April-June GST Collection Dips 41% Amid COVID-19 Crisis

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) gross revenues for the month of June came at Rs 90,917 crore, government data showed on Wednesday. ​This marks a decline of 9 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to a note released by the government. The decline in revenue collections is a result of the countrywide lockdown that has been in force since March to control the spread of Covid-19.

Of the total collection, Rs 18,980 came in as Central GST (CGST); Rs 23,970 crore as State GST (SGST); Rs 40,302 crore as Integrated GST (IGST) and Rs 7,665 crore as cess, the data showed.

The GST revenues in June witnessed a significant year-on-year dip for the third straight month. On a cumulative basis, GST collections for the first quarter of the year is 41 per cent less than the revenue collected during the same quarter last year, the government's release stated.

GST collections for the month of April was Rs 32,294 crore, 72 per cent less than the collection during the same month last year and that for the month of May was Rs 62,009 crore, 38 per cent less than last year.

However, since the government has allowed a relaxed time schedule for filing of GST returns, returns for the month of April and March, and some returns of February were filed during June, the release said. Some returns for May, which would have otherwise been filed in June, will now be filed in the first few days of July, the release added.

Incidentally, Wednesday also marks the third anniversary of the launch of the GST regime.