The month of September begins on Tuesday, September 1, bringing with it a few important changes and deadlines that can affect household expenses, tax compliance, banking and travel. While some of these
changes take effect from the first day of the month, others are deadlines that fall at the end of August or rules that will come into force during the next month.
Here are the key changes and deadlines that readers should keep in mind as September begins.
ITR Deadline: Taxpayers With Business Or Professional Income Need To Act
For taxpayers with income from a business or profession whose accounts are not required to be audited, August 31 is an the deadline for filing the income tax return for assessment year 2026-27.
This means taxpayers who are yet to file should not wait for September 1. The applicable ITR form also depends on the nature and level of income.
ITR-4, commonly known as Sugam, is available to eligible taxpayers opting for the presumptive taxation scheme, subject to the prescribed conditions and income limits. ITR-3 is generally applicable to individuals and Hindu Undivided Families with business or professional income who do not qualify to use ITR-4. This includes cases such as certain taxpayers with income above the applicable ITR-4 threshold and those with business income that requires more detailed reporting, including eligible cases involving futures and options trading.
No More Boarding Pass Stamping For International Flyers
International passengers travelling out of India will see a change at immigration counters from September 1. The Bureau of Immigration has decided to discontinue the practice of stamping boarding passes during immigration clearance.
Travellers will be able to show an electronic boarding pass on their mobile phones at immigration. Those carrying a physical boarding pass can also continue to use it, but immigration officials will no longer stamp the document. The move is aimed at making the immigration process quicker and reducing the inconvenience associated with carrying and getting physical boarding passes stamped.
For passengers, the practical takeaway is simple: if you are flying abroad from India, keeping your e-boarding pass readily accessible on your phone should be sufficient for the immigration process.
LPG e-KYC Deadline Ends On August 31
LPG consumers who have not yet completed the required e-KYC process have another deadline to watch before September begins. The deadline for Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for domestic LPG connections has been extended to August 31, 2026.
Consumers who are yet to complete the process should do so before the deadline to avoid potential disruption in access to domestic LPG services or subsidised/domestic-rate benefits, where applicable.
The oil marketing companies, including Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum, have been urging customers to complete the verification process. In other words, September 1 is not the deadline — August 31 is.
FD Investors: Major Rule Change Is Coming, But From October
There is also an important fixed deposit-related development that you should know about, although it does not take effect on September 1.
The Reserve Bank of India’s revised rules for bank deposits will come into force from October 1, 2026. The framework includes new disclosure requirements for large deposits and greater standardisation in the way banks offer interest rates on deposits.
Under the revised framework, banks will have to disclose interest rates applicable to bulk deposits of Rs 3 crore and above on their websites every business day. Banks will also have to follow the same rate for the same deposit amount on the same day across branches, while retaining flexibility to set different rates for different bulk-deposit slabs.
For ordinary retail FD investors, the immediate impact is expected to be limited. The bigger change is likely to be greater transparency around how banks price large deposits.
LPG, ATF And Other Monthly Rates Could Also Change
September 1 could also bring the usual monthly revisions in several prices and charges. LPG cylinder prices, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and certain banking or ATM-related charges can be revised periodically, depending on the decisions taken by the relevant companies, banks or authorities.
For households, therefore, the beginning of September is the time to check the latest LPG price in their city and keep an eye on any changes in banking charges. Similarly, changes in ATF prices can have an indirect impact on airfares, although a change in ATF does not automatically mean an immediate or proportionate change in ticket prices.
