Direct taxes up 66 pc, assessees to touch 2.65 crore
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, July 6: Direct tax collections have recorded a whopping increase of 66.73 per cent to Rs 10,712 crore during the first quarter (April-June) of the current financial year as against the same period of 1999-2000, Minister of State for Revenue V Dhananjaya Kumar said and added that income tax assessees by the end of next financial year could touch 2.65 crore persons as against the current level of 2.20 crore.

While corporation tax rose by 75.48 per cent to Rs 4,686.39 crore from Rs 2,670.64 crore, income tax collections jumped 48.33 per cent to Rs 5,950.77 crore from Rs 4,011.86 crore during the period, he said.

The month of June, an important indicator for direct taxes collections as returns are filed in great numbers during the month, saw revenue collections registering a 50 per cent increase to Rs 4,610 crore as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

As far as indirect taxes are concerned the period April to June 15 saw custom collections touch Rs 9,267.49 crore while excise collections were of the order of Rs 11,326.01 crore.

Kumar said it would not be proper to assess the percentage increase for indirect taxes during the period as the June figures were available only upto 15th.

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