Himachal Pradesh State Taxes and Excise Department collects over Rs 26,000 crore in 3 yrs

The Himachal Pradesh State Taxes and Excise Department has recorded steady growth in revenue collection over the past three years, mobilising more than Rs 26,000 crore through strengthened enforcement, improved compliance and a series of administrative reforms.

A spokesperson of the State Taxes and Excise Department said here on Thursday that under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Department has collected over Rs 26,000 crore during the last three years. This includes Rs 10,248.56 crore in the financial year 2023-24, which increased to Rs 10,880.57 crore in 2024-25. In the current financial year 2025-26, Rs 5,536.30 crore was collected up to September 2025, he informed.

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He said the rising revenue from GST, Excise, Value Added Tax (VAT), Passengers and Goods Tax (PGT), and other taxes on goods reflects improved efficiency and better compliance following reforms introduced by the state government since 2022-23.

The spokesperson said the state government has undertaken several measures to strengthen transparency and streamline the department’s functioning. These include the Auction-cum-Tender system for the allotment of liquor vends in 2023-24 and 2024-25, which significantly boosted excise revenue.

Collections rose from Rs 2,147.04 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 2,631.30 crore in 2023-24 and further to Rs 2,776.41 crore in 2024-25. He further said that, as per the budget announcements, the state government introduced a Milk Cess of Rs 10 per bottle of liquor, generating Rs 144.84 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 141.92 crore in 2024-25.
This amount is being used to support milk production and livestock farmers, the spokesperson added.

“A Natural Farming Cess imposed from 2024-25 brought in Rs 24.62 crore to promote natural farming in the state. For 2025-26, a WDA Cess (Children of Destitute Women and Disabled Parents) of Rs 1.50 per bulk litre has been levied on the export of Indian and foreign liquor to support children of widowed or destitute women and disabled parents,” he said.

The spokesperson said the department has also advanced major digital governance initiatives. “The Excise e-Governance Project, launched in April 2023, now enables online issuance of passes and permits, along with digital payment of all fees. In a significant administrative reform, the department separated the GST and Excise wings in January 2024 to enhance specialisation, enforcement, and service delivery,” he said.

To further support taxpayers, a new online application system and mobile app were launched in September 2024, he said, adding that these offer facilities such as e-registration, e-return filing for VAT and CST, online tax payments, e-declaration at check-posts, online issuance and verification of statutory forms, and access to updated departmental information.

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the progress achieved over the past three years reflects the government’s committed and practical approach towards development, prosperity, and transformation of governance under Vyavastha Parivartan.