TEHRAN - Iran gained some 618 trillion rials (about $15.5 billion) in tax income during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (ended November 20, 2016).

The National Tax Administration said in a press release that 89 percent of tax revenues anticipated for the 8-month period was collected, IRNA reported on Saturday.

Direct and indirect tax incomes accounted for 310 trillion rials (about $7.8 billion) and 308 trillion rials (about $7.7 billion) of the total sum respectively, showing 93 percent and 86 percent rise year on year, according to the report.

Previously, the tax administration’s director Kamel Taqavinejad announced that the tax income has registered a 25-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

President Hassan Rouhani’s economic strategy is to significantly reduce the government’s dependency on oil and instead collect tax more systematically.

According to the budget bill for the current Iranian calendar year, tax incomes are projected to rise by 14 percent from the last year’s 880 trillion rials (about $25.4 billion) to one quadrillion rials (about $28.9 billion)
 
HJ/MA/MG