India's GST Revenue Rises 14.8% in August, Driven by Import Duties

GST Collections Surge in August

India's gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue climbed to Rs 1,99,853 crore in August, marking a 14.8 per cent year-on-year jump from Rs 1,74,116 crore in the same month last year, according to provisional government data. The growth continues a trend of robust expansion, with the latest figures representing the third consecutive month of double-digit increase, following 15.4 per cent growth in July and 13.9 per cent in June.

Import Duties Drive Growth

The acceleration was primarily driven by import duties. Gross GST revenue from imports surged 29 per cent to Rs 62,604 crore, up from Rs 48,546 crore a year ago. In contrast, domestic revenues rose 9.3 per cent to Rs 1,37,249 crore from Rs 1,25,570 crore in August 2025. This divergence indicates that the headline figure was significantly boosted by increased import-related revenues.

Net Collections and Refunds

Net GST revenue for the month came in at Rs 1,68,057 crore, up 8.3 per cent year-on-year, compared to Rs 1,55,181 crore in August 2025. The slower growth in net collections is attributed to a sharp increase in refunds, which rose 67.9 per cent to Rs 31,795 crore from Rs 18,935 crore in the same month last year. While export GST refunds handled by ICEGATE climbed 61.8 per cent, domestic refunds jumped 72.6 per cent.

Net customs GST revenues increased 22.3 per cent to Rs 49,299 crore, while net domestic revenue grew only 3.4 per cent to Rs 1.19 lakh crore.

Component Breakdown

Central GST collection stood at Rs 38,413 crore, State GST at Rs 46,316 crore, and Integrated GST (IGST) at Rs 52,520 crore for the month.

State-wise Performance

Among states, domestic GST collections increased 19 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 16 per cent in Telangana, 15 per cent in Gujarat, 13 per cent in Karnataka and Kerala, and 12 per cent in Haryana and Punjab. Maharashtra, the biggest contributor to GST, showed an increase of 8 per cent to Rs 28,779 crore.

Cumulative Figures for April-August

For the April-August period, gross GST receipts rose 11 per cent to Rs 10.43 lakh crore, compared to Rs 9.40 lakh crore in the same period last year. While import revenues grew 27.3 per cent, domestic gross revenues increased 5.3 per cent. Cumulative refunds soared 23.8 per cent to Rs 1.53 lakh crore, yet net GST income increased 9 per cent to Rs 8.90 lakh crore during the first five months of the fiscal year.