Guwahati, Aug. 11 -- Parliament has passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarifying that the legislation does not introduce any tax or transaction fee on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments.

The Bill, which was approved by the Lok Sabha last week, was passed by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote following a brief debate and the Finance Minister's response.

Sitharaman assured consumers that UPI transactions would continue to remain free. She said the digital payment system has not carried a consumer transaction charge since its introduction and that this arrangement would continue.

The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 replaces an ordinance issued on Jun...