Bihar Shoots Up GST Collection by 8.4% Amid New Tax Policies

The Bihar Commercial Taxes Department has reported a GST collection of Rs 15,463 crore between April 1 and August 31, an 8.4% increase from the previous year. The department aims to collect Rs 42,500 crore in GST this financial year, buoyed by new taxes on online gaming and effective economic policies.

The Bihar Commercial Taxes Department has recorded a GST collection of Rs 15,463 crore between April 1 and August 31 this year, marking an 8.4% increase compared to the same period last year, officials announced.

Sanjay Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Bihar Commercial Taxes Department, stated that the department has set a target to collect Rs 42,500 crore as GST. Before GST's implementation, the total taxes collected in Bihar during 2017-2018 amounted to Rs 17,236 crore. In 2023-2024, that figure rose to Rs 38,198 crore. So far in the current financial year, Rs 15,463 crore has been collected, reflecting an 8.4% uptick from last year, Singh said.

The Commercial Taxes Department has noted an 18% rise in GST collection for the financial year 2023-24 compared to 2022-23, placing Bihar among the top five states in GST collection. Singh attributed this growth to effective economic policies and the increased registration of small traders under the GST regime.

The Nitish Kumar government has recently imposed an additional 28% GST on online gaming, race courses, and casinos, starting from October 1, 2023. This follows a notification by the Centre in September last year.

The GST Council, in its 51st meeting on August 2, 2023, had decided to maintain its stance to impose a 28% tax on the full face value of bets for online gaming, casinos, and horse-racing, effective from October 1.

(With inputs from agencies.)