CBDT Extend Valuers and Tax Practitioners Registration Update Deadline to 31 March 2027

India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified the Income Tax (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing further changes to the Income Tax Rules, 2026, under the Income Tax Act, 2025. Under Gazette Notification G.S.R. 822(E) dated 17 September 2026, the amendment extends two professional registration-related deadlines to 31 March 2027 and replaces the prescribed application forms for registered valuers and authorised income tax practitioners.

The amendment is primarily administrative in nature. It does not constitute a broad change to corporate income tax rates or ordinary corporate tax compliance requirements. Its practical relevance for businesses arises mainly where they engage registered valuers or authorised income tax practitioners, or where their tax functions involve the procedures affected by the amended rules.

Key changes under the Income Tax (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026

The gazette notification indicates modifications to five tax rules.

Income Tax Rule 2026	Subject / relevance	What the Income Tax Rules 2026 Fourth Amendment does
Rule 160	Furnishing of a statement containing particulars of Form No. 97	Corrects clause references in sub-rules (3) and (4), changing “(i)” to “(a)”
Rule 176	Procedure for faceless assessment, reassessment, or recomputation under Section 273(1)	Replaces “by affixing digital signature” with “by way of an electronic communication” in the specified provision
Rule 225	Procedure for recovery of tax for Sections 413 and 475	Makes several amendments, including omissions, wording changes, and a corrected cross-reference
Rule 246	Application for registration as a valuer under Section 514	Changes the date in sub-rule (4) from 30 September 2026 to 31 March 2027
Rule 256	Application for registration as an authorised income tax practitioner	Changes the date in sub-rule (4) from 30 September 2026 to 31 March 2027

Valuers and tax professionals registration deadline extended

One of the more practically relevant changes is the extension of deadlines under Rules 246(4) and 256(4).

The Fourth Amendment replaces 30 September 2026 with 31 March 2027 in both provisions.

These are not general extensions of corporate income tax filing or payment deadlines. They relate to the transition and updating of professional registrations under the new Income Tax Act framework.

Registered valuers

Rule 246 deals with registration as a valuer under Section 514 of the Income Tax Act, 2025.

The transitional provision covers individuals who were registered as valuers under the Wealth Tax Act, 1957, and held a valid certificate as of 31 March 2026. The continued reference to the Wealth Tax Act in this context should not be understood as a revival of the wealth tax. Rather, it relates to the transition of legacy professional registrations into the new income tax framework.

The Fourth Amendment extends the deadline for the relevant registration update from 30 September 2026 to 31 March 2027.

This distinction is important for businesses: the extension concerns the professional’s registration status, not a wealth tax compliance obligation.

Authorised income tax practitioners

Rule 256 concerns registration as an authorised income tax practitioner under Section 515.

The transition provision applies to persons who were registered as income tax practitioners under the Income Tax Act, 1961, and had a valid registration as of 31 March 2026. The Fourth Amendment extends the specified deadline for updating their registration details from 30 September 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Again, this is a professional registration transition deadline rather than a general compliance deadline for companies.

CLICK HERE: India’s Income-tax Rules, 2026: Impact on Capital Gains, Corporates & NRIs

Revised form 169 for registered valuers

The Fourth Amendment replaces Form No. 169, the application for registration as a valuer under Section 514 of the Income Tax Act, 2025.

A registered valuer is a professional who is registered under the statutory valuation framework to undertake valuations of specified classes of assets for purposes covered by the applicable law.

The revised Form 169 provides a more structured application process, requiring applicants to provide information on their identity, qualifications, professional background, valuation experience, asset class, and potential disqualifications.

Information required

The form requires applicants to provide the following details:

• Full name
• Permanent Account Number (PAN)
• Address
• Date of birth
• Mobile number and email address
• The class of asset for which registration is sought
• Educational qualifications
• Former employment
• Relevant professional practice
• Details of valuation experience during the previous three years

Applicants must also disclose whether they are registered as a valuer under the Wealth Tax Act, 1957, and, where applicable, provide their valid registration certificate.

Asset classes covered

The revised form identifies 11 classes of assets for registration:

1. Immovable property, excluding specified categories such as agricultural land, plantations, forests, mines, and quarries
2. Agricultural land, excluding specified plantations
3. Coffee, tea, rubber, and cardamom plantations
4. Forests
5. Mines and quarries
6. Stocks, shares, debentures, securities, partnership interests, and specified business assets, including goodwill
7. Machinery and plant
8. Jewellery
9. Works of art
10. Life interests, reversions, and interests in expectancy
11. Any other asset

A separate application is required for different classes of assets for which registration is sought.

Experience and professional declarations for valuers

Form 169 requires applicants to provide details of their valuation experience, including a list of assets valued or works executed during the previous three years.

Applicants must also declare that they will do the following:

1. Make an impartial and true valuation
2. Submit the valuation report in the prescribed form
3. Charge fees within the rates prescribed by the CBDT
4. Not undertake a valuation where they have a direct or indirect interest in the asset

The application fee is INR 10,000. The form states that no fee is required for valuers already registered under the Wealth Tax Act, 1957.

Revised Form 171 for authorised income tax practitioners

The amendment also replaces Form No. 171, which is used to apply for registration as an authorised income tax practitioner under Section 515 of the Income Tax Act, 2025.

The revised form requires both personal and professional information.

Personal and professional information

Applicants must provide the following details:

1. Name
2. Gender
3. PAN
4. Father’s or husband’s name, where applicable
5. Permanent and present residential addresses
6. Mobile number and email address
7. Principal place of profession in India
8. Information on whether they are a partner in a firm

Where the applicant is a partner, the form requires the firm’s name and PAN.

Qualifications and existing registration

The applicant must provide details of the prescribed educational qualifications and attach the relevant certificate.

The form also asks whether the applicant is already registered as an authorised income tax practitioner under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Where applicable, the existing registration certificate must be provided. Applicants may also submit other information relevant to establishing eligibility.

Supporting documents

The revised Form 171 provides three supporting annexures:

1. Annexure-1: True copy of the educational qualification certificate
2. Annexure-2: Valid registration certificate as an authorised income tax practitioner, where applicable
3. Annexure-3: Any other information relevant to establishing eligibility

The application also requires verification by the applicant.

What businesses should do

For most businesses, the amendment does not require an immediate overhaul of routine tax compliance. Companies can instead focus on the areas where the changes may intersect with their existing professional and tax-advisory arrangements.

• Review professional engagements: Businesses that rely on registered valuers or authorised income tax practitioners should check whether relevant professionals are complying with the new registration framework.
• Track the 31 March 2027 deadline: The extended deadline applies to the specified professional-registration transition requirements under Rules 246(4) and 256(4), not to general corporate tax filings.
• Use the revised tax forms where applicable: Individuals applying for registration as valuers or authorised income tax practitioners should use the substituted Forms 169 and 171 and provide the required supporting information.
• Avoid overinterpreting procedural amendments: Changes to Rules 160, 176, and 225 should be considered in the context of the specific provisions amended rather than treated as broad changes to India’s tax administration framework.

Conclusion

The Income Tax (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026, primarily refine the administrative and procedural framework under India’s new Income Tax Act, 2025.

For businesses, the impact is principally indirect. Companies do not acquire a new general tax filing obligation from this notification. Instead, businesses that use registered valuers or authorised income tax practitioners should understand the revised registration framework and the extended transition period.

A particularly important point for international businesses is that the reference to the Wealth Tax Act, 1957, in the valuer provisions does not indicate that wealth tax has been reinstated. In this context, it relates to the transition of legacy valuer registrations into the new statutory framework under the Income Tax Act, 2025.