Compress a PDF for GST Portal — Refund
GST Portal — Refund takes PDFs up to 5 MB. PDF Desk shrinks yours to just under it, right in this tab.
Max 5 MBPDF
Files stay on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
GST Portal — Refund (RFD-01 / RFD-09) upload limits
| Document | Max size | Min size | Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supporting documents for refund application GST RFD-01 and reply in RFD-09 Up to 10 documents of 5 MB each, 50 MB total; several invoices may be scanned into one PDF. GSTN recommends scanning at 100 dpi. | 5 MB | — |
Where this number comes from
“The GST Common Portal allows taxpayers to upload 10 documents up to 5 MB each (total 50 MB).”
— Tips for Scanning Documents and Reducing File Size for uploading supporting documents in the refund application GST RFD-01 and reply in GST RFD-09, PDF created 2025-08-21. Checked October 2026.
PDF Desk aims at 4.8 MB, a little under the limit, because some portals count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes.
If the file will not get small enough
Scan in black and white at 150 DPI instead of colour. Remove blank and duplicate pages with Delete pages. If the portal allows several files, cut the PDF with Split PDF and upload the parts.
Other portals in India
Limits of other portals
Questions
What is the maximum PDF size for GST Portal — Refund?
Supporting documents for refund application GST RFD-01 and reply in RFD-09: 5 MB. Source: tutorial.gst.gov.in, checked October 2026.
GST Portal — Refund still rejects my PDF. Why?
Check that it is not password-protected, that the file name has no special characters, and that it is a few percent under the limit — some portals count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes.
Are my PDFs uploaded?
No. PDF Desk opens and writes the file with JavaScript inside your browser tab. Nothing is sent to a server, so it is safe for contracts, IDs and bank statements.