Glossary · GST and compliance (India)

What is a SAC code in GST?

A SAC (Services Accounting Code) is the six-digit number that classifies a service for GST in India. Every SAC begins with 99, and a hotel room, a restaurant meal and a laundry bag each have their own, so the code on each invoice line tells the tax authority what kind of service was billed.

Also called Services Accounting Code, SAC code in GST · GST and compliance (India) · Last reviewed 25 September 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice

Where the codes come from

CBIC publishes the list as the Scheme of Classification of Services, the annexure to the services rate notification. All services sit in Chapter 99; heading 9963 is "Accommodation, food and beverage services", and it holds the codes a hotel or restaurant meets most:

SACService (as CBIC describes it)
996311Room or unit accommodation services provided by hotels, inn, guest house, club and the like
996322Room or unit accommodation services provided by hostels, camps, paying guest and the like
996331Services provided by restaurants, cafes and similar eating facilities, including takeaway, room services and door delivery of food
996332Services provided by hotels, inn, guest house, club and the like, including room services, takeaway services and door delivery of food

Which code fits a particular charge — food in a hotel's own restaurant, for instance — is a question for you and your accountant. The goods equivalent is the HSN code.

Example

One hotel bill, several codes: two room nights on one line under 996311, and dinner from the hotel restaurant on another line under the food code your accountant has chosen. The GST return then summarises the bill by code and rate.

How Nivasik handles it

  • Every line on a Nivasik GST invoice carries a SAC, filled by the kind of charge — a room night 996311, food and beverages 996331 — as a default the property can change in its GST settings.
  • The invoice summarises lines by SAC and rate, the shape GSTR-1 asks for.
  • A POS item has an HSN / SAC field of its own.

Sources

  1. Scheme of Classification of Services (annexure to Notification 11/2017 – Central Tax (Rate)) — CBIC — checked 25 September 2026
  2. HSN and SAC search — GST portal — checked 25 September 2026

General information, last reviewed on 25 September 2026. It is not legal or tax advice: rules change by notification, so check the source, or ask your accountant or lawyer, before you rely on it.

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