GST revenue collections for April 2026 show gross, refund and net figures alongside state-wise settlement and domestic collection tables.
Gross GST revenue for April 2026 is broken into domestic collections and import IGST collections, with separate reporting of refunds and net revenue under CGST, SGST and IGST. The figures are provisional and may vary slightly on finalisation. The document also presents State-wise SGST and the SGST portion of IGST settlement amounts, along with State-wise domestic collections by Central and State formations, GSTIN counts and growth figures.

Capital expenditure priority continues despite fiscal stress, as fuel duty changes and export controls aim to balance prices and supply.
Government expenditure policy remains focused on preserving the budgeted capital expenditure push despite fiscal stress arising from global uncertainty and higher crude oil prices. The planned capital outlay is to be maintained to support growth momentum, with priority sectors identified as highways, railways, shipping, ports and urban development. Recent excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel, along with export duties on diesel and aviation turbine fuel, reflect a balancing of price containment, domestic availability and revenue considerations.

Export duty on petroleum products revised as fortnightly levy review keeps petrol nil and raises diesel and ATF export charges.
Revised Special Additional Excise Duty and Road and Infrastructure Cess rates have been notified for exports of petroleum products for the fortnight beginning 1 May 2026. Diesel exports attract duty of Rs. 23 per litre as SAED only, aviation turbine fuel exports attract Rs. 33 per litre as SAED only, and petrol exports continue to attract nil duty. The export levies are reviewed fortnightly on the basis of average international prices, while domestic excise duty rates on petrol and diesel remain unchanged.

GST collections rise to a record high as April revenue shows a strong monthly increase in tax receipts.
Gross GST collections rose by 8.7 per cent in April to a record high, according to government data, reflecting a strong increase in tax revenues during the month. The reported collection level was the highest recorded for the period covered by the update, and the note presents the rise as part of the latest monthly GST revenue position.

GST collections reach record high as domestic receipts, import-linked inflows, and net mop-up all rise in April.
Gross Goods and Services Tax collections rose to a record high in April, with overall receipts increasing year on year. Domestic transaction revenues registered a moderate increase, while collections from imports rose sharply. Refunds also increased during the month, but net GST mop-up remained higher after adjustment for refunds.

Windfall gains tax on fuel exports reduced as diesel and aviation turbine fuel duties are revised downward.
Windfall gains tax on exports of diesel and aviation turbine fuel was reduced, with the special additional excise duty on diesel exports cut to Rs 23 per litre and on aviation turbine fuel to Rs 33 per litre. The road and infrastructure cess on diesel exports was made nil for the next fortnight, and the duty on petrol exports remained nil. No change was made in the existing excise duty rates applicable to petrol and diesel for domestic consumption.

Zero-rated exports under GST and IMEC momentum are strengthening Karnataka's trade prospects amid global disruptions.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is described as an alternative trade pathway to traditional maritime choke points amid geopolitical tensions, with the potential to improve connectivity and reduce freight and sailing-time costs. Exporters are also said to benefit from the GST regime because exports are treated as zero-rated supplies, allowing refund of input taxes. Recent measures have accelerated refund processing, reduced documentation and compliance costs, and eased working capital pressure.

Fraudulent Input Tax Credit through bogus invoices led to detection of a GST evasion network and arrest of an accused.
Fraudulent availment and utilisation of Input Tax Credit through bogus invoices was detected in a GST evasion network involving a non-functional entity that passed fake ITC without actual supply of goods or services. Investigation also identified a smartphone trading entity as the principal beneficiary, and the son of its director was found to have knowingly availed and utilised fake ITC through paper transactions, attracting contravention of Section 16 and liability under Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017.

Aviation turbine fuel pricing relief sought as airlines warn rising costs are making operations unsustainable.
Airlines sought urgent revision of aviation turbine fuel pricing and temporary financial support, saying extreme fuel costs, airspace restrictions and the crude-ATF differential were making both domestic and international operations unsustainable. The federation requested uniform use of the earlier crack band pricing mechanism, deferment of excise duty on ATF and a transparent pricing framework that would keep operations viable while preserving a fair margin for oil marketing companies.

GST compliance enforcement targets undocumented goods movement and strengthens monitoring through intelligence-led interception and RFID tracking.
GST enforcement action resulted in a penalty being imposed on a trader for attempting to move goods without proper documentation, in contravention of GST regulations. The trader was kept under surveillance on specific intelligence inputs and intercepted with the assistance of RFID tracking, enabling monitoring of the goods movement. The operation was carried out by the state tax enforcement team under departmental supervision as a compliance measure to ensure adherence to GST norms.

Invoice Management System offline tool streamlines GST invoice actions, validation, and JSON upload for taxpayer compliance.
The GST Invoice Management System has been supplemented with an Excel-based offline tool to improve taxpayer convenience and ease of compliance. The utility enables recipient taxpayers to act on invoice records uploaded through GSTR-1, GSTR-1A, or IFF by accepting, rejecting, or keeping them pending, and to handle individual as well as bulk invoices efficiently. The offline process requires downloading IMS data in JSON format, opening it in the tool, taking the required action, validating the sheet, and generating a JSON file for upload back to the GST portal.

Fraudulent Input Tax Credit network exposed through bogus firms, fake invoices and layered GST routing across multiple states.
Large-scale GST fraud involving the generation and routing of fraudulent Input Tax Credit across multiple States was uncovered by the Commercial Taxes Department. The mechanism involved multiple fictitious business entities issuing fake tax invoices without actual supply of goods and passing ineligible ITC to entities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The fraudulent ITC was further routed to works contractors and traders for discharging tax liabilities through credit instead of cash payment, causing loss to the government exchequer.

GST input tax credit fraud through bogus firms, forged documents, and fake invoices exposed in a loan-lure racket.
GST input tax credit fraud involving bogus firms was allegedly carried out by collecting Aadhaar and PAN details on the pretext of Mudra loans, obtaining SIM cards, and registering fake GST entities with forged rent agreements and electricity bills. The shell entities were used to generate fake invoices and e-way bills, project fictitious transactions as genuine, and sell fraudulent ITC on commission. A case was registered on a complaint about a non-existent firm claiming ineligible ITC, and one accused was arrested.

Customs cooperation and trade facilitation guide India-Bhutan discussions on border management, data exchange, and transit cargo movement.
Customs cooperation and trade facilitation between India and Bhutan were reviewed through the Joint Group of Customs framework, with attention to border management and cross-border movement of goods. The discussions covered coordinated border management, pre-arrival exchange of customs data, anti-smuggling enforcement, digitisation of customs processes, and transit cargo facilitation through the Electronic Cargo Tracking System, together with border infrastructure, harmonisation of procedures, and maritime enforcement briefings during the port visit.

GST refund fraud through bogus ITC, dummy firms and fabricated export claims led to a major arrest at the airport.
GST refund fraud involving fraudulent availment and encashment of Input Tax Credit through bogus purchases, dummy entities and fabricated export claims. The alleged network used non-functional firms, borrowed KYC documents, fake invoices, layered paper transactions and centrally managed GST registration, invoicing, banking, return filing and refund claims to accumulate ineligible ITC in projected exporter entities. The scheme also involved misdeclaration of low-value tobacco products as high-value exports at inflated values, with no genuine manufacturing infrastructure, doubtful e-way bills, fabricated transport documents and circular fund movement. The matter further records alleged inflation of export turnover to divert bank funds and references related proceedings involving the persons concerned.

Women's reservation and delimitation dominate Maharashtra opposition's criticism of the Prime Minister's address.
Opposition leaders in Maharashtra criticised the Prime Minister's address as containing false claims and failing to address women's reservation properly. They demanded immediate implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act and objected to any linkage between women's reservation, Census, and delimitation, saying such a connection could affect the electoral structure and delay implementation.

Input Tax Credit fraud detected through supply-chain analysis, with ineligible credit passed on and director arrested.
Fraudulent availment and utilisation of Input Tax Credit under the CGST Act was detected through data analytics and backward supply-chain verification, showing ineligible ITC claimed without underlying supply and breaking the credit chain under Section 16. Ineligible ITC was also passed on to buyers without corresponding supply. The director admitted controlling the transactions but failed to produce documentary evidence, and was arrested under the CGST Act while further investigation continued.

GST credential misuse and fake invoicing alleged in a fraudulent scheme involving fictitious firms and bogus billing transactions.
Misuse of GST credentials was alleged in a fraudulent loan-arrangement scheme in which a local businessman was induced to share his GST ID, password and Aadhaar details on the pretext of obtaining a bank loan. Purchases of nearly Rs 7 crore were later shown under his GST registration without corresponding return filings. Police stated that fake invoices had been generated in the names of about 13 fictitious firms, and investigation was continuing to trace the wider syndicate.

Interest recomputation under GSTR-3B allows correction of auto-calculated delayed-filing interest through the GST Portal.
GST Portal auto-calculates interest on delayed filing of GSTR-3B and auto-populates it in Table 5.1 of the subsequent return, with the breakup available in the system-generated GSTR-3B PDF. If the interest has been computed incorrectly without giving benefit of the minimum cash balance in the Electronic Cash Ledger under the proviso to Rule 88B(1) of the CGST Rules, 2017, taxpayers may use the "RE-COMPUTE INTEREST" option in Table 5.1. The revised interest then appears in the updated PDF and should be manually entered in Table 5.1, not below the recomputed amount.

Wholesale price inflation rises on fuel and manufacturing costs as elevated energy prices and conflict-driven crude shocks persist.
Wholesale price inflation rose to a 38-month high in March, driven mainly by higher fuel and power costs, surging crude petroleum prices and firmer manufactured goods inflation amid elevated global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict. The WPI-based inflation rate increased for the fifth straight month, while food article inflation and vegetable inflation eased. The note also recorded an excise duty cut on petrol and diesel to limit retail pass-through of higher crude oil prices.