5 Big Financial Rule Changes in 2026 Every Indian Must Know
From April 2026, India will implement a new Income Tax law, higher stock market taxes, revamped SEBI mutual fund rules, stricter digital banking norms, and tighter regulations for PAN-Aadhaar, KYC, and credit scores.
New Income Tax Law Kicks In
The Income Tax Act 2025 will come into force on April 1, 2026, and will replace the old 1961 law, simplifying the tax rules with the introduction of new regime slabs, which leave ₹4 lakh tax-free.
Higher Taxes On Stocks & Derivatives
The short-term capital gains tax on equities will increase from 15% to 20%; the securities transaction tax will be raised to 0.10%, thereby increasing the costs for traders and F&O participants in the year 2026.
New SEBI Mutual Fund Regulations 2026
The SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations 2026 will take over the 1996 regulations starting from April and will introduce better scheme categorisation, disclosures, and governance for enhancing investor protection.
Stricter Digital Banking & Payment Rules
From 2026 onwards, banks will be required to obtain approval from the Reserve Bank of India for digital channels, such as apps. Higher liquidity norms will apply to deposits, thereby strengthening payment fraud prevention.
PAN-Aadhaar, Credit Score & KYC Tightening
Linking PAN and Aadhaar is now mandatory; credit scores are updated every week for faster impact, and stricter KYC is implemented for banking and UPI to combat fraud.
