Andhra Pradesh tax collection targets enhanced for additional revenue

: Faced with a severe resource crunch, the Andhra Pradesh government has revised the tax collection targets to mop up an additional Rs 1,700 crore during the current financial year.

Special Chief Secretary (Revenue-Commercial Taxes) Rajat Bhargava said an additional target of Rs 1,500 crore revenue collection from GST and VAT has been set against the budget estimate of Rs 55,535 crore. A Rs 200 crore additional target has been fixed for Profession Tax as against the budgeted Rs 400 crore, he told the Commercial Taxes Department officials at a high-level review meeting here on Wednesday. Rajat said revenues under GST and VAT recorded a 79.77 per cent growth in the 2021-22 financial year as compared to the corresponding period last year. Similarly, Profession Tax collection increased by 63.23 per cent till July. The Special Chief Secretary directed the officials to put in focused efforts to increase the percentage of return filing by the taxpayers and arrest tax evasion\avoidance, so as to optimise revenue. "The reforms taken up by the CT department for increasing tax payer base should be vigorously pursued. Also, focus on collection of old arrears and disposal of court cases to free locked-up revenue," Rajat told the officials. State Commissioner of Taxes Peeyush Kumar and senior officials attended.