The revenue generated by the Tamil Nadu government from various tax sources, including GST compensation and IGST settlement during 2018-19 stood at ₹87,905.26 crore, registering a 20.17% growth when compared to ₹73,148.28 crore during 2017-18.
More than 48% of the revenue collected across Tamil Nadu during 2018-19 was from the Value Added Tax (VAT) through the sale of liquor and petrol.
As for the revenue generated through registration of various documents, there has been a 21.37% increase during 2018-19 compared to 2017-18. With the registration of 25,73,478 documents, revenue to the tune of ₹11,071.02 crore was generated during 2018-19, compared to the 22,10,595 documents registered during the previous fiscal that generated ₹9,121.53 crore.
When DMK MLA K.V. Sekaran (Polur) queried as to how there were less number of documents registered but the revenue generated was more, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami intervened to say that the value of land had gone up over the years.
Stamp duty and registration fees are collected while registering documents such as conveyance, exchange, gift, mortgage and others, besides registration of marriages, chits, societies and partnership firms and for issuing encumbrance and birth and death certificates.
During 2018-19, a total of 79,646 marriages were registered under the Tamil Nadu Registration of Marriages Act, 2009. A total of 55,031 marriages were registered under the Hindu Marriages Act and 6,062 under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
Debate over GST
While the DMK members claimed that even two years after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, traders and the general public were facing challenges and there were issues yet to be resolved, the ruling AIADMK maintained that there was no problem in its implementation.
DMK MLA and former Minister T.P.M. Mohideen Khan (Palayamkottai) pointed out that biscuits manufactured by corporate companies and cottage industries were being treated equally under the GST regime.
Minister D. Jayakumar, who regularly represents T.N. in the GST Council meetings, said issues were being flagged during the meetings.
