NEW DELHI, Sept. 20 -- The central government's direct tax collections have grown by over 9% so far this fiscal year, reaching Rs.10.83 lakh crore as of 17 September. The increase comes despite a slowdown in personal income tax revenue following recent tax cuts. Official data shared by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) showed that before adjusting for refunds, direct tax revenue from corporate and personal income tax grew 3.4% so far this financial year to Rs.12.43 lakh crore. The data covers revenue collection from 1 April to 17 September. The Income Tax department has issued Rs.1.61 lakh crore in tax refunds during this period, which is nearly 24% less than the same time last year. This decrease was most notable in personal income tax refunds, while corporate tax refunds continued to grow. "The net direct tax revenue growth reflects a combination of modest rise in gross receipts and a sharp decline in refunds issued," said Amit Maheshwari, Tax Partner at AKM Global, a tax and consulting firm. The reduction in personal income tax refunds this year led to a 13.67% growth in net non-corporate tax revenue collection, comprising mainly of personal income tax receipts, despite a less than 1% growth before adjusting for refunds. Meanwhile, advance corporate tax collections are up 6.1% to Rs.3.52 lakh crore, while advance collection of non-corporate tax declined by 7.3% to Rs.96,784 crore. "A key factor influencing this decline is the new tax relief introduced in Union Budget 2025, which provides for zero tax liability on income up to Rs.12 lakh," said Maheshwari. This measure has directly reduced the advance tax burden on a significant section of individual taxpayers, thereby moderating collections in the non-corporate segment, said Maheshwari....