NEW DELHI: The finance ministry reported an increase of 15 percent in gross direct tax collection at 346,144 crore during the first six months of 2014-15 on the back of healthy growth in revenues from corporate taxes.

The gross direct tax collection in the corresponding period of last fiscal stood at 301,063 crore.

Gross collection of corporate taxes rose by 15.31 percent to 222,616 crore, while the collection from personal income tax increased by 19.91 percent at 57,582 crore.

Collection from wealth tax including securities transaction tax (STT) and wealth tax, was up by 14.37 percent and stood at 1,23,528 crore.

The STT increased by 45.83 percent at 3,223 crore. Net direct tax collections was up by 7.09 percent at 268,836 crore in the period under review.

Advance tax collections grew by 15.28 percent during the first half of the year as against the growth of 7.66 percent shown at the same time the previous year.

Growth in tax deduction at source (TDS) was 9.47 percent from an increase of 14.22 percent in the same period last year.

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