Indian Revenue Service (Custom and Indirect Taxes)

The Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) (IAST: Bhāratīya Rājasva Sevā), often abbreviated to IRS (Customs & Central Excise) or IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes), now called IRS(C&IT) is a part of central civil service of the Government of India. It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance and is under the administrative direction of the Revenue Secretary and the ministerial command of the Minister of Finance. The IRS is primarily responsible for collecting and administering indirect taxes accruing to the Government of India. It is one of the largest civil service amongst the organised civil services in the Indian government and serves the nation through discharging sovereign functions of collection of revenue for development, security and governance.

As with other countries that follow the Westminster system of government, the IRS is part of the permanent bureaucracy of the nation, and is an inseparable part of the executive of the Government of India. As such, the bureaucracy remains politically neutral and guarantees administrative continuity to the ruling party.

The IRS (Customs and Indirect Taxes) is controlled by a separate statutory body, the Central Board of indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC). The duties of the IRS (C&IT) include formulation and enforcement of policy concerning the Goods and Services Tax, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters related to Customs and Narcotics.