Government agencies and statutory organisations accept digital signatures for legal documents. A digital signature is the most advanced and secure type of e-signature. In addition to confirming the signer's identity, digital signatures also verify the authenticity of the documents signed by them.
By digitally signing a document, an individual's identity is linked to that document through encryption. This makes the digital signature highly secure. Before using digital signatures, you must first obtain a DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) from a registered Certifying Authority. To sign documents digitally, you must install emSigner once you receive the DSC. Keep reading to learn about emSigner for GST, how to download emSigner for GST, etc.
Did You Know? emSigner was introduced in 2008 in India to create a paperless environment where people and organisations can digitally sign from anywhere, anytime, on any device.
What is a GST emSinger?
The GST common portal allows emSigner to digitally sign various GST documents, such as GST registration applications and GST returns. The GST portal itself provides such a tool for download. With this tool, you can sign documents quickly and securely. The signatures on all documents are also encrypted, ensuring a high level of security.
System Requirements for emSigner
Listed below are the system requirements to download emSigner.
- Desktop Browser
- Chrome 49 or
- Internet Explorer 10 recognised
- Get a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) from a recognised DSC provider that is valid for classes 2 or 3
- Signing documents using DSC on browsers or mobile devices is impossible.
Also Read: GST benefits - 7 Ways One Must Know How GST benefits the Economy
Prerequisites to Install emSigner
If you want to install emSigner, you will need the following:
- Windows 32 / 64-bit OS
- Admin access is required to install emSigner on Windows
- Java 1.6 JRE 1.6.0_38 , Java 1.7, Java 1.8
- There should be a port available on any of the following:
- 1585
- 2568
- 2095
- 2868
- 458
How to download emSigner for GST Portal?
Downloading this utility on the GST Portal is easy by following the steps below:
Step 1 - Go to the official GST website. Visit your profile/account and log in. Click on the 'Register/Update DSC' option.
Step 2- You will be directed to the Register Digital Signature Certificate page after clicking on the Register/Update DSC option. Click on "Click Here For Instructions on Installing Signer Utility" and read the instructions.
Step 3- You have to download emSigner now. When you click the instructions link in the above step, your dashboard displays the "Document Signer Install" page in a new tab. emSigner download links are available for MAC, Linux, and Windows operating systems. Choose your operating system and click the download link. As soon as you click the download link, the emSigner.msi file is downloaded to your computer.
Also Read: GST Frequently Asked Questions
Upon clicking the requisite download link, you will be prompted to install the executable file emSigner.msi. It is necessary to double-click the file to open it.
As soon as you click on the emSigner.msi file, the Setup Assistant Wizard for emSigner appears. You can continue the installation process by clicking Next.
How to install emSigner?
To use the software, you must install it on your system once you have downloaded it. Follow below steps to install emSigner,
Step 1 – Select the Folder
The emSigner setup displays the default installation folder after you click the Next button in the previous step. Installing emSigner to another folder other than the default one can be accomplished by clicking the Browse button and navigating and selecting the requisite folder where emSigner should be installed. Click Next once you have chosen the requisite folder.
Step 2- Ready To Install
When you click the Next button after choosing the requisite folder for installing emSigner, the emSigner Setup Page appears. The setup wizard announces that the emSigner installation has begun on such a page. Start the installation by clicking the Install button. Click the back button if you would like to change or review your installation settings. By selecting Cancel, you can exit the wizard.
Step 3- Click Finish
The setup wizard begins installing emSigner on your system once you click the install button. It may take a few minutes for this to complete. For the setup wizard to exit, click the Finish button after the installation has finished.
Step 4- Run emSigner as Administrator
You can access the emSigner from your desktop after the emSigner installation is completed. You can select Run as Administrator in the image below when you right-click the emSigner icon on your desktop.
Step 5- Display of Success Message
Once you run emSigner as an administrator on your system, a message indicates that the emSigner service has been started. To continue, click the ok button. A window displaying the digital signature signer appears after the emSigner setup runs successfully.
Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About the Latest Amendment to CGST Act
Installation of GST emSigner on MAC
Follow the below steps to install GST emSigner on the MAC OS.
- For Macintosh OS, download the Web Socket installer
- Download the folder and unzip it.
- Go to the downloaded folder and open the shell script
- It would help if you executed the ./startserver.sh command.
- A message is displayed if emSigner is successfully started. Click on the OK button.
- The taskbar will display the emSigner server status through the emSigner icon.
Uninstalling GST emSigner
You can sign GST-related documents using emSigner GST software. So, if you have MCA/traces or any other emSigner software already installed, you cannot use it for GST registration. The GST emSigner software must be uninstalled and installed only for GST purposes. To uninstall emSigner for GST, follow the steps below.
Step 1 - Start by opening the control panel using the search option. The 'Start' button on Windows will also allow you to search for it.
Step 2 - Choose the option "Programs and Features". In addition, you can type "uninstall" in the search box and then select "Uninstall program".
Step 3 - Look for emSigner in the list: Right-click and select "Uninstall.
Step 4 - Once you have uninstalled emSigner for GST, you should not download and install a new version.
GST emSigner Errors
There are specific issues that you might encounter while using emSigner. You may encounter the following errors while signing or registering DSC on the GST portal.
Error 1: Sorry! A digital signature certificate is missing.
Ensure that you have the DSC installed or the token plugged into your system if you encounter the above error. To proceed, click OK. After that, install the DSC or plug in the token.
To verify your DSC certificate, follow these steps. The signature should be digital and non-repudiable. If it is Key Encryption, please remove the certificate from Windows Store. The steps below will help you resolve the problem if the DSC is still connected. Before installing any new emSigner, you must uninstall the current one first.
Step 1 – Open Internet Explorer (by pressing Alt – X).
Step 2 – Navigate to the content tab of internet options
Step 3 – Choose your DSC certificate from the certificates button. Then click the view button.
Step 4 – Select the details in the tab of your certificate. Scroll down and click on key usage.
Error 2: emSigner Installer is not Visible
Sometimes the emSigner installer is not visible while uploading the DSC on the portal. When this happens, you must start emSigner. Click the emSigner icon in the taskbar to do so. Installers that are already open will be visible. The emSigner server will have to be restarted if this doesn't happen.
Error 3: The selected certificate is not PAN-based; please choose a valid one to sign.
If you encounter the above error, you need to check your DSC and ensure that the DSC you are trying to register is not PAN-based. Click the ok button to resolve this issue. You must obtain a class 2 or 3 DSC based on your PAN and register it with GST.
Error 4: No DSC registered at the portal for the DSC you are trying to attach.
You might face the above error in some cases. You must register the DSC on the GST portal in such a case. Go to your dashboard and click the Register/Update DSC tab to see if DSC is registered. DSC must be registered at the GST portal.
Error 5: Java RunTime Environment 1.6.0 is required for this application.
Alternatively, you might encounter an error when starting the emSigner server due to the Java runtime requirement of 1.6.0. You must install Java (jre) in your system if you meet the above error.
You must click the "ok" button to proceed. The "ok" button will redirect you to a page where you can download or install the correct Java version.
Conclusion
Using public key infrastructure (PKI), digital signatures use cryptography to bind a digital certificate to the document to generate a more secure electronic signature. emSigner for GST is a helpful software that digitally signs GST-related documents. The signing process is fast, secure, and intelligent, which helps keep the records safe. Hope you are completely aware about what actually an emSigner DSC for GST Online Payments are and how can you use them.
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