India’s GST collection slumped to a 12-month low in November, belying hopes of a consumption bump up following the tax rate cuts that came into effect from September 22.
The gross collection for November, which accounted for transactions that took place in October, stood at ₹170,276 crore, marginally up (0.7 per cent) from ₹169,016 crore reported in November 2024.
The collection in October, which reflected the strong economic activities prior to the GST cuts and preparation for the festive season, stood at ₹1.96 lakh crore.
However, gross revenue collection from domestic activities was down 2.3 per cent
to ₹124,300 crore in November. Collection from imports was up 10.2 per cent to ₹45,976 crore. Total net GST collection, after handing out refunds, stood at ₹152,079 crore, up by 1.3 per cent from November 2024.
A look at the collections by the states showed that those having a manufacturing base reported growth in collections, while the consuming states reported a slowdown. Bengal reported a 9 per cent decline in state GST collection (SGST) to ₹3,711 crore compared with November 2024. Uttar Pradesh also posted a decline of 4 per cent.
In contrast, states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka reported positive growth in SGST collection on a like-for-like basis.
Commenting on the collection, M.S. Mani, partner at Deloitte India, said, “While the GST collections were expected to moderate due to the steep rate cuts across the board, there was an expectation of a consumption boost on account of these rate cuts.”
Karthik Mani, partner at BDO India, pointed out that the numbers would show further if cess collection is also considered.
“While previously the compensation cess collection was also included in the GST collection data, present data has treated cess separately, and if the cess is also considered as a part of gross domestic GST collection, the numbers would show a further dip, since the cess collection has reduced by two-thirds, mainly due to only tobacco now being subject to the cess and other items like aerated beverages and motor vehicles going outside the ambit of cess,” he added.