Refunds, advance tax dip: Net direct mop-up down 1.4% to Rs 4.6 lakh crore

NEW DELHI: Gross direct tax collections rose lower than 5% to Rs 5,45,207 crore in the course of the fiscal yr up to June 19. The first of the 4 instalments of advance tax receipts elevated at a muted 3.9%, elevating fears of a pointy slowdown within the progress in company earnings in the course of the June quarter.On a web foundation, direct tax collections had been 1.4% decrease at a bit beneath Rs 4.6 lakh crore, however that was on account of a 58% soar in refunds, which added up to Rs 58,385 crore. The spike in refunds comes amidst finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s clear missive to be certain that officers do not sit on refunds, a message she delivered to the oblique tax brass on Friday and which is probably going to be reiterated to prime revenue tax officers within the coming week.Typically, advance tax funds are seen as a barometer of company well being with some people additionally required to pay. The adjustments in private tax might have performed a component too. “The revised tax slabs and reduced personal tax rates that came into effect from April 1, 2025, have provided relief to salaried individuals, and this is naturally reflected in lower TDS collections. On the corporate front, we’re seeing the impact of increased capital expenditure by businesses. As companies invest in expansion and infrastructure, they benefit from higher depreciation claims, which temporarily lower taxable profits. This is a healthy sign of forward-looking investment behaviour,” stated Samir Kanabar, tax companion at consulting agency EY India.In latest months, industrial output has seen a slowdown though GST numbers have been regular.“Tax collections for recent quarter, while subdued, put spotlight on emerging macro trends posing challenges to earning growth for corporates andd non-corporates taxpayers for the financial year. Also, as many elements of current geopolitical scenario play out over next few months, impact of the developments would come to bear on the forecast for rest of year too,” stated Sumit Singhania, a companion at Deloitte India.