GST evasion of Rs.1.88 lakh crore detected by CGST officers in April-December 2024
Central GST officers detected tax evasion of over Rs.1.88 lakh crore between April and December 2024, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the Lok Sabha on Monday (February 10).
The evasion, including cases of fraudulent Input Tax Credit (ITC), was identified across 72,393 instances during the period. Authorities made 132 arrests and recovered Rs.20,128 crore.
For the full fiscal year 2023-24, CGST officials uncovered Rs.2.30 lakh crore in GST evasion across 20,582 cases, leading to Rs.31,758 crore in recoveries and 223 arrests. In previous years, evasion stood at Rs.1.32 lakh crore in 2022-23 and Rs.73,238 crore in 2021-22.
GST is levied under four primary slabs—5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%—with special rates applicable for specific commodities, including 3% on gold, silver, and diamonds, 1.5% on cut and polished diamonds, and 0.25% on rough diamonds.
A GST compensation cess applies to select items such as tobacco, aerated drinks, and vehicles at varying rates. To curb fake registrations, CGST and state GST officers conducted two special drives—one from May to August 2023 and another from August to October 2024.
