Big Changes From October 1, GST Refund Rules, NPS Investment Limits & UPI Pull Feature To Undergo Major Shifts

New Delhi: Starting October 1, new rules will come into effect that will impact businesses and the general public. These changes are related to GST, NPS, UPI, online gaming, and railway bookings. Some rules will make things easier, while others will increase regulation and compliance.

GST Rules: Faster Refunds, Tighter Compliance

Automatic GST Refund System will begin for businesses. It will allow up to 90 percent of Input Tax Credit (ITC) to be refunded quickly.

However, Aadhaar authentication is now mandatory to receive these refunds.

No refunds will be given for items like pan masala, tobacco, Erica nuts, and essential oils.

Under the 'Track and Trace' system, if someone appeals a case, they now need to deposit only 10 percent of the penalty amount, instead of 25 percent.

No More ITC Auto-Population

Now, ITC (Input Tax Credit) won’t auto-appear in GSTR-2B.

If a credit note is issued, the ITC will have to be returned to the supplier.

New rules also bring penalties for e-commerce operators (ECOs) if supplies are made by unregistered or composition traders.

ECOs will be fined Rs 20,000 or the total tax amount—whichever is higher.

NPS (New Pension System) Gets More Flexible

NPS subscribers can now invest 100 percent in equity (stocks)—only for non-government investors.

You can now invest in multiple schemes using one PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number).

Earlier, you could only pick one scheme.

Exit after 15 years is now allowed. Earlier, people had to wait until retirement.

Partial withdrawals for house building, education, or medical treatment are now easier.

UPI Pull Payments to be Disabled

To prevent online fraud, the 'pull' feature in UPI—where someone can request money from your account—will be disabled. This will make digital payments safer.

New Rules for Railway Ticket Booking

From now, Aadhaar verification is mandatory for booking railway tickets.

Only users who are Aadhaar-verified can book tickets during the first 15 minutes of booking window opening on IRCTC.

Online Gaming to Face New Law

A new law will apply to real-money online gaming.

It will restrict such games and increase regulation and monitoring of gaming companies.

These changes aim to improve systems, increase digital safety, and give more flexibility to pension investors—while tightening rules for businesses and online platforms.