Goods and Services Tax collections crossed Rs 2.4 lakh crore in April 2026 for the first time, setting a new record and marking the 25th consecutive month of above Rs 1.5 lakh crore monthly GST collection. The April collection of Rs 2,42,880 crore represents a 14.3% year-on-year growth, driven by strong domestic economic activity, improved compliance through data analytics and e-invoicing mandates, and higher import GST on the back of robust merchandise imports.
Domestic transaction-based GST grew 11.8% to Rs 1,82,400 crore while GST on imports surged 20.6% to Rs 60,480 crore, reflecting the pick-up in imports for both capital goods and consumer products. The April collection, which corresponds to transactions in March, benefits from the typical end-of-financial-year surge in business activity and advance tax payments by large corporates.
Finance Ministry officials attributed the strong collection to a combination of structural improvements in the tax base, better enforcement against fraudulent input tax credit claims and the steady expansion of the formal economy. GST registrations have crossed 1.5 crore as more small businesses formalise their operations. The robust GST data reduces concerns about revenue slippages in FY27 and supports the government's fiscal consolidation target of bringing the deficit to 4.9% of GDP.
