GST · SAC 998361 · FY 2026–27

SAC 998361: Advertising Services

SAC 998361 (Advertising Services) is taxed at 18% GST: 9% CGST + 9% SGST when you and your client are in the same state, 18% IGST when you are not, and 0% on exports under a Letter of Undertaking (LUT). Covers: Ad creation, campaign design and media placement.

Rate source: Notification 11/2017-Central Tax (Rate), Heading 9983

18%

Domestic
0% export (LUT)

Heading

9983 — professional & technical services

Domestic rate

18% (9+9 / IGST)

Export (LUT)

Reverse charge

No — forward charge

What falls under 998361

The default SAC for freelance advertising, creative agency services, campaign design, copywriting, and media planning/buying — separate from the digital production work.

Ad campaigns

Ad copywriting

Media planning

Campaign design

Not this code — broking advertising inventory you do not own → 998362 · selling print advertising space you publish, other than on commission → 998363 · industrial, fashion, graphic and other specialty design → 998391

On the invoice

Invoice INV-0092SAC 998361

Ad campaigns₹1,00,000

CGST @ 9% + SGST @ 9% (same state — else IGST 18%)+ ₹18,000

Amount due₹1,18,000

Same work for a foreign client under LUT: IGST 0%, with the zero-rating declaration on the face of the invoice.

Kavya, a Mumbai-based freelance SEO consultant (MH state code 27), runs a 3-month performance-marketing campaign for a Delhi D2C skincare brand (DL state code 07). Rs. 1,00,000 monthly fee. Inter-state → IGST 18% each month.

Put this code on a real invoiceFree GST invoice generator — SAC prefilled, CGST-SGST vs IGST resolved from the client's state. No signup.

FAQ

Do I have to print the SAC code on my invoices?

Depends on turnover: up to Rs. 5 crore, the 4-digit SAC (9983) is enough on B2B invoices; above that, 6 digits are required. Printing the full 6-digit code (998361) everywhere is simplest and never wrong.

Under Rs. 20 lakh turnover — do I need to register and charge 18%?

Below Rs. 20 lakh aggregate turnover, registration is optional for pure service providers — you invoice without GST entirely. The Rs. 10 lakh threshold applies in only four special-category states (Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura), not the eleven usually listed online. Once registered, 18% applies to every domestic invoice regardless of turnover.

Wrong SAC code on past invoices — how bad is it?

If the rate charged was right, it is a clerical issue — fix it going forward. A wrong code with a wrong rate is the real problem; that needs a credit note and a corrected invoice. Mismatched SACs also cause GSTR-1 Table 12 disclosure issues and can trigger ITC audit queries at the client end.

Does SAC 998361 change under GST 2.0?

No. The September 2025 rate rationalisation reshuffled the goods slabs; professional and technical services stayed at the 18% standard rate, and export zero-rating under LUT is unchanged.

Notification reference: Notification 11/2017-CT(R) dated 28 June 2017, serial 21 item (ii), Heading 9983 — "Other professional, technical and business services" — 9% CGST + 9% SGST (18%), unchanged by Notification 15/2025-CT(R) (GST 2.0). Distinct from selling advertisement space in print media, which is serial 21 item (i) at 5% (998363).

For the CA reading this

The deadline sheet you already send, with your name on it

Every statutory date for the month — GST returns, advance tax, and the dates your client's own customers owe them: when the TDS they withheld must reach the department, and when the certificate is due. Add your firm's name and forward it as it stands. No signup, no email, nothing to accept.

Firm name (optional)Month

Download the image

The image is the one that travels on WhatsApp. Dates are statutory, not advice — the sheet says which rows bind whom.

Sources

Rates as notified for FY 2026–27 and can change. General information, not tax advice. Verify with your CA before you file.

Billing 998361 as a freelancer

Use Case

GST on Export of Services Without an LUT: What It Costs and What You Can Still Do

9 min read →Tax Guide

GST Registration Limit for Freelancers: Have You Already Crossed It?

9 min read →Tax Guide

Your Client Wants a GST Bill and You Have No GST Number

9 min read →

Related codes

The right SAC, the right rate, every invoice

GST that fills itself in.

HourSlip stores your SAC codes, resolves CGST-SGST vs IGST from each client's state, and zero-rates exports automatically.

• No card required• Export your data as CSV