Finance & Compliance Update – Key Changes in Income Tax, GST, MCA & MSME (March 2026)

1.Income-tax (Amendment) Rules, 2026 – Crypto & Digital Assets Reporting.

The Government notified Income-tax (Amendment) Rules, 2026 on 5 March 2026.

Key changes:

  • Crypto-assets, CBDC (digital rupee) and certain electronic money products are now included in the financial reporting framework.
  • Financial institutions must report holdings and transactions of digital assets to tax authorities.
  • Amendments made in Rules 114F, 114G and 114H of the Income-tax Rules, 1962.
  • Purpose: increase transparency and track digital-asset transactions to prevent tax evasion.

This means banks, exchanges and financial institutions will report crypto-related accounts to the Income Tax Department.

2.Digital Wallets & Crypto Under Tax Monitoring

The government expanded tax monitoring to include:

  • Cryptocurrency holdings
  • Digital wallets
  • Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
  • Other electronic money products

These assets will now be treated as reportable financial accounts under international tax information-sharing frameworks.

3.New Income-tax Act, 2025 Implementation (from 1 April 2026)

A major reform is coming soon:

  • Income-tax Act, 2025 will replace the Income-tax Act, 1961 from 1 April 2026.
  • The new law aims to simplify language, reduce litigation, and modernize compliance rules.

Key expected structural changes

  • Simplified tax provisions
  • New rules for TDS, advance tax, and perquisite valuation
  • New tax filing structure and forms to align with the new Act.

4. Revised ITR Filing / Compliance Changes

Budget reforms proposed:

  • Deadline for revised Income-tax return extended to 31 March (earlier 31 December).
  • Helps taxpayers correct mistakes in returns

5. New Scheme – Companies Compliance Facilitation Scheme, 2026 (CCFS-2026)

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs launched a major compliance relief scheme for companies.

Key highlights:

  • Scheme notified on 24 February 2026.
  • Valid from 15 April 2026 to 15 July 2026.
  • Companies can file pending annual returns and financial statements with heavy reduction in late fees.

Benefits:

  • Only 10% of additional late fees payable (If the accumulated penalty earlier reached ₹3 to ₹4 lakh, the scheme reduces the cost significantly.)
  • Pending forms like AOC-4, MGT-7, MGT-7A can be filed.
  • Companies can also:
    • Apply for Dormant status (MSC-1) – 50% fee
    • Apply for Strike-off (STK-2) – 25% fee.

 This scheme helps companies regularize old ROC filings and avoid heavy penalties.

6. Government Push for Green MSMEs

The Ministry of MSME is expanding schemes to help small businesses adopt energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies.
Key initiatives include:

  • ZED Certification Scheme (Zero Defect Zero Effect)
  • MSE-GIFT Scheme for green financing
  • MSE-SPICE Scheme for circular economy projects

These schemes provide technical support, financing and incentives for MSMEs to reduce energy consumption and become sustainable.

7. Compliance Due Dates for March

15 March 2026Advance Tax – 4th InstallmentLast installment for FY 2025-26 (100% tax liability)
17 March 2026TDS CertificateIssue of TDS certificates for specified sections
20 March 2026GSTR-3B (Monthly)GST return for Feb-2026 (turnover above ₹5 crore)
22 March 2026GSTR-3B (QRMP – Group A states)**GST return for small taxpayers including Gujarat
24 March 2026GSTR-3B (QRMP – Group B states)**GST return for other states
25 March 2026PMT-06GST payment under QRMP scheme
30 March 2026Income-tax FormsForms 26QB / 26QC / 26QD / 26QE filing due date
31 March 2026Year-end compliance• Option for GST Composition Scheme (CMP-02) for FY 2026-27 • CSR spending deadline • Various tax filings
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