The Central GST officers in India detected a tax evasion of ₹1.95 lakh crore across 25,397 cases between April 2024 and January 2025. The government has intensified measures, including ‘Project Anveshan’ and intelligence inputs, to curb fraudulent activities.
The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) officers in India uncovered tax evasion amounting to ₹1.95 lakh crore in 25,397 cases during the period from April 2024 to January 2025. The Ministry of Finance revealed these figures, emphasizing the government’s strengthened crackdown on fraudulent activities through intelligence monitoring and digital tools like ‘Project Anveshan.’
According to Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, India has significantly ramped up its efforts to curb GST evasion. This includes tracking fraudulent registrations, monitoring suspicious e-way bill activities, and selecting high-risk taxpayers for audits and scrutiny.
Escalating GST Evasion Trends
The latest evasion figure marks a sharp increase compared to previous years. In 2022-23, authorities detected ₹1.32 lakh crore in evasion, while in 2021-22 and 2020-21, the figures stood at ₹73,238 crore and ₹49,384 crore, respectively. This rising trend has prompted the government to introduce stricter compliance measures.
Government Measures to Prevent Tax Evasion
To combat tax fraud, the government has taken several initiatives, including:
- ‘Project Anveshan’ – A system designed for early detection of fraudulent activities.
- AI-Based Monitoring – Identification of suspicious taxpayer behavior.
- Scrutiny of Returns – Selection of high-risk taxpayers for audits based on risk parameters.
Officials stated that efforts will continue to improve tax compliance and plug revenue leakages, ensuring a more transparent taxation system.
