November 2026 has started from today. In such a situation, many major financial rules have changed from today i.e. 1st November. This will affect your personal finances and pockets ie pensioners, income tax return filers, mutual fund investors and consumers. From the last date for submitting the annual life certificate to the extended date for filing ITR for audited taxpayers and changes in GST rules, there are several updates this month that will affect the general public and businesses. Investors should also keep an eye on changes in fixed deposit (FD) interest rates and early redemption dates for sovereign gold bonds (SGB). Let us also tell you in detail about all these updates.
Pensioners have to submit the life certificate by November 30.
For pension payments to continue without any interruption, pensioners have to submit their annual life certificate by 30th November. Pensioners aged 80 years and above can submit their certificates from October 1, while the facility for other pensioners has started from November 1. They can submit their certificate through Aadhaar-based authentication by visiting their bank branch using the digital ‘Life Proof’ facility or opting for Post Department’s ‘Doorstep Service’ where available. For those who are unable to submit the certificate by this deadline, their pension payments may be temporarily stopped.
Last date for filing ITR for taxpayers undergoing audit
The Income Tax Department has extended the deadline for filing Income Tax Return (ITR) for assessment year 2026-27 from October 31 to November 21 for taxpayers who need to get audited. This extended time frame applies to eligible businesses, professionals, firms and other organizations who are required to undergo audit under the prescribed rules. However, this deadline extension is not for all taxpayers. For ITR-1 and ITR-2 filers, the regular ITR filing deadline has already passed. Those who miss their due date can still file a ‘late return’ till December 31, but they have to fulfill certain conditions and pay a late fee.
New GST rules will be implemented from November 1
Following a notification issued on October 26, the government is going to implement changes in some of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rules from November 1. These changes relate to after sales discounts. Also, a provision has been included to expedite the processing of ‘provisional refund’ for businesses with ‘inverted duty structure’ (where the rate of tax on raw materials is higher than the tax on finished products). These measures are intended to ease compliance and improve cash flow for businesses.
The rules will change for e-commerce sellers
GST
Under the GST regime, several reforms will be implemented from November 1, including simplifying the registration process for small e-commerce sellers, speeding up refunds and easing rules for post-delivery rebates. The 57th meeting of the GST Council held on October 8 approved several reforms in the GST procedures. It mainly includes changes related to registration, returns and refunds. These decisions, implemented through administrative procedures, will come into effect in a phased manner from November 1, 2026. Under the new rules, small e-commerce sellers selling goods in multiple states will be able to declare the e-commerce platform’s warehouse in the respective state as their principal place of business.
For this, the seller needs to have a physical presence in at least one state. After completion of physical verification and Aadhaar authentication, registration can be done in other states with the consent of the e-commerce platform. About 9.5 lakh small sellers are likely to benefit from this arrangement. For this, the limit of input tax credit will be up to 2.5 lakh rupees per month. The GST department has also clarified the documents and information required for registration from November 1. A simple application process will be provided on the GST portal.
PNB changes credit card charges
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has revised the service charges on its Visa and RuPay credit cards from November 1, 2026. On cash withdrawal from PNB ATM, 2.5% of the withdrawn amount or Rs. 400 (whichever is higher) will be charged. For cash withdrawals from other local ATMs, 2.5% of the withdrawn amount or Rs. 500 (whichever is higher) will be charged.
The bank has also changed the ‘late payment fee’ (fee charged on late payment) depending on the outstanding amount. Earlier, there was no charge on balances of Rs 1,000 or less, while balances above Rs 10,000 were charged a maximum of Rs 750. Now from November 1, there will be no charge on dues up to Rs 500, while the maximum charge will be increased to Rs 1,200 on dues above Rs 50,000.
Apart from this, PNB has also imposed a charge on the payment of utility bills (such as electricity, water, gas etc. bills). If the total utility payment in a billing cycle is Rs. 50,000, 1% will be charged (up to a maximum of Rs. 2,000 per transaction). Earlier no such fee was charged. Other changes associated with these credit cards include check return charges and ECS/auto-debit failure charges.
IndusInd Bank imposes charges on failed savings account transactions
From November 1, IndusInd Bank will charge a fee on certain failed transactions for some of its savings account customers – such as ‘Indus Delite’, ‘Indus Digi-start’, ‘Indus Online-Minimum Balance Required’ and ‘Indie’ (Star/Superstar/Megastar). If a POS transaction (payment made by swiping a card) fails due to insufficient balance in the account, a charge of Rs 25 will be levied.
Similarly, if a transaction through IndusInd Bank ATM fails due to insufficient balance, a fee of Rs 25 will be charged. If the check is returned for reasons other than financial reasons (such as lack of funds), per check Rs. 50 will be charged. These charges do not include GST. Earlier, there was no charge on these three types of failed transactions.
Direct mutual fund plans will now be the default online option
According to Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kant Pandey, ‘Direct Mutual Fund Plans’ will become the default option on asset management companies’ digital platforms from November 1. Investors who opt for ‘Regular Plan’ should be aware that their expense ratio is higher. Direct plans generally have a lower expense ratio as they do not include the distributor’s commission, while regular plans include distribution services.
Rules regarding toll plazas changed
There is good news for the people living near the toll plaza. The central government has made major changes in the toll rules. Now people living within a 20 km radius will get an annual pass at a cheaper rate. Ministry of Road Transport has issued notification GSR 917(E) on 26 October, which has come into effect from 1 November 2026. Under the new rule, if you own a personal vehicle, have a valid FASTag and live within 20 KM of a toll plaza, you can get a local annual pass. If the toll plaza is outside the municipal area, the annual fee is Rs. 1500 and if the toll is within the city Rs. 3000 has to be paid. This pass will be valid for one toll plaza only. But this facility will not be available on highways where toll is collected through a closed system or where there are service roads.
Premature redemption of SGB in November 2026
Investors holding Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) will have the opportunity to redeem four eligible tranches early in November 2026. This includes the 2020-21 Series II, which is scheduled to be redeemed on November 19, and the 2020-21 Series VIII, which is scheduled to be redeemed on November 2021-2021. I, which is redeemable on November 25 and 2021-22 series VII, which is scheduled for redemption on November 2.
