However, income tax collection declined by 21.66 per cent at Rs 8,211 crore (Rs 82.11 billion) during April-June, 2005-06 against Rs 10,482 crore (Rs 104.82 billion) in the year ago period because of the hike in exemption limit to Rs 1 lakh and provision of exemption under savings of another Rs 1 lakh in this year's budget.

Corporation tax grew a whopping 182.20 per cent at Rs 11,147 crore (Rs 111.47 billion) during the first three months of this fiscal against Rs 3,950 crore (Rs 39.5 billion) in Q1 of 2004-05.

In fact, corporation tax turned positive only in the second month of this fiscal as was the case last year because of large scale refunds in the first month.

In May this year, corporation tax rose more than 21 times at Rs 1,567 crore (Rs 15.67 billion) against Rs 74 crore (Rs 740 million) in the same month of the last fiscal, according to figures released by Controller General of Accounts.

Customs duty collection rose by 38.57 per cent to touch Rs 14,788 crore (Rs 147.88 billion) during Q1 of this fiscal against Rs 10,672 crore (Rs 106.72 billion) of the first quarter of the previous year.

Excise duties collection increased marginally by 4.03 per cent at Rs 14,264 crore (Rs 142. 64 billion) during the first quarter of this fiscal against Rs 13,711 crore (Rs 137.11 billion) last year.

For the month of June this year, Centre's tax collections rose 23.35 per cent at Rs 29,868 crore (Rs 298.68 billion) against Rs 24,214 crore (Rs 242.14 billion) in the third month of the last fiscal.

Corporation tax grew by 59.89 per cent at Rs 12,217 crore (Rs 122.17 billion) in the month against Rs 7,641 crore (Rs 76.41 billion) in June of last fiscal.

As is the case in the first two months, income tax collections fell 29.23 per cent at Rs 3,401 crore (Rs 34.01 billion) in June this year against Rs 4,806 crore (Rs 48.06 billion) in the same month of last fiscal.

Customs duty collections rose 39.66 per cent at Rs 4,902 crore (Rs 49.02 billion) in June against Rs 3,510 crore (Rs 35.10 billion).

The collections from excise duty rose 5.32 per cent at Rs 7,837 crore (Rs 78.37 billion) in June against Rs 7,441 crore (Rs 74.41 billion) in the same month of the last fiscal.