Google tax collection nearly doubles in FY21; Bengaluru tops the list

India's information technology hub Bengaluru accou­nted for half of the overall equalisation levy mop up at Rs 1,020 crore

Equalisation levy or the so-called Google tax collection nearly doubled in FY21 compared to the previous fiscal year as the government expa­nded its scope to cover non-resident e-commerce operators.

This comes in the backdrop of the US proposing retaliatory tariffs of up to 25 per cent against New Delhi on a slew of products, including shrimps, basmati rice and gold, among others.

The digital levy, aimed to tax non-resident e-commerce operators, saw collections tou­ch Rs 2,057 crore in FY21 after the last installment dead­line of April 7, against Rs 1,136 crore collected in the same period last year, according to government sources.