Livemint

Families can save on school fees through tax exemptions for education and hostel allowances from employers. Tuition fees may also also qualify for deductions under Section 80C. Here's everything you need to know about these tax benefits.

Income-tax returns: The I-T department has released excel utility of its ITR-1 (Sahaj), ITR-2, ITR-3, and ITR-4 (Sugam) forms for AY27. Today we lay out the numbers and key things to know for senior and super senior citizens looking to file their returns.

A Bengaluru homebuyer has been waiting over six years for promised amenities after paying 40 lakh for an apartment. He approached Karnataka RERA for relief and partly won the case. Here's what you can do if it happens to you.

8th CPC: The 8th pay commission has invited eligible candidates to fill vacancies for consultant roles. Here are details on job openings, qualifications required, salary and the deadline for applications.

The EPFO member portal now allows salaried employees to transfer their EPF balance from previous employers to current ones more easily, aiming to reduce paperwork. Here's how the process works and what all you need to know.

DA hike: Amid expectations that the Indian government will announce dearness allowance increase in July 2026. we take a look at the trend of past DA hike announcements during the 7th central pay commission.

Taxpayers earning over 1 crore must file additional disclosures about assets and liabilities under Schedule AL when submitting their income tax returns. Details here.

The Orissa High Court has ruled that unauthorised absence from work, by itself, is not grave misconduct that justifies compulsory retirement or denial of pension. The court restored a railway employee's retirement benefits after finding the punishment disproportionate.

The Nasdaq 100 emerged as the biggest long-term wealth creator over the last 20 years, with 21.3% returns. Among Indian equity benchmarks, the Nifty Midcap 150 TRI delivered the highest annualised return over the same period at 16.3%.

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has this month migrated entire member database to the Centralised IT Enabled Services (CITES) project. The overhaul of its digital infrastructure aims to make services faster, transparent and more citizen centric.

Gifts from family can be tax-exempt, but not always. Tax treatment varies based on the giver, value, and occasion. Here's when a gift is tax-free when it becomes taxable.

Quant Small Cap added five new stocks to its portfolio in June while making complete exits from nine companies, including Reliance Industries. The fund also sharply increased holdings in RBL Bank, Sona BLW Precision Forgings and Anand Rathi Wealth while trimming exposure to several existing stocks.

Living abroad does not automatically exempt NRIs from filing an ITR in India. Tax filing depends on residential status, income earned from Indian sources, and other conditions such as salary, rent, capital gains, business income, TDS refunds, and DTAA claims.

The Income Tax e-filing portal helps taxpayers identify the correct ITR form through eligibility conditions and a guided questionnaire. Users can also determine applicable schedules, making the return filing process simpler. 

Fresh SIP registrations into international mutual funds have nearly come to a halt after PGIM, Franklin Templeton and Edelweiss suspended new inflows into 11 schemes. Existing SIPs, however, will continue uninterrupted.

The new tax regime may be a better choice for salaried employees earning around 13 lakh a year. Here's how much tax you pay under each regime and the savings you can make.

EPFO has introduced the Amnesty Scheme, 2026, giving employers operating exempted Provident Fund (PF) trusts a one-time opportunity to regularise their legal status.

A couple faced pressure to buy a house but learned that renting may be financially wiser. With the rent yielding only 2-3% annually on a 1.5 crore flat, they debated the benefits of down payments versus investments, concluding that homeownership should not be driven by social expectations.

The new EPF Scheme, 2026 replaces the decades-old 1952 scheme and changes how provident fund withdrawals work after unemployment. Members can now access only 75% of their PF balance immediately after losing a job.

Gold, silver prices today, 12 July: Check retail rates of 24K, 22K gold, 18K and 999 fine silver after recent escalation of fighting between the US and Iran.

According to the expert, investors should add a new mutual fund only if it reduces portfolio concentration, adds meaningful diversification, and fits your financial goals. A compact portfolio of 5 to 6 funds can often provide better diversification. 

A retired BSNL employee won full tax relief on a 39.96 lakh VRS payout after the ITAT ruled it was retrenchment compensation. The tribunal said the benefit under Section 10(10B) applies based on the specific facts of the BSNL VRS-2019 scheme.

AIS has become the default starting point for filing ITR, but experts warn it's riddled with gaps making independent reconciliation essential.

Recent AMFI data reveals retail investors exhibit strong participation that despite market volatility SIP contributions rose 7.5% to 32,087 crore in March. We asked experts what is driving optimism among small investors and confidence in SIPs. Here's what they said

The regulatory framework for REITs and InvITs has improved a lot. As a result, mutual funds have increased their exposure to them. Going ahead, with the listing of new REITs and InvITs in existing and new sectors, investors will have a wide variety of options to choose from.

Want to switch jobs and keep your current insurance plan? Here is what you can do to convert your employer group health policy into an individual or family coverage plan. Check eligibility, steps, rules

The most avoidable source of tax litigation between individual taxpayers and the department is disputes over classification and disclosurespecifically, mismatches between how taxpayers report income or investments and how the department interprets them.

A high home loan EMI can strain monthly finances and delay wealth creation. Experts recommend keeping EMIs within 25-30% of monthly income to maintain savings, investments and financial security while managing homeownership comfortably and preparing for unexpected expenses.

Private and public banks in India will be closed for four days from July 13 to 19, 2026, due to various holidays. Customers should check the RBI's holiday calendar and can still access online banking services during this period.

ITR Form 1 (Sahaj) is for small taxpayers with income up to 50 lakh. Over 1.7 crore ITRs were filed for 2025-26, urging timely submissions before the July 31 deadline to avoid penalties and delays in refunds.

With the new EPF rules and Labour Codes redefining contributions by employees and employers towards provident fund, we asked experts to explain how this impacts your monthly investment in the financial instrument. Here's what they said

Income Tax Return filing has become more than a tax obligation. A timely and accurate ITR strengthens your financial identity, improves loan eligibility, supports visa applications, speeds up refunds and builds long-term financial credibility with lenders, insurers and financial institutions.

The new tax regime features lower rates with fewer deductions, leading many salaried taxpayers to think they can't reduce tax liabilities. However, there are tax-saving provisions available. Here are five ways to lower your tax outgo.

The PFRDAs latest initiative aims to provide NPS subscribers with more flexible periodic payouts during the decumulation phase while continuing to support corpus appreciation through the RIS. While the subscriber gets periodic payments, the remaining corpus stays invested and continues to grow.

8th pay commission: Here's how union representatives, employees, pensioners, government departments and stakeholders can submit data to the 8th pay commission (CPC). Today, we take you through the full step-by-step process.

SK Hynix shares surged 12.8% on Wall Street debut, raising $26.5 billion in the largest U.S. share sale by a foreign company. SK Hynix dominates the high bandwidth memory market and has partnered with Nvidia, capitalizing on the expanding AI sector.

After SpaceX's IPO valuation surpassed $2 trillion, investors eye OpenAI as the next major IPO. CEO Sam Altman won't consider going public below $1 trillion, raising questions on whether OpenAI can match SpaceX's investment return despite their differing business models.

Term insurance serves as a fundamental part of financial planning, providing affordable life coverage. It's essential to determine how long coverage is needed based on financial responsibilities and existing assets before purchasing a policy.

Diversifying equity portfolios geographically can be beneficial, especially with China-focused ETFs, which track Chinese companies. While easier for Indian investors through US-listed ETFs, risks such as geopolitical tensions remain.

Dearness Allowance: From DA hike to restoration of Old Pension Scheme, pension revision, gratuity, minimum wage and more Check the demands made by Joint Coordination Committee of Punjab Government Employees and Pensioners.

A Bengaluru ITAT ruling has clarified which expenses can be included in the cost of acquisition while computing capital gains tax on a property sale. The order allows home loan interest and maintenance deposits but requires verification of travel expenses.

HDFC Flexi Cap Fund made a series of portfolio changes in June, introducing four new stocks, increasing holdings in 18 companies and trimming stakes in 25 others. It also made a complete exit from Ramco Cements during the month.

Job switches, career breaks and early withdrawals can all affect the tax treatment of your EPF corpus. Here's a breakdown of the key rules employees should know.

Retail investors pumped more money into mid-cap and small-cap funds than flexi-cap funds in June for the first time since Dec 2023. Experts say improving earnings visibility, stronger returns and attractive valuations drove the shift, while cautioning against reading too much into one month's data.

The Income Tax Department has released the ITR-7 Excel utility for AY 2026-27, enabling eligible entities to prepare returns offline and upload them through the e-filing portal. Here's who can use the form, how the process works and the applicable deadlines.

Many policyholders get nasty surprises during hospitalisation. This is mainly due to several limitations buried in the policy terms and conditions, resulting in high out-of-pocket expenses.

New parents can strengthen their child's financial future through term insurance, health cover, emergency savings and SIP investments. Early investing helps build a 1.2 crore education corpus while protecting the family from unexpected financial risks and rising education costs.

EPFO's new Service History feature lets members view their complete employment and PF records in one place. The update can help subscribers identify missing service records and trace old PF accounts before filing claims.

The governments hub-and-spoke model will allow airline passengers to check in baggage and complete customs and immigration formalities at spoke city airport (Tier-II and -III cities), and take onward flight from the hub city airport (Delhi or other major cities) to international locations.

Public and private banks across India will remain closed today, 11 July, for the second Saturday holiday. Bank operations will remain suspended nationwide, but online banking services will remain accessible for transactions.