Amaravati, Mar 1 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh has achieved its highest-ever Goods and Services Tax collection for the month of February, recording Rs 3,061 crore this month.

This marks a major achievement since the inception of the GST regime in 2017.

Chief Commissioner of State Tax A Babu said the record was achieved despite rate reductions on major consumer essentials, consumer durables, pharmaceuticals and cement, and withdrawal of GST on life and medical insurance under GST 2.0 reforms.

“Net GST collections for February 2026 reached Rs 3,061 crore, the highest ever for any February since the implementation of GST in 2017,” said Babu in an official release.

According to the Commercial Taxes Department, the state registered a 5.45 percent growth in net GST collections compared to February 2025, even as tax rates were reduced and GST Compensation Cess was withdrawn on all items except tobacco and tobacco products. Gross GST collections (excluding Cess) stood at Rs 3,562 crore, reflecting a marginal 0.2 per cent decline year-on-year.

State GST (SGST) collections stood at Rs 1,251 crore in February 2026, registering a 2.96 percent increase compared to the same month last year, reflecting improved consumption patterns, effective tax administration and strengthened enforcement mechanisms.

Integrated GST (IGST) settlements amounted to over Rs 1,809 crore, recording a 7.2 percent rise over February 2025 and 23.8 percent higher than February 2024, while petroleum product VAT collections increased by 3.06 percent to Rs 1,442 crore, sustaining the state’s revenue momentum, he said.

Professional tax collections also witnessed a sharp rise of 31.9 per cent during February 2026, with cumulative collections up to February in the current financial year growing by 42.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year, said Babu.

For 11 consecutive months from April 2025 to February 2026, net GST collections have exceeded those of the corresponding months in the previous financial year, indicating steady economic activity, improved compliance levels and sustained revenue resilience, the release added.

Total tax collections across all sectors in February 2026 touched Rs 4,634 crore, marking a growth of 4.6 per cent compared to February 2025, while cumulative collections up to February stood at Rs 48,854 crore, reflecting a 4.7 per cent increase year-on-year.

Key measures supporting revenue growth included advanced data analytics and AI-driven oversight to detect tax evasion, identify ineligible input tax credit claims and ensure timely reversals, which alone yielded Rs 44.1 crore during the month.

The department also strengthened coordination between central and state tax authorities to improve IGST settlements, ensured stricter return filing compliance, undertook targeted audits and investigations, and adopted performance-based deployment of officers to enhance accountability and prevent revenue leakages, he added. PTI MS ROH