IRN (Invoice Reference Number)
An IRN is the unique 64-character hash generated by the government’s Invoice Registration Portal for every e-invoice, confirming it has been officially registered.
IRN stands for Invoice Reference Number — a unique identifier generated when an invoice is submitted to the Invoice Registration Portal (IRP) as part of the e-invoicing process.
The IRN is generated based on the seller’s GSTIN, invoice number, and financial year, which means it’s effectively impossible to duplicate — this is part of how the e-invoicing system prevents fraudulent or duplicate invoices.
If your business is above the e-invoicing turnover threshold, an invoice without a valid IRN and QR code is not considered a valid tax invoice under GST law.
Written by the InvoicePilot Team.