Direct taxes are levied directly on individuals and entities, such as income tax. Indirect taxes are levied on goods and services, and part or all of the tax is passed on to the consumer. The two main types are direct taxes like income tax, and indirect taxes like excise duty, customs duty, VAT, and GST. Taxes provide revenue for government expenditures like defense, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect tax introduced in India in 2017 that replaced other indirect taxes and aims to create a unified national market.