Direct tax collections rose 20.75 % to 3,36,117 crore in April-February period of the current fiscal from a year-ago period. The government mopped up around 18,616 crore in the month of February alone, marginally higher than 18,616 crore collected in the previous month.

Direct tax collections stood at 2,78,411 crore in the same period last fiscal. The government has so far achieved 75.38 per cent of the revised targeted estimate of 4.5 lakh crore for the entire fiscal.

With around 1.14 lakh to be collected by the government in March, the target is likely to be easily achieved.

FM Pranab Mukherjee had earlier revised the direct tax collection target by 20,000 crore to 4.5 lakh crore.

Corporate income tax receipts in the first 11 months were up 24% to 2,23,612 crore from 1,80,318 crore in the same period a year ago. Personal income tax grew 14.76% to 1,12,114 crore.