<h1>Direct tax collections surge to Rs 18.38 lakh crore by Jan 11, boosted by corporate taxes; refunds down</h1> Net direct tax collections rose 8.82% to over Rs 18.38 lakh crore up to January 11 of the current fiscal, driven by higher net corporate tax receipts (up 12.4% to over Rs 8.63 lakh crore) and non-corporate taxes (up 6.39% to about Rs 9.30 lakh crore). Gross direct tax collections increased 4.14% to about Rs 21.50 lakh crore, while tax refunds issued declined 17% to Rs 3.12 lakh crore, increasing net collections by reducing outflows to taxpayers. Securities Transaction Tax collections were Rs 44,867 crore with flat year-on-year growth during the same period.