No Relief for Indian Crypto Investors in Union Budget 2026

2nd February 2026- India crypto tax remains unchanged, and India’s crypto investors received no tax relief in the Union Budget 2026-27. On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed that the existing taxation regime for virtual digital assets (VDAs) will continue unchanged. As a result, crypto gains will still attract a 30% flat tax, and every crypto transaction will still face a 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS).

This decision removes any near-term hope for lower tax rates, the ability to set off losses, or relaxation of the high TDS burden that has reduced trading liquidity across Indian exchanges. At the same time, the government introduced tighter compliance rules and penalties, signaling that enforcement will increase even if tax rates remain strict.

Background and Context

The government introduced India’s crypto tax framework in 2022 to bring crypto trading under stronger oversight. Officials positioned VDAs as a distinct asset category and applied strict taxation to discourage speculative behavior while improving compliance. This policy also followed the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision that lifted the RBI’s banking restrictions on crypto, which allowed adoption to expand rapidly again.

Since then, India has seen massive user participation, with estimates suggesting over 100 million Indians have engaged in digital assets. That growth pushed the government to focus on monitoring flows, collecting taxes, and reducing potential misuse tied to volatility and financial crime risks.

Importantly, India crypto tax 2026 continues a pattern seen in previous years. Budgets in 2023, 2024, and 2025 made no major changes to crypto tax rates. Instead, the government repeatedly rejected industry demands for reforms like lower rates, deductions, and loss set-offs.

When India first rolled out these taxes in 2022, the impact hit immediately. Domestic exchange volumes dropped sharply, and many users moved to offshore platforms to escape the 1% TDS burden and the inability to offset losses. Over time, the market recovered somewhat due to global crypto cycles. However, the indian crypto tax regime still continues to reduce domestic liquidity and weakens India-based platforms.

Indian Crypto Tax Compliance Measures

Although tax rates remain unchanged, Budget 2026 adds stricter reporting penalties to strengthen VDA compliance. These penalties will apply from April 1, 2026.

Under the Finance Bill, exchanges and intermediaries must file accurate statements. If they delay submissions, they will pay a Rs 200 per day fine. If they submit inaccurate reports or fail to correct errors, they can face an additional penalty of up to Rs 50,000.

These measures mainly target platforms rather than individual investors. However, they will likely raise compliance and operational costs for exchanges. Over time, platforms may pass those costs into higher fees, tighter controls, or slower onboarding.

The government also framed these steps as support for domestic “compliance-first” platforms. In practice, this may reduce user reliance on offshore platforms, although critics argue that higher enforcement without tax relief could further restrict growth.

Future Implications for India’s Crypto Tax

The crypto industry reacted with disappointment and described Budget 2026 as a missed opportunity. While some stakeholders welcomed clearer compliance enforcement, they also called for structural reform of the tax regime. Industry voices continue to argue that the 1% TDS destroys market liquidity and that denying loss set-offs makes the regime unusually punitive compared to other asset classes.

Going forward, the unchanged policy will likely keep pushing traders offshore, which reduces transparency and weakens domestic exchanges. It may also intensify the movement of talent and startups toward jurisdictions with friendlier rules.