Sumit Ranjan Das

AI Generated Image Yesterday, I went to my neighbourhood shop to buy aloo chop and vegetable chop to eat with muri. I reached for my phone to pay by UPI, as I do for almost everything. The shopkeeper stopped me. “This is the last time we’ll accept UPI. From tomorrow, CASH ONLY.” I didn’t argue or explain that payments up to Rs. 2,000 remain free. It would have been a waste of breath. So I let it go, but I kept thinking about it on the walk home because I think I know what he was afraid of....

India’s recurring tax-audit crunch is forcing a rethink of both the compliance calendar and who should be eligible to conduct tax audits. Every September brings the same scramble which includes tight deadlines, portal related delays and professionals working late into the night to complete audit filings. This year is no exception. As of September 25, 2026, the September 30 deadline for tax-audit reports for AY 2026-27 remains unchanged, with no CBDT extension notified. Chartered Accountant...

Twelve years is a long time for a wage ceiling to remain unchanged. The last revision came in September 2014, when the limit was raised from Rs.6,500 to Rs.15,000. Last week, the Union Cabinet approved another increase, taking the ceiling to Rs.25,000 a month with effect from 17 September 2026. The government’s estimate is that more than 51 lakh additional employees will come within mandatory EPFO coverage as a result of the change. For employers and payroll professionals, however, the...