GST collections rise 3.2% to Rs 1.94 lakh crore in May; import revenue jumps 19% – Firstpost

India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections rose 3.2 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1.94 lakh crore in May 2026, supported by a sharp increase in revenue from imports, according to government data released on Monday.

The total gross GST revenue stood at Rs 194,184 crore during the month compared with Rs 1,88,172 crore collected in May 2025. Net GST collections, after refunds, increased 3.3 per cent to Rs 1,66,904 crore from Rs 1,61,585 crore a year earlier.
However, the government said May 2025 collections included nearly Rs 10,000 crore of a one-time payment made by a telecom operator for spectrum allocation.

Adjusted for this base effect, gross GST revenue growth stood at 9 per cent in May 2026, while adjusted net GST revenue growth came in at 10.1 per cent. Domestic gross GST revenue declined 2.6 per cent to Rs 1,34,530 crore in May from Rs 1,38,102 crore last year. After adjusting for the one-time telecom payment, domestic gross GST growth was estimated at around 5 per cent.

GST collections from imports remained strong, rising 19.1 per cent year-on-year to Rs 59,654 crore compared with Rs 50,070 crore in May 2025. Total refunds issued during the month increased 2.6 per cent to Rs 27,281 crore. Domestic refunds declined 4.3 per cent to Rs 17,030 crore, while export-related GST refunds rose 16.6 per cent to Rs 10,250 crore.

For the financial year so far, gross GST collections rose 6.2 per cent to Rs 4.37 lakh crore, compared with Rs 4.11 lakh crore during the same period last year. Net GST revenue for the period increased 5.5 per cent to Rs 3.78 lakh crore.

Among major states, Uttar Pradesh recorded a 13 per cent rise in GST revenue in May, Haryana grew 8 per cent, Telangana rose 6 per cent while Gujarat and Karnataka registered marginal growth. Maharashtra remained nearly flat at Rs 29,141 crore. The latest numbers indicate continued resilience in indirect tax collections, with higher import-related revenue offsetting softness in domestic collections.