Festive Shopping Boosts GST Collection; October Figures Cross Record ₹2.31 Lakh Crore.
Driven by a surge in shopping ahead of the festive season, India’s GST collection for October rose by 23% to reach ₹2.31 lakh crore—the second-highest figure in history.
In October 2026, India’s gross GST collection jumped by 22.9% (approximately 23%) to reach ₹2,31,290 crore (₹2.31 lakh crore). This marks the second-highest collection ever recorded. Previously, in 2024, the collection had reached a then-record high of ₹2.10 lakh crore, while in 2025, the country’s GST collection stood at ₹1,88,125 crore. A significant portion of the October GST collection is attributed to a sharp surge in revenue from imports.
According to data released on Sunday, GST collections driven by domestic economic activity and robust festive shopping rose by 15.8% to over ₹1.59 lakh crore in October. Meanwhile, tax revenue from the import of foreign goods saw a substantial 42.2% increase, reaching ₹72,246 crore. Notably, this is the fourth month in the current financial year that the government’s GST collection has exceeded ₹2 lakh crore.
Prior to this, collections stood at ₹2.11 lakh crore in July and ₹2.04 lakh crore in September. October also saw a significant rise in tax refunds; the government issued a record ₹27,934 crore in refunds—an increase of 7.5% compared to the previous year. These refunds were primarily issued to exporters and businesses with pending Input Tax Credits (ITC).
How has GST collection grown over the years?
| Year |
GST Collection |
|---|---|
| October 2026 |
22.9% |
| October 2025 |
4.6% |
| October 2024 |
8.9% |
| October 2023 |
13.4% |
| October 2022 |
16.6% |
Breakdown of October GST Collections:
CGST – ₹42,935 crore (goes to the Central Government)
SGST – ₹51,340 crore (goes to State Governments)
IGST – ₹1,37,015 crore (includes ₹72,246 crore collected on imports; this amount is shared between the Centre and the States)
Cess – ₹12,654 crore (levied on luxury and 'demerit' goods)
Which state leads in tax contributions?
As usual, Maharashtra tops the list, contributing ₹35,150 crore—a 13% increase compared to the previous year. Karnataka ranks second with a collection of ₹15,922 crore (18% growth), followed by Gujarat in third place with ₹13,516 crore (16% growth). Uttar Pradesh’s GST collection for October reached ₹10,235 crore, marking a 24% increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, Assam recorded an annual growth rate of 47%.
