Income Tax Act, 2025 is in force — effective 1 April 2026. The Income Tax Act, 1961 stands repealed.
Income Tax Act, 2025 — complete resource hub

India’s new tax law, fully decoded.
536 sections. 5 tools. One hub.

The IT Act, 2025 replaces six decades of income tax law with a cleaner, tabular structure. Sections renumbered, TDS consolidated from 69 to 3 provisions, all forms redesigned under IT Rules 2026. This hub gives you the full text, interactive browsers, and transition references — everything needed to work under the new Act from day one.

Download: IT Act, 2025 as amended by Finance Act, 2026 — PDF
536
Sections across 23 chapters
69→3
TDS provisions consolidated
190
Forms mapped old→new
92
New TDS/TCS payment codes
What’s in this hub
Key section & form mappings
Previous Year / Assessment Year Replaced by single “Tax Year” concept Section 3 — runs 1 April to 31 March
Section 80C (LIC, PPF, ELSS) Now Section 123 Limit and structure unchanged
Section 139 (return of income) Now Section 263 Due dates and ITR forms updated under IT Rules 2026
Section 115BAC (default tax regime) Now Section 202 Standard deduction raised to ₹75,000, codified here
Section 45 (charge of capital gains) Now Section 67 Capital gains regime preserved; reorganised
Section 10 (exemptions) Now Schedules II, III, IV, V, VI & VII Section 11 of new Act governs applicability
Form 16 (salary TDS certificate) Now Form 130 Under Section 395, IT Act 2025
Form 26AS (annual information statement) Now Form 168 Under IT Rules 2026
Forms 15G and 15H Merged into single Form 121 For TDS non-deduction on interest etc.
TDS sections 192 to 194T (69 sections) Sections 392, 393 and 394 Old section codes invalid in new-Act returns from 1 Apr 2026
Journey of the Act
13 February 2025
Income Tax Bill, 2025 introduced in Lok Sabha
March 2025
Referred to Select Committee of Parliament for review
8 August 2025
Government withdraws Bill to incorporate committee’s changes
21 August 2025
IT Act, 2025 assented by the President; published in Gazette of India
8 February 2026
Draft IT Rules 2026 issued for public and stakeholder feedback
20 March 2026
Income Tax Rules, 2026 notified
1 April 2026
IT Act, 2025 in force — IT Act, 1961 stands repealed
Frequently asked questions
Do ongoing assessments and appeals move to the new Act? +
No. Assessments up to AY 2026-27 continue under the IT Act, 1961. Section 536 of the new Act repeals the 1961 Act but preserves all proceedings for assessments prior to AY 2027-28. Pending scrutiny, appeals, and rectifications are unaffected by the transition.
When do new TDS section codes apply — and what if I quote old ones? +
New section codes (392, 393, 394) apply to all payments made from 1 April 2026 onwards. TDS challans and quarterly returns (Forms 138, 140, 143, 144) must quote new codes. Quoting old section numbers like 194C or 194J in new-Act returns makes them defective and invites penalties. See the TDS/TCS payment codes reference for the full mapping.
Have tax rates changed under the IT Act, 2025? +
No. Tax rates continue to be notified annually through Finance Acts. Default regime rates are codified in Section 202 (equivalent to old Section 115BAC). The standard deduction under the new regime has been raised to ₹75,000 and codified in the Act itself.
What is “Tax Year” and how does it replace Previous Year and Assessment Year? +
Section 3 of the IT Act, 2025 replaces both “Previous Year” and “Assessment Year” with a single term: Tax Year, running from 1 April to 31 March. FY 2026-27 is now Tax Year 2026-27. This eliminates the longstanding confusion in notices, returns, and client communications between the year of income and the year of assessment.
Where are notifications and circulars under the new Act tracked? +
TaxRoutine maintains a dedicated notifications and circulars repository for all CBDT instruments issued under the IT Act, 2025, filterable by type, year, and topic, with direct links to official sources. Separate from the 1961 Act archive.
Are Income Tax Portals Changing? +
There is no change to the official CBDT website and the E-Filing website. CBDT website continues to be Income Tax India and E-Filing continues to be Incometax.gov.in.
How do I find the IT Act 2025 equivalent of an old section number? +
Use the Sections Browser — every section cross-references its 1961 Act equivalent. For TDS sections (192 to 194T), the TDS/TCS sections guide has a side-by-side comparison. For form numbers, use the income tax forms tracker.

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