Small cities help taxmen

Mumbai: Direct tax collections by both Mumbai and Delhi zones of the income-tax department were in single-digit until December 24, a department official said.

It is inspite of the fact that the net revenue collections were in double digit during the period not only at the national level, but also at zonal level.

The Mumbai zone, which is responsible for collection of more than one-third of total tax being collected from across the country, garnered revenue amounting to Rs 1.74 trillion during the reporting period from Rs 1.59 trillion a year ago, thus showing a growth of nine per cent, an official said on Wednesday.

However, the growth was in double digit in all the other parts of the country during the period. Even small places like Pune and Thane have also shown a double-digit growth in direct tax collections during the period.

The department collected Rs 5.54 trillion during the reported period from across the country from Rs 4.88 trillion a year ago, thus registering an average growth of 13.5 per cent.

New Delhi alone has collected a total tax amounting to Rs 74,147 crore during the reporting period, from Rs 72,210 crore a year ago, registering growth of 2.7 per cent. Bengaluru zone witnessed a growth by 22 per cent by netting revenue amounting to Rs 62,418 crore from Rs 51,128 crore a year ago.

On a similar front, Chennai and Kolkata zones have also registered double-digit growth in revenue collections during the reporting period.

While net revenue collection at Rs 25,171 crore was up by 14.5 per cent from Kolkata zone from Rs 21,976 crore a year ago, Chennai zone’s revenue collection went up by 20 per cent at Rs 42,316 crore from Rs 35,254 crore a year ago. Smaller places like Thane and Pune have also fared well on the front.

While Pune region registered a growth of 19 per cent at Rs 28,574 crore during the reporting period from Rs 23,973 crore a year ago, Thane region’s revenue collection at Rs 3,982 crore was also up by 27.5 per cent from Rs 3,123 crore a year ago.