Union Budget 2026 | Markets Alert! Budget Raises STT, Cuts MAT And Rewrites India’s Tax Rulebook

Union Budget 2026 | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced key tax and market reforms under Union Budget 2026 to simplify taxation and improve compliance. She proposed raising the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on futures and options to align with market realities. To strengthen corporate taxation, the government will incentivise a shift to the new tax regime by allowing limited set-off of accumulated MAT credit, reducing the final MAT rate to 14 percent from April 2026, and ending further credit accumulation. On indirect taxes, the budget aims to simplify customs and excise duties, phase out outdated exemptions, support domestic manufacturing, boost exports, and correct duty inversions through clearer tariff structures. 

Union Budget 2026 Live Update