GST Collection Breaches Rs 2 Lakh Crore Milestone

GST collections have breached the milestone of Rs 2 lakh crore in April, Finance Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The run-up is driven by increased domestic transactions and imports.

New Delhi:Goods and Services Tax collections grew 12.4 per cent to a record high of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in April, driven by increased domestic transactions and imports, raising expectations of next wave of GST reforms after the formation of the new government.

The finance ministry in a statement said that the GST collections breached the milestone of Rs 2 lakh crore in April. "The Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections hit a record high in April 2024 at Rs 2.10 lakh crore. This represents a significant 12.4 per cent year-on-year growth, driven by a strong increase in domestic transactions (up 13.4 per cent) and imports (up 8.3 per cent)," the ministry said.

The GST revenue, which is basically taxes on goods sold and services rendered, was over Rs 1.78 lakh crore last month, while it was Rs 1.87 lakh crore in April 2023. In April this year, the mop-up under Central GST (CGST) pool stood at Rs 43,846 crore, while State GST (SGST) collection reached Rs 53,538 crore and Integrated GST (IGST) Rs 99,623 crore, including Rs 37,826 crore collected through levies on imported goods. The total Cess collection was registered at Rs 13,260 crore, including Rs 1,008 crore collected on imported goods.

The central government settled Rs 50,307 crore to CGST and Rs 41,600 crore to SGST from the IGST collection. This translates to a total revenue of Rs 94,153 crore for CGST and Rs 95,138 crore for SGST in April 2024 after regular settlement. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said: "There are no dues pending on account of IGST settlement to the states."

After accounting for refunds, the net GST revenue for April 2024 stood at Rs 1.92 lakh crore, reflecting an impressive 17.1 per cent growth compared to the number of the same period last year. Tax experts said the robust GST revenues in April reflect a buoyant economy, self compliance by businesses, timely audit and scrutiny, besides enforcement measures taken by the department.

Deloitte India Partner Mahesh Jaising said the consistent buoyancy in GST collections has set the stage for pursuing forward thinking reforms under GST 2.0. PwC india Partner Pratik Jain said with next wave of GST reforms expected after the formation of the new government, the growth (in GST collections) may be further accelerated.

It may also enable the government to take bolder decisions such as rate rationalisation or bringing products, such as ATF and natural gas, under GST ambit. According to EY tax Partner Saurabh Agarwal, the GST collection underscores the steadfast resilience of tax system amidst evolving economic landscapes.

"The concerted efforts of the GST officials including zero tolerance for non-filers, coupled with rigorous measures to combat fake invoicing and the registrations has significantly bolstered GST collections in the states' coffers," Agarwal said. Deloitte India Partner M S Mani said significant GST collection increases have been observed across all major producing and consuming states, indicating that it is widespread and not restricted to a few industrial pockets.

Tax Connect Advisory Services LLP Partner Vivek Japan said from July 2017 when GST started with an average monthly revenue of around Rs.0.9 lakh crore to April 2024 when it grossed Rs 2.1 lakh crore, GST revenues have witnessed an approximate growth of 13 per cent per annum on average.

Considering inflation of 5 per cent and GDP growth of 7 per cent, there has been an average buoyancy of 1 per cent on an average per annum over the last seven years, Jalan said.

Sanjay Chhabria, Senior Director, Indirect Tax at Nexdigm, said the significant rise in domestic transactions can be attributed to consumer spending being focused on beating the summer heat, with purchases like air-conditioners, beverages, as well as increased travel during long vacations from schools and colleges. "This one-time leap is a new benchmark, which reflects robust economic buoyancy and high consumer spending," Chhabria said.

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