# SAC Codes for Event and Creative Services: The Complete Reference (2026)

> Every SAC code an event or creative professional needs — photography, beauty, event management, catering, music — plus how many digits to print and where codes go on the invoice.

Canonical: https://brightdesk.app/blog/sac-codes-event-services  
Last updated: 2026-07-10  
Author: Brightdesk Team  
Category: Finance

Every GST-registered service provider has stared at the SAC-code field on an invoice wondering which number to type. SAC (Services Accounting Code) is the six-digit classification the GST system uses to identify what you sold — and using the wrong one causes mismatches in returns and awkward questions in audits. Here's the reference table for event and creative professionals, plus the rules around digits and placement.

## What SAC Codes Are

SAC codes derive from the UN's classification of services, adapted by India for GST. Every code has six digits: the first two are always **99** (services), the next two identify the service group, the last two the specific service. Your SAC code appears on invoices and in your GSTR-1 return, letting the tax system verify that the rate you charged matches the service you classified.

## The Reference Table for Event & Creative Professionals

**Photography & film**
- **998387** — Event photography and videography services (weddings live here)
- **998382** — Advertising and related photography
- **998383** — Speciality photography (aerial/drone work is commonly classified here)
- **998384** — Restoration and retouching of photography

**Beauty & personal care**
- **999721** — Beauty and make-up services, including hairdressing (makeup artists, mehendi application, hair styling all use this)
- **999722** — Diet and slimming/physical well-being services

**Events, decor & management**
- **998596** — Events, exhibitions, conventions and trade show organisation and assistance services (event planners, decorators, and most "event services" fall here)
- **998553** — Reservation services for convention/congress centres

**Food & catering**
- **996334** — Catering services in exhibition halls, events, marriage halls, and other outdoor/indoor functions
- **996337** — Other contract food services

**Music, performance & instruction**
- **999652** — Services of performing artists (DJs performing, live musicians)
- **999293** — Commercial training and coaching (dance/choreography instruction sold as training)
- **998597** — Landscape care services (occasionally relevant to venue/decor adjacent work)

**Rentals commonly billed by event vendors**
- **997212** — Rental of non-residential property (banquet/venue)
- **998714** / **997319** — Equipment rental categories (sound, lighting gear hired out without operator)

When your work spans codes — a DJ who performs (999652) *and* rents out equipment dry (997319) — itemize the invoice lines with their own codes rather than lumping them.

## How Many Digits Must You Print?

The mandate depends on your previous year's aggregate turnover:

| Turnover | Requirement on B2B invoices |
|---|---|
| Up to ₹5 crore | **4 digits** minimum |
| Above ₹5 crore | **6 digits** |

B2C invoices are exempt from the requirement below ₹5 crore turnover, but printing the code everywhere is good hygiene — your returns need the classification anyway, so consistency saves reconciliation.

Four-digit versions are just the code truncated: 998387 → 9983 ("other professional, technical and business services"). Printing all six digits is never wrong and always safer.

## Where the Code Goes

On the invoice, SAC appears against each line item (a column next to the description), not once in the header — because different lines can carry different codes. In GSTR-1, your supplies get summarized by code in the HSN/SAC summary table. Keeping invoice-level codes accurate makes that summary automatic instead of an end-of-month reconstruction. The [prescribed invoice format](https://brightdesk.app/blog/gst-invoice-format-guide) covers the full field list.

## Three Common SAC Mistakes

1. **One code for everything.** A photographer who also sells albums (goods — HSN, not SAC) and runs workshops (training — 999293) has three classifications, not one.
2. **Guessing between 998387 and 999721 for bridal packages.** Photography is 9983-family; makeup is 9997-family. A studio offering both itemizes both. The rate is 18% either way, but the classification still must match the service.
3. **Copying a peer's code without checking.** Codes propagate wrongly through the industry via copied invoice templates. Verify against the official scheme once; it takes five minutes.

## Make It Automatic

The realistic failure mode isn't ignorance — it's the 47th invoice of the season, typed at midnight, with the code field left blank or pasted from the wrong template. Software solves classification once: set your services up with their SAC codes, and every invoice line carries the right code automatically. The [free GST invoice generator](https://brightdesk.app/gst-invoice-generator) includes correct SAC handling for service professionals, and [Brightdesk's service catalog](https://brightdesk.app/auth/login) stores codes per service so every invoice uses the same, correct code.

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