Will the Budget Projects Achieve an 8% Rise in Tax Revenue to Rs 44.04 Lakh Crore?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Feb 1 (NationPress) The Union Budget for 2026-27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Sunday anticipates a Gross Tax Revenue (GTR) of Rs 44.04 lakh crore, reflecting an 8.0% growth compared to the revised estimate (RE) for 2025-26.
Direct Taxes, encompassing corporate and personal income tax, are projected at Rs 26.97 lakh crore, making up about 61.2% of the total gross tax revenue. Indirect taxes are forecasted to be Rs 17.07 lakh crore.
In the Budget Estimate (BE) for 2026-27, the GTR to GDP ratio is expected to be 11.2%. This budget marks the initial year of the Sixteenth Finance Commission (SFC) award period, which has recommended that States retain a 41% share of the divisible pool.
The Tax Revenues (Net to Centre) are anticipated to be Rs 28.67 lakh crore. For BE 2026-27, Non-Tax Revenues (NTR) of the Central Government are expected to be Rs 6.66 lakh crore. Total Revenue Receipts of the Union Government, combining Tax Revenues (Net to Centre) and Non-Tax Revenues (NTR), are projected at Rs 35.33 lakh crore, reflecting an anticipated growth of 5.7% over RE 2025-26.
The overall expenditure of the Central Government for BE 2026-27 is estimated at Rs 53.47 lakh crore, representing 13.6% of GDP, showing an increase of 7.7% over RE 2025-26, which was Rs 49.65 lakh crore. The budget for FY 2026-27 allocates Rs 12.22 lakh crore (3.1% of GDP) for capital expenditure, including capital support to States through Special Assistance as Loan to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) with a budget of Rs 2.0 lakh crore.
Effective capital expenditure of the Union Government includes both the capital expenditure and grants-in-aid aimed at creating capital assets, which together form investments that boost and enhance the productive capacity of the economy.
In BE 2026-27, the budget for grants-in-aid for capital asset creation is projected at Rs 4.93 lakh crore (or 1.3% of GDP). Therefore, the effective capital expenditure for FY 2026-27 is estimated at Rs 17.15 lakh crore (or 4.4% of GDP).