This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
The most common mistake is investing without assessing suitability and long-term implications.
After the last Budget's announcement of a major tax relief for those earning an annual salary of less than Rs 12 lakh, there is not much that individuals can look forward to in the forthcoming Budget, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Net direct tax collection grew about 8.82 per cent to over Rs 18.38 lakh crore in the current fiscal till January 11 due to slower refunds and better corporate tax mop-up.
Makers of spirits, beer, and wine are working to identify new markets of growth as two of the industry's biggest liquor markets, Maharashtra and Telangana, remain embroiled in taxation and payment issues.
The 2026-27 Budget, seeking to harmonise the government's imperative to grant certainty while ensuring a rational tax policy, had several notable announcements to usher in halcyon days, says Mukesh Butani.
Building on last year's clearance of 172K cases, I-T department is pushing for faster appeal disposals, penalty reforms and system-driven processes to curb litigation and boost tax certainty.
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Thursday reported a two-fold jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 6,603 crore in the December quarter of FY'26, on a year-on-year basis, driven by a one-off positive impact from the demerger of its ice cream business.
Is the parabolic rise in silver running out of steam or just getting started? Ramalingam Kalirajan offers his take on if you should invest in silver now?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting India as a global hub for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, highlighting the government's incentives for data center investments and inviting the world's data to reside in India.
Taxpayers should consider ITR-U if they omitted income, wrongly claimed deductions or exemptions, or made reporting errors that led to a shortfall in tax payment.
Shares of electric vehicle (EV) maker Ola Electric Mobility fell nearly 7 per cent to a fresh low on Monday after its revenue growth in the third quarter (October-December/Q3) of 2025-26 (FY26) slowed, with analysts warning that any turnaround could be prolonged.
Stocks of fast-moving consumer goods companies have taken it on the chin in calendar year 2026 (CY26) with the Nifty FMCG index falling over 6 per cent compared to the Nifty 50 dipping 0.8 per cent. Nifty FMCG is one of the worst-performing sectors on the NSE in CY26.
The Adani Group is exploring strategies to revive Formula 1 racing at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, with Karan Adani expressing strong interest in bringing the sport back to India.
The Sports Ministry is keen to bring Formula 1 back to the Buddh International Circuit in Noida in the near future.
Zero-coupon bonds suit investors with long-term goals such as retirement or education planning.
The Budget offers a limited-time regularisation window with clear thresholds, defined payments, and immunity from penalty or prosecution.
Among its 27 recommendations for the Union Budget is this: It has suggested that equity investments held for more than one year and up to three years should be taxed at 12.5 per cent on gains exceeding 2 lakh in a financial year.
Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty dived sharply by nearly 2 per cent on Sunday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a hike in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on derivatives. Reversing the early gains, the 30-share BSE Sensex plunged sharply by 2,370.36 points or 2.88 per cent to slide below the 80,000-mark at 79,899.42 in afternoon trade as the finance minister announced a hike in STT on futures contracts to 0.05 per cent from the current 0.02 per cent.
A Gurugram CEO is alleging that his US visa application was unfairly rejected due to perceived 'weak ties to India,' sparking debate over US visa evaluation processes and criteria for Indian professionals.
As the new Income Tax (I-T) Act, 2025 moves towards implementation from April 1, 2026, the finance ministry is reviewing and simplifying the compliance forms used by charitable institutions. Debjyoti Das, principal chief commissioner of income tax (exemption), said the new Act has already reorganised exemption provisions into a clearer and more coherent structure, and the accompanying procedures and forms are now being examined.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's biggest challenge will be to find a new growth driver, particularly against the backdrop of a global economy ravaged by heightened uncertainty and fragmentation, financial markets on a precipice, and global commodity prices on a continued uptrend.
Skoda India is focusing on cleaner fuel options, including CNG and EVs, while compact SUV Kylaq drives volumes, expands first-time buyers and strengthens the brand in India's competitive market
The fiscal tilt towards capex benefits companies in investment-related sectors like capital goods, defence equipment, engineering & construction and metal & mining. The planned cut in revenue expenditure will weigh on companies in consumption sectors like FMCG, consumer durables and retail.
Investors have often been left scratching their heads over why a company's stock fails to move despite delivering beating earnings results, only to see the stock fall. According to theory, beating earnings should translate to higher stock prices, but in today's interconnected world, stock prices do not depend on the numbers.
Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:
Regular money talks, setting up joint goals, and regular reviews can help couples stay aligned.
Regular money talks, setting up joint goals, and regular reviews can help couples stay aligned.
A strong third-quarter (October-December/Q3) performance for 2025-26 (FY26) has helped the stock of India's largest listed pharmaceutical (pharma) company, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, gain about 7 per cent since the start of February.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
Ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27, Indian business houses have urged the government to make demergers tax-neutral, particularly in cases involving transfer of investments in associate companies with 25 per cent or more shareholding, under the new Income Tax Act. This may possibly help some companies planning to go public, according to a source.
The India-US trade deal has offered a much-needed breather for the Indian information technology (IT) industry, which has been grappling with global macroeconomic uncertainty and subdued client spending over the past few years.
'Given that India underperformed emerging markets by 28 per cent in 2025, the worst performance in over 30 years, the timing of the sharp STT hike could have been better.'
A nationwide strike called by central trade unions saw a mixed response across India, impacting various sectors and states differently, with some areas experiencing disruptions while others remained largely unaffected.
Weakness in the information technology (IT) sector hiring has weighed on Info Edge (India) over the past year, leading to a 13 per cent correction in the stock during this period. While the company's 2025-26 (FY26) third-quarter (October-December/Q3) performance showed a marginal improvement, brokerages believe the IT hiring outlook remains weak due to macroeconomic uncertainty in the US.
'Despite a challenging FMCG environment, ITC Foods has grown at or above the industry rate.'
'For those in for the long haul, this is a God-given opportunity.' 'Your market is falling despite strong fundamentals, and such a clear roadmap has been announced.'
With the worst in terms of pricing pressures behind Tata Steel, its outlook is expected to improve. Europe has seen hot rolled coil prices rise this January after the European Union's (EU's) carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) kicked in and further price improvements may be on the cards once import quotas come into play in June.
With the Union Budget 2026, India's 74th, fast approaching, all eyes are once again on New Delhi's North Block as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is preparing to table it on February 1, 2026, marking her ninth Budget presentation in a row.
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