Indirect tax collections rise 41% in April

The Centre's indirect tax mop-up rose 41 per cent in April led by high excise collections, signalling a pick-up in economic activity. A part of the collections was on account of additional revenue measures announced in the current year, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia tweeted on Monday.

Revenue on account of indirect tax - which includes customs, excise duties and service tax - stood at Rs 64,393 crore in April. Adhia said excise duty mop-up in April went up 70 per cent to Rs 28,252 crore against Rs 16,546 crore in the year-ago month.

"Provisional revenue figures for indirect tax for April 2016 are Rs 64,394 crore - a 41 per cent growth over April 2015 of Rs 45,417 crore," Adhia tweeted.

TAX MOP-UP

• Revenue on account of indirect tax - which includes customs, excise duties and service tax - stood at Rs 64,393 crore in April
   
• Excise duty mop-up in April went up 70 per cent to Rs 28,252 crore, against Rs 16,546 crore in the year-ago month
   
• After discounting for the additional resource mobilisation measures taken in the Budget, the growth in indirect tax collection was 17 per cent in April

He said that after discounting for the additional resource mobilisation measures taken in the Budget, the growth in indirect tax collection was 17 per cent in April.

Meanwhile, Jayant Sinha, minister of state for finance, tweeted: "Excellent provisional figures (Rs 64,394 crore) for indirect taxes in April."

In addition to the 0.5 per cent Swachh Bharat Cess on all services, a Krishi Kalyan Cess will be levied at 0.5 per cent with effect from June 1, 2016.

To reduce litigation, the Central Board of Excise and Customs has identified about 7,300 indirect tax cases it plans to withdraw from high courts and Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal, as they are under the revised threshold limit.

The government had also rationalised customs duty and excise duty in the Budget to promote the Make in India initiative.

Customs duty revenue rose 25 per cent to Rs 17,945 crore in April, against Rs 14,286 crore in the same month a year ago.

Besides, service tax collections grew 27 per cent to Rs 18,647 crore in April 2016, against Rs 14,585 crore in the same month last year.

Mop-up through indirect tax is budgeted at Rs 7.79 lakh crore in the current financial year.