Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections in December rose 6.1 per cent year-on-year to about Rs 1.75 lakh crore, compared to around Rs 1.64 lakh crore in the same month last year, according to official data released on Thursday.
In December, collections from Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST) registered growth, while Integrated GST (IGST) declined on a year-on-year basis, the data showed.
For the period April to December of the current financial year 2025–26, gross GST collections increased by 8.6 per cent to about Rs 16.5 lakh crore, compared to Rs 15.2 lakh crore during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. All major components—CGST, SGST and IGST—recorded growth during this period.
India’s GST system had earlier achieved a major milestone in 2024–25, recording its highest-ever gross collection of Rs 22.08 lakh crore, marking a 9.4 per cent increase over the previous year.
The average monthly GST collection in 2024–25 stood at Rs 1.84 lakh crore, the highest since the GST regime was launched in 2017. GST revenues have shown a steady upward trend over the years, rising from Rs 11.37 lakh crore in 2020–21 to Rs 20.18 lakh crore in 2023–24, reflecting stronger economic activity and improved compliance.
The recent GST figures point to a positive trajectory for the Indian economy. The GST Council, established under the Constitution to guide GST policy, has played a central role in shaping and reforming the indirect tax system. The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and comprises state finance ministers and senior officials.
Since its formation in 2016, the Council has held 56 meetings and taken several decisions aimed at simplifying the tax structure and making the GST regime more business-friendly.
On September 3, 2025, a series of sweeping reforms were announced under next-generation GST rationalisation, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the initiative during his Independence Day address. In its 56th meeting, the GST Council reduced the GST structure from four slabs—5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent—to two primary rates of 5 per cent (merit rate) and 18 per cent (standard rate), along with a 40 per cent special rate for select luxury and sin goods.
(ANI)
