The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections continued their strong momentum in September 2026, with gross GST revenue reaching ₹2,03,521 crore, registering a robust 14.7% year-on-year growth over ₹1,77,365 crore collected in September 2025. September also marked the third consecutive month in which GST collections crossed the ₹2 lakh crore mark, underscoring the resilience of consumption and economic activity. The figures released are provisional and may undergo marginal revision upon finalisation.
Domestic GST Revenue Grows 10.1%; Import Revenue Surges 25.9%
Gross GST revenue from domestic transactions increased by 10.1% to ₹1,37,996 crore in September 2026, compared with ₹1,25,334 crore in September 2025. Within domestic collections, CGST stood at ₹37,762 crore, SGST at ₹45,363 crore and IGST at ₹54,871 crore.
GST revenue from imports recorded a significantly stronger growth of 25.9%, rising to ₹65,525 crore from ₹52,031 crore in the corresponding month of the previous year. The substantially higher growth in import GST compared with domestic revenue indicates strong import activity and may also reflect advance stocking by manufacturers and traders ahead of the festive season.
Net GST Revenue Rises 18.1% to ₹1.77 Lakh Crore
Total refunds during September 2026 stood at ₹27,001 crore, registering a 3% decline from ₹27,848 crore in September 2025. Domestic refunds declined by 13.5% to ₹13,504 crore, while export GST refunds processed through ICEGATE increased by 10.2% to ₹13,497 crore.
After adjusting for refunds, net GST revenue increased sharply by 18.1% to ₹1,76,520 crore, compared with ₹1,49,517 crore in September 2025. Net domestic revenue rose 13.5% to ₹1,24,491 crore, while net GST revenue from customs/imports increased 30.8% to ₹52,028 crore.
April–September Gross GST Collections Rise 11.6% to ₹12.46 Lakh Crore
For the first six months of FY 2026-27, cumulative gross GST revenue stood at ₹12,46,278 crore, registering growth of 11.6% over ₹11,17,088 crore during the corresponding period of FY 2025-26. Domestic revenues during April–September increased 6.1% to ₹8,74,366 crore, while cumulative GST revenue from imports rose a strong 27.1% to ₹3,71,912 crore.
After refunds, cumulative net GST revenue for April–September 2026 stood at ₹10,66,116 crore, reflecting 10.4% growth over ₹9,65,455 crore in the comparable period of the previous financial year.
Broad-Based Growth Across Major States
State-wise domestic GST data also reflected healthy growth in several large States. Uttar Pradesh and Telangana recorded 18% growth each, Gujarat 17%, Karnataka 16%, Maharashtra 15%, Delhi 12%, Kerala 11% and Odisha 10% during September 2026. Among the North-Eastern States, Assam recorded 88% growth, Manipur 145%, Arunachal Pradesh 46% and Nagaland 39%, although growth rates for smaller States can be influenced by their relatively lower revenue base. The State-wise figures exclude GST on import of goods.
Post-settlement SGST collections also remained strong. In September 2026, the aggregate SGST revenue of States/UTs after settlement of the SGST portion of IGST increased 14% to ₹92,075 crore, compared with ₹80,962 crore in September 2025.
GST 2.0 Rate Rationalisation Accompanied by Revenue Resilience
The sustained collections assume significance in the backdrop of the GST 2.0 rate rationalisation measures introduced in 2025. Despite reductions in GST rates across several categories, the revenue trend indicates continued resilience in the tax base. According to tax experts, the performance reflects a combination of economic growth, improved tax compliance, digitisation, audit and departmental scrutiny, besides increased purchases and inventory build-up ahead of the festive season.
The comparatively faster growth in GST on imports also merits policy attention. While initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive schemes have supported the creation of domestic manufacturing capacity, experts have suggested that the continuing strong growth in imports provides an opportunity to review and recalibrate such schemes to further deepen domestic value addition and manufacturing competitiveness.
Strong Revenue Position Creates Headroom for Next Phase of GST Reforms
With the GST Council scheduled to meet on October 7, 2026, the strong revenue performance is expected to provide a supportive backdrop for considering further structural and procedural reforms. Tax experts have highlighted the need for measures such as permitting refund of input services under the inverted duty structure, simplifying and streamlining multi-State GST registration requirements for large taxpayers, strengthening refund and compliance processes, and considering appropriate GST relief for autism centres and similar socially important services.
The September figures reinforce the broader trend of increasing formalisation and compliance under GST. The next phase of reforms could therefore focus not merely on revenue mobilisation but also on ease of doing business, faster refunds, reduced litigation, simplified registration and greater fairness in the GST framework, while sustaining the buoyancy of revenues.
The Data can be accessed at: https://tutorial.gst.gov.in/downloads/news/final_gst_revenue_report_for_publishing_monthly_sep_2026.pdf
