Starting today, several new rules will come into effect that could affect your financial, banking and other everyday transactions.
Filing income tax returns, HDFC, SBI, and ICICI banks’ credit card charges, Tatkal train ticket bookings, making Aadhaar card mandatory for new PAN applicants, are some of the changes that will be come into effect from Jul 1, 2025.
Here is the complete list:
1. Extension of ITR filing deadline
For this assessment year (2025-26), there has been an extension for the deadline for filing non-audit cases, i.e for salaried individuals filing ITR-1 and ITR-4 to Sept 15, 2025. Self-assessment tax payment deadline stands at 31 July 2025.
Put across by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), this replaced the earlier window which allowed submissions only till July 31, in order to accommodate structural changes and utility rollout delays.
2. Changes in HDFC, SBI, and ICICI banks’ credit cards
State Bank of India will discontinue the air accident insurance, that it offered when using SBI Elite, Miles Elite, and Miles Prime, and other select premium cards to purchase air tickets.
HDFC and ICICI Bank customers will also see revised charges on select transactions.
For HDFC, a one per cent transaction fee (capped at ₹4,999 per transaction) will be applied if the card is used to pay rent or spend over ₹10,000 on online skill-based games. Using a HDFC card for monthly utility payments that are over ₹50,000 or loading over ₹10,000 into a digital wallet in a single transaction, there will be a similar transaction fee. The exception stands only for insurance transactions.
ICICI Bank customers will see revisions to service charges, including for ATM transactions. The first five transactions at ICICI Bank ATMs along with non-financial transactions will continue to be free. After the free five transactions, users will be charged ₹23 per transaction.
If non-bank ATMs are used, the number of free transactions is three for metro cities and five in smaller ones. Above this, the bank will require a ₹23 and ₹8.5 per transaction, respectively.
For transactions on international ATMs, ICICI bank will charge ₹125 per withdrawal, ₹25 for non-financial transactions, and a 3.5 percent currency conversion fee.
For Axis Bank users, out-of-network ATM withdrawals will now cost ₹23 per transaction.
3. Tatkal train bookings
Indian railways is enhancing the ticket booking capacity by upgrading the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), allowing over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute.
The ticketing and reservation process is also being revamped, by advancing the preparation of the chart eight hours before the train’s departure.
This will reduce uncertainties for passengers with waitlist tickets. The passengers will get the first update on waitlist status well in advance.
4. Mandatory Aadhaar card for new PAN applicants
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has made Aadhaar verification mandatory for all new PAN card applications. It also mandated Aadhaar number linking to PAN for existing users by December 31.
Any valid government-issued ID, such as a driving license, and a birth certificate is required for those applying for a new PAN card.
5. RBI extends call money market hours
The Reserve Bank of India has extended its interbank call money market trading window from its earlier timing 9 am-5 pm to 9 am-7pm, effective today, adding two hours each day for banks to borrow and lend funds.
6. GSTR-3B returns cannot be edited anymore
For the GST filing citizens, Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) will lock its GSTR-3B form now. Returns will be auto populated using the data on GSTR-1/1A form and cannot be edited once submitted.
7. Changes in online transaction fees
Charges for online transfers, i.e., via Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), have been revised from ₹2.5 to ₹15 depending on the amount transferred.
Users will also get three free cash transactions per month at the cash recycler machines, after which they are to pay ₹150 per transaction.
