New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) Central GST officers have detected tax evasion of Rs 1.95 lakh crore in 25,397 cases in the April-January period of the current fiscal, Parliament was informed on Monday.

As per the data shared in the Lok Sabha, the total number of GST evasion cases detected by central government officers in the last five years was 86,711 and the total detection was over Rs 6.79 lakh crore.

In the current fiscal (up to January 2025), the total number of evasion cases detected stood at 25,397, with a total detection amount of Rs 1,94,938 crore.

During the period, a voluntary deposit of Rs 21,520 crore was made in tax evasion cases.

The total number of ITC fraud cases in the current fiscal stood at 13,018 involving an amount of Rs 46,472 crore. A voluntary deposit of Rs 2,211 crore was made.

According to the GST Investigation Wing data, in 2023-24 fiscal 20,582 evasion cases were detected involving Rs 2.30 lakh crore.

In 2022-23, GST evasion detection was Rs 1.32 lakh crore, in 2021-22 (Rs 73,238 crore) and in 2020-21 (Rs 49,384 crore).

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the Central Government and GSTN have taken various steps to improve compliance and prevent tax evasions, including providing intelligence inputs, detecting fraudulent registration, and suspicious e-way bill activity and selection of returns for scrutiny and selection of taxpayers for audit based on various risk parameters.

"These measures are helpful in safeguarding the revenue and nabbing the evaders. Certain projects were also undertaken such as ‘Project Anveshan’ (Analytics, Verification, Shortlisting of Anomalies) whereby newer techniques like Facial Recognition System (FRS), E-way bill data etc. were used for early identification of GSTINs with propensity for fake/ fraudulent activity to generate Intelligence reports," Chaudhary said. PTI JD MR

GST evasion detection increases; authorities deploy analytics and targeted controls to curb fraudulent registrations and ITC fraud. Detection of GST evasion and Input Tax Credit (ITC) fraud is highlighted, with quantified case counts, aggregate amounts detected and voluntary deposits. Enforcement relies on intelligence-led, analytics-driven measures: risk-based selection of returns and audits, monitoring of e way bill anomalies, identification of fraudulent registrations and initiatives such as Project Anveshan using analytics and facial recognition to identify GSTINs prone to fraud.