What will change after April 1st?

Several important rules pertaining to PAN cards, banking, mutual funds, EPF and other things that affect everyone's life are set to change from April 1, 2019, the starting of the next financial year.

• The deadline for linking PAN card with Aadhaar is March 31, 2019. If you fail to link your PAN with Aadhaar, your PAN card might become invalid. The Supreme Court in September last year, while declaring the Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid, had said Aadhaar was mandatory to file I-T returns and issuance of PAN card.
• After April 1, if you miss a connecting train, then your ticket's cost would be refunded. You would be easily able to link two PNR numbers. The condition is that the passenger information on both the tickets should be the same.
• Some SEBI rules related to Mutual Funds are also set to change the post, April 1, 2019. According to the new rule, the total expense ratio (TER) would be 2.25. This charge is collected from the investors. For close-ended schemes, this would be 1.25 percent. For schemes other than equity schemes, the TER would be one percent.
• If you have any share certificates in physical form, then do get it converted to digital form through a DMAT account. After April 1, 2019, only shares in a DMAT account (digital) would be considered valid.
• After April 1, motorcycles over 125 CC must have anti lock braking system. And for bikes upto 125 CC, a combi braking system would be mandatory.
• Starting April 1, electricity bills would be pre paid. You can re-charge for the amount of electricity that you wish to use. New pre-paid meters would be installed at homes.
• As per RBI direction, all banks will have to link loan rates to external benchmark. This would become mandatory from April 1 onwards. Loans are likely to become cheaper after this. The State Bank of India (SBI) has already implemented this.
• In the real estate sector, new GST rates would be applicable post, April 1. Under the new rates, the GST on low-cost houses would be 1%. The other houses falling in the higher category would attract 5% GST. As of now, the GST on these two categories are 8% and 12%.
• Post April 1, 2019, you will not have to give a separate application to transfer PF or Provident Fund account when you switch jobs. The new automatic system of EPFO EPF transfer would be activated from next month onwards.