August revenue rises 14.8% YoY
Key Highlights
- Gross GST collections rose 14.8% year-on-year to ₹1.99 lakh crore in August 2026.
- Domestic transaction revenue increased 9.3% to ₹1.37 lakh crore.
- GST revenue from imports jumped 29% to ₹62,604 crore.
- Net GST revenue after refunds stood at ₹1.68 lakh crore, up 8.3% year-on-year.
- August marked the third consecutive month of gross GST collections near ₹2 lakh crore.
- The figures indicate continued resilience in domestic economic activity and tax compliance.
New Delhi, September 1, 2026: India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections rose 14.8% year-on-year to nearly ₹2 lakh crore in August 2026, reaching ₹1.99 lakh crore, according to data released on September 1.
The latest collection was higher than the ₹1.74 lakh crore recorded in July and marked the third consecutive month in which gross GST revenue remained around the ₹2 lakh crore level.
GST revenue from domestic transactions increased 9.3% to ₹1.37 lakh crore during August, while collections from imports grew 29% to ₹62,604 crore.
The Central GST (CGST) collection stood at ₹38,413 crore, while State GST (SGST) collections reached ₹46,316 crore. Integrated GST (IGST) collections crossed ₹1.15 lakh crore.
GST refunds increased sharply by 68% to ₹31,795 crore during the month. After accounting for refunds, net GST revenue stood at ₹1.68 lakh crore, representing an 8.3% year-on-year increase.
Vivek Jalan, Partner at Tax Connect Advisory Services LLP, attributed the rise in domestic refunds partly to inverted duty structures. He also said the August collections reflected continued strength in domestic consumption, while the statutory time-barring deadline of August 31 supported compliance and revenue inflows.
On a year-to-date basis, net GST revenue growth during April-August 2026 was around 9%, according to Jalan, although GST buoyancy remained below one at approximately 0.7.
Experts said the strong GST numbers were consistent with the broader economic momentum, following India’s 7.8% GDP growth recorded in the first quarter of FY27.
Abhishek Jain, Partner and National Head of Indirect Tax at KPMG in India, said the 14.8% growth in overall GST collections added to the positive economic backdrop and reflected the resilience of the Indian economy despite geopolitical conflicts and global uncertainty.
Ikesh Nagpal, Lead-Indirect Tax at AKM Global, noted that the August figures reflected continued revenue buoyancy during the first five months of FY27. He also highlighted the strong contribution from imports, which accounted for around 55% of the incremental gross GST collections during the month.
Pratik Jain, Partner at Price Waterhouse & Co LLP, said the double-digit year-to-date growth remained encouraging despite the GST rate cuts introduced in September 2025. He added that monthly growth of around 15% remained strong, with imports contributing significantly.
Other tax experts also pointed to resilient economic activity and domestic demand as key factors behind the strong revenue performance, while noting that import-linked GST growth significantly outpaced domestic collection growth.
The August GST figures therefore point to sustained tax revenue momentum in the opening months of FY27, with gross collections continuing to remain close to the ₹2 lakh crore milestone.
