Budget 2026: What Gets Cheaper and Costlier? Key Changes Announced by FM Sitharaman

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth Union Budget, focusing on economic growth, inclusive development, and structural reforms.
• Overseas tour packages, education remittances, and certain minerals will become cheaper due to reduced TCS from 5-20% to 2%.
• Key items like energy transition equipment, rare & cancer disease drugs, and agriculture products such as makhana and almonds will see duty reductions or exemptions.
• Income tax misreporting will incur a 100% penalty, and stock options (STT) and futures trading (STT) will become costlier with increased rates.
• Chewing tobacco, jarda, gutkha, and coffee machines will also become more expensive due to hiked NCCD and increased duties.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 brings mixed changes, making overseas travel, education, and certain goods cheaper, while increasing penalties and taxes on financial transactions and specific products.