GST Collections Hiked to Rs.1.96 Lakh Crore in March 2025:

GST Collections Hiked to Rs.1.96 Lakh Crore in March 2025

Government data showed that the gross GST collection in March increased by 9.9% to over Rs 1.96 lakh crore. GST collection from domestic transactions increased 8.8% to Rs.1.49 lakh crore, while revenue from imports rose 13.56% to Rs.46,919 crore. In March, total refunds went up by 41% to Rs.19,615 crore. After deducting refunds, the net GST revenue for March 2025 was over Rs.1.76 lakh crore, showing a 7.3% increase over the year-ago period. March 31, 2025, was the last day of the financial year; all government payments and settlements for the year had to be completed by that date. The CGST field offices stayed open from March 29 to 31 to finish pending departmental work. Between April and January, GST officers found tax evasion of Rs. 1.95 lakh crore in 25,397 cases. According to the data presented in the Lok Sabha, the total number of GST evasion cases identified by central government officers in the last five years was 86,711, and the total amount detected was over Rs 6.79 lakh crore. As of January 2025, the total number of tax evasion cases identified was 25,397. The total amount that was detected stood at Rs.1,94,938 crore. During this period, a voluntary deposit of Rs.21,520 crore was made about tax evasion cases. In FY 2024-25, there were 13,018 cases of ITC fraud amounting to Rs.46,472 crore. A voluntary deposit of Rs.2,211 crore was made. As per the data from the GST Investigation Wing, 20,582 evasion cases were detected in the financial Year 2023-24, and the total amount detected was Rs.2.30 lakh crore. In 2022-23, the amount in GST evasion cases identified was Rs.1.32 lakh crore; in 2021-22, it was Rs.73,238 crore; and in 2020-21, Rs. 49,384 crore. Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated that the Central Government and GSTN have taken initiatives to enhance compliance and prevent tax evasion. These measures include providing intelligence inputs, detecting fraudulent registrations, monitoring suspicious e-way bill activities, selecting returns for scrutiny, and choosing taxpayers for audits based on various risk parameters.