India Expands Tax Surveillance to Digital Assets and Online Activity from 2026
India's Income-Tax Bill 2025 grants authorities unprecedented access to digital footprints starting April 2026. Tax officers will now track crypto wallets, social media exchanges, and cloud storage during investigations—a power previously limited to physical assets under Section 132 of the 1961 tax code.
The amendment reflects the migration of financial activity to digital wallets and trading platforms. Clause 247 explicitly covers 'virtual digital spaces,' including email servers and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Officials claim these measures will target tax evasion, though critics warn of overreach into private crypto transactions.
Notably absent are safeguards for pseudonymous crypto holdings. The MOVE coincides with global tax authorities tightening oversight on digital assets like BTC and ETH, particularly across exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase.