India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections demonstrated a strong start to 2026, reaching ₹1,93,384 crore in January. This figure represents a 6.2% increase compared to the ₹1,82,094 crore collected in January 2025. The growth reflects sustained domestic economic activity and strong momentum in import revenues.

The gross GST revenue from domestic transactions in January 2026 totaled ₹1,41,132 crore, a 4.8% increase from the ₹1,34,641 crore collected during the same period last year. Furthermore, GST collections from imports showed even stronger growth, reaching ₹52,253 crore in January 2026, a notable 10.1% rise compared to the ₹47,453 crore collected in January 2025.

Net GST revenue for January, after accounting for refunds, stood at ₹1,70,719 crore, reflecting a 7.6% growth. However, total GST refunds issued in January 2026 were slightly lower at ₹22,665 crore, a 3.1% decrease compared to the ₹23,393 crore refunded in January 2025.

Cumulatively, the gross GST collections during the April 2025-January 2026 period reached ₹18,43,423 crore, compared to ₹17,01,891 crore during the corresponding period of the previous financial year. This represents an overall growth of 8.3%. The cumulative domestic GST revenue for April 2025-January 2026 stood at ₹13,49,795 crore, up 6.6% from ₹12,66,741 crore recorded during the same period last year. Import-related GST revenue reached ₹4,93,628 crore during April 2025-January 2026, marking a 13.4% increase over the year-ago period. Cumulative refunds so far in the current financial year rose to ₹2,47,672 crore, marking an increase of 18.9%.

Notably, the collection of cess, which includes levies on tobacco products, stood at ₹5,768 crore in January. This is in contrast to ₹13,009 crore in collections in January of the previous year, when a cess was levied on luxury, sin, and demerit goods such as cars and tobacco products. Effective September 22, 2025, GST rates on approximately 375 items were reduced, which has impacted revenue collections. Additionally, the compensation cess is now only levied on tobacco and related products, unlike the previous broader application to luxury, sin, and demerit goods.