There is big cheer for the government on the tax front. Official figures released on Wednesday showed that total Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in June climbed 13.9% over the same month last year to reach ₹1.95 lakh crore. That is a record in itself, and also the fastest pace of growth in GST revenue seen over the past 13 months.
What stood out most this time was that goods brought in from abroad played the biggest role in swelling the exchequer. Revenue from imports shot up by a hefty 34.6%, and imported goods alone brought in ₹60,038 crore in tax. Domestic transactions within the country, meanwhile, fetched the government roughly ₹1.35 lakh crore in GST, which is 6.5% higher than a year earlier.
Net Collection Rose Even After Heavy Refunds
Despite returning a large amount to businesses as refunds in June, the government's net GST revenue rose 11.2% to ₹1.62 lakh crore. Refund payouts too stayed elevated this time. Total GST refunds in June were up 29.1% year-on-year at ₹32,436 crore.
Uttar Pradesh Led the Pack
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh delivered the strongest showing in June. Its GST collection jumped a record 19% year-on-year to ₹9,165 crore, compared with ₹7,675 crore in the same period last year. Behind UP came Assam with a 17% rise, Punjab with 14% and Gujarat with 12%.
Maharashtra Again the Biggest Contributor
Maharashtra, which as always contributes the single largest share of GST revenue, held on to its dominance this time as well. Its collection grew 9% to ₹30,714 crore. Alongside, Karnataka posted a 10% rise and Delhi saw GST collection climb 8%.
These Big States Saw Collection Slide
On the other side, a few large states painted a weaker picture, with their GST collection actually falling. The steepest drop in tax mop-up came in Jharkhand, where collection slipped 16%. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh each saw GST collection fall 5%, while Tamil Nadu too logged a 2% year-on-year decline in collection.
