wish to install the facility. Once done, click on ‘Next’.

3. Install the facility: The emSigner Setup page will now be displayed. Click the ‘Install’ button to begin the installation process. In case you wish to change any previous installation setting, then select ‘Back’. If you wish to exit the facility, simply select the ‘Cancel’ tab.

4. Click ‘Finish’: Once the emSigner facility is installed, you can click the ‘Finish’ button to exit the setup wizard.

5. Run emSigner as administrator: Once the facility is installed on the system, right click on the emSigner icon and select the ‘Run as Administrator’ option from the dropdown. A message will pop up on the screen stating that the emSigner service has started successfully. Now, click on the ‘Ok’ button.  

Common emSigner facility issues, along with their solutions:

Problem in connecting with emSigner service: Go to emSigner utility and right click on it to resolve this issue. From the drop-down menu, select ‘Run as administrator’.

“Fail to establish connection with the server” issue: Ensure that the Chrome and Java versions on your system are updated. Also make sure to follow the proper emSigner setup process.

DSC not working on the GST portal: Check whether emSigner facility is running on your system. If not, install the facility by following the steps mentioned above.

Pop-up of DSC certificate is not visible: Sometimes the dialog box to select the DSC certificate is not visible. In such cases, try to minimize the browser window, and then, you will be able to see the pop-up.

“PAN verification failed” issue: To resolve this issue, check whether correct PAN details are entered with the vendor providing the DSC.

“DSC you are trying to affix is not registered at the portal” issue: To resolve this, navigate to your dashboard and select ‘Register/update DSC’. Now register the said DSC on the GST portal.

Key Considerations:

  • As you start your computer system, emSigner facility will run automatically. If the emSigner for GST does not start automatically, you can run the tool from the desktop by just right clicking on it and selecting the option ‘Run as administrator’.
  • You must register your DSC on the GST portal first to sign the online documents by using your DSC.
  • You should not download the emSigner tool from any other website. You can always download the latest version of the facility right from the source, i.e., from the GST portal itself.

For more such informative content, you can visit these linked articles as well:

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FAQs

Q. Why is the emSigner required?

Ans. The emSigner is a facility that is required to sign documents, returns and other statutory papers electronically such as signing the application of GST registration, or filing GST returns.

Q. Are there any prerequisites for installing the emSigner facility? If yes, what are they?

Ans. Yes, few prerequisites need to be looked at before installing the facility. They are:

  • Windows 32 / 64 bit OS
  • Java 1.6 JRE 1.6.0_38+, Java 1.7, Java 1.8
  • Windows: Admin access to install the emSigner component
  • Any of the ports among 1585, 2095, 2568, 2868 or 4587 should be free

Q. What is DSC in GST? And is DSC compulsorily required to be used for GST returns?

Ans. DSC stands for Digital Signature Certificate. It is one of the options provided under GST to authenticate taxpayers’ identity on the portal. DSC is required to sign returns and various other documents on the GST portal. It is mandatorily required to be used by companies and LLPs, but is optional for other taxpayers. So, the other taxpayers can use more options, such as e-sign or Electronic Verification Code (EVC), to authenticate their identity.

Q. Why is my DSC not working on the GST portal?

Ans. You might be getting an error message stating, “The DSC you are trying to affix is not registered at the portal”.  In this case, you need to make sure that your DSC is registered on the GST portal before you use it to sign a document. To register your DSC at the GST portal, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your profile on the dashboard
  2. Click on the ‘Register/Update DSC’ tab
  3. You will now be redirected to the ‘Register Digital Signature Certificate’ page. Here, select the ‘PAN of Authorised Signatory’ option from the drop-down list.
  4. Now, select the ‘Update’ option.
  5. As a final step, choose the certificate and click the ‘Sign’ tab.
  6. Now, a message will pop up stating that the DSC has been updated successfully.

Q. How can I check the validity of my DSC?

Ans. To check the validity of your DSC, insert the USB token in your system. Next, open internet explorer, go to ‘Tools’ and select ‘Internet Options’. Now, click the ‘Content’ tab and select the ‘Certificates’ button. From here, select the certificate and click on the ‘View’ option. The validity of your DSC will be mentioned on this certificate.