Money rules changing in October 2026: PF, UPI, NPS, SBI and more
Every money change for October 2026 in one place: the ₹25,000 PF ceiling, UPI merchant fees, NPS charges, SBI ATM limits, small savings rates and deadlines.
A busy month. Here is what changes for your money in October 2026, with the date each one starts.
Already in force
- EPF wage ceiling ₹25,000 (from 17 September). Compulsory PF now applies on pay up to ₹25,000 a month, up from ₹15,000. If your basic pay is above ₹15,000, your PF deduction may rise by up to ₹1,200 a month from your October payslip. What it means.
- NPS charges (1 October). Accounts opened through a bank or other point of presence pay ₹200 at opening, ₹100 if fully online, and 0.20% of the corpus a year plus GST, which also applies to existing accounts. Dormant accounts, and accounts opened and funded through e-NPS, pay no point-of-presence charges.
- SBI salary accounts (1 October). Free transactions at other banks' ATMs drop from 10 to 5 a month; after that, ₹23 plus GST for each cash withdrawal and ₹11 plus GST for balance checks and other non-cash use.
- SBI basic savings accounts (1 October). The limit of 4 free cash withdrawals a month, then ₹15 plus GST each, now counts withdrawals by every route: branch, ATM, micro-ATM and Aadhaar-based. Digital payments stay free.
- LPG subsidy (1 October). Booking a subsidised cylinder needs a one-time biometric Aadhaar check; if you have already done it, you do not need to repeat it.
- Buying property from an NRI (1 October). Buyers can deposit TDS with their PAN; a separate TAN is no longer needed.
- Bulk deposits (1 October). New RBI rules for fixed deposits of ₹3 crore or more. Regular FDs are not affected.
Coming this month
- RBI policy (7 October). The Monetary Policy Committee announces its decision on the repo rate, now 5.25%. Many economists expect a rise because inflation has picked up. A rise would push loan EMIs up and, a little later, FD rates.
- UPI merchant fee (15 October). 0.4% on UPI payments to merchants above ₹2,000, paid by the merchant, not you. Who pays what.
- Tax audit returns (21 November). CBDT extended the last date for 2025-26 returns that need a tax audit from 31 October to 21 November 2026.
Not changing
- Small savings rates for October to December 2026 are unchanged: PPF 7.1%, Sukanya Samriddhi 8.2%, Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme 8.2%, NSC 7.7%, Kisan Vikas Patra 7.5%, monthly income scheme 7.4%. PPF calculator.
- EPF interest stays 8.25% for 2025-26.
Sources: CBDT: due date extended to 21 November 2026, Upstox: financial changes in October 2026, Outlook Money: new money rules from October 2026, Business Today: small savings rates unchanged, Upstox: RBI policy preview, Ministry of Labour: wage ceiling note.
Rules, rates and limits change. Check the official source linked above before you rely on a figure here. Posts never contain referral or affiliate links from the writer.
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