GST collection for October 2021 registered the second-highest since the implementation of GST.
The gross GST revenue collected in the month of October 2021 is ₹ 1,30,127 crore of which CGST is ₹ 23,861 crore, SGST is ₹ 30,421 crore, IGST is ₹ 67,361 crore (including ₹ 32,998 crores collected on import of goods) and Cess is ₹ 8,484 crore (including ₹ 699 crores collected on import of goods).
The government has settled ₹27,310 crores to CGST and ₹ 22,394 crores to SGST from IGST as regular settlement. The total revenue of the Centre and the States after regular settlements in the month of October 2021 is ₹ 51171 crore for CGST and ₹ 52,815 crores for the SGST.
The revenues for the month of October 2021 are 24% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year and 36% over 2019-20. During the month, revenues from import of goods were 39% higher and the revenues from the domestic transactions (including import of services) are 19% higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.
The GST revenues for October have been the second-highest ever since the introduction of GST, second only to that in April 2021, which is related to year-end revenues. This is very much in line with the trend in economic recovery. This is also evident from the trend in the e-way bills generated every month since the second wave. The revenues would have still been higher if the sales of cars and other products had not been affected on account of disruption in the supply of semiconductors. Chart 1 shows the upward trend in the number of e-way bills generated during the month and the amount of taxable value clearly indicating the recovery in economic activity.
The revenues have also been aided due to the efforts of the State and Central tax administration resulting in increased compliance over previous months. In addition to action against individual tax evaders, this has been a result of the multipronged approach followed by the GST Council. On one hand, various measures have been taken to ease compliance like nil filing through SMS, enabling Quarterly Return Monthly Payment (QRMP) system and autopopulation of return. During past one year, GSTN has augmented the system capacity considerably to improve user experience. On the other hand, the Council has also taken various steps to discourage non-compliant behaviour, like blocking of e-way bills for non-filing of returns, system-based suspension of registration of taxpayers who have failed to file six returns in a row and blocking of credit for return defaulters. Number of returns (GSTR-3B) of every month/quarter by the end of next month is a good parameter indicating timely payment of returns and filing of returns. After last date of filing of returns, special efforts are undertaken to ensure compliance by the end of the month in
form of messaging by GSTN and close follow up by the Centre and State tax administration. Chart 2 showing the upward trend in percentage of returns filed till the end of next month clearly indicates that timely payment of taxes has been increasing over a period of time due to policy measures and administrative efforts.
in every month out of the total returns filed, clearly indicating that the number of returns of the current month has increased considerably. 1.5 crore returns were filed in the month of July 2021 as taxpayers filed returns of past months taking benefit of the relaxation given due to Covid.