SOFTEX Form for Software and IT Services Exporters — Why It Is Mandatory, Who Certifies It (STPI / SEZ), Timeline, Documents and What Happens If You Skip It
Video Explanation & Insights
SOFTEX certification: the mandatory filing for software exporters
3 videos on this topic
What SOFTEX is and why it exists
When goods leave the country they cross customs, and a shipping bill records the export; the bank then matches it to the payment and issues the bank realisation certificate. Software and IT services leave over the internet with no customs record, so FEMA requires the exporter to declare each export on a SOFTEX form, certified by a designated authority — the Software Technology Parks of India for units in and outside STP parks, or the Development Commissioner for SEZ units. The certified SOFTEX is the software exporter's shipping bill: the bank uses it to close the export entry in RBI's Export Data Processing and Monitoring System and to issue the e-BRC that GST refunds and export schemes rely on.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Who must file | Every exporter of software, IT and IT-enabled services delivered in non-physical form — STP units, SEZ units and ordinary companies, LLPs and proprietors billing overseas clients |
| Where | STPI (jurisdictional centre, online portal) for STP and non-STP units; SEZ Development Commissioner for SEZ units |
| When | Within 30 days of the invoice date (or of the last invoice in a month for bulk filing) |
| Form | SOFTEX — single form per invoice, or bulk (Excel) filing for many invoices; each form carries a unique number |
| Exemption | Exports below the value threshold set by RBI may be exempt from the form but not from realisation; check the current limit with your bank |
What the filing needs
The filing cycle
- 1Step 1 — Register on the STPI portal as a non-STP unit (SEZ units use the SEZ online system); pay the service charge.
- 2Step 2 — Raise export invoices; within 30 days file SOFTEX (single or bulk) with invoice and agreement.
- 3Step 3 — STPI verifies and certifies; download the certified SOFTEX.
- 4Step 4 — Submit certified SOFTEX to your bank; the bank knocks off the EDPMS entry against the inward remittance and issues the e-BRC.
- 5Step 5 — Reconcile quarterly: every invoice has a SOFTEX, every SOFTEX a realisation, every realisation an e-BRC.
SOFTEX: questions we are asked
Yes. Since 2013 non-STP units file SOFTEX with STPI as well; only the registration is different.
Within 30 days of the invoice date; bulk filings within 30 days of the last invoice in the period.
File the backlog with STPI, then give the certified forms to the bank to close the EDPMS entries; expect a compounding or late-filing process under FEMA for old defaults.
Indirectly — the e-BRC the bank issues against the SOFTEX is the proof of export realisation that supports LUT exports and refunds.
STPI charges an annual service fee for non-STP units in slabs by export turnover; SEZ units pay under SEZ rules.
The declaration applies to all software exports above RBI's exemption threshold; small exporters should still ensure realisations are reported correctly to the bank.
STPI registration, monthly SOFTEX filing, bank EDPMS closure, e-BRC follow-up and CA certificates where required.