The Government of Kerala on March 10, 2026, issued the Kerala Finance Act, 2026.
The following amendments have been stated:
• Kerala Finance Act, 2025 (3 of 2025), in Chapter III, General Amnesty Scheme, 2025 after section 13, the following section shall be inserted, namely:―
“13A. Special waiver in respect of small arrears.—
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the relevant Acts or in the scheme, the entire amount of arrears of tax, surcharge, interest, cess or penalty covered by a specified order passed under the relevant Act shall be deemed to have been settled under the scheme, where,―
(a) the arrears of tax or surcharge in such order does not exceed fifty thousand rupees; and
(b) the arrears of tax or surcharge relates to any financial year up to and including the financial year 2017-18; and
(c) such order has been issued on or before the 31st day of March, 2027: Provided that, in the case where the evidence, details and records pertaining to the penalty levied are not utilized or not liable to be utilized for any best judgment assessment under the relevant Act, the tax or surcharge relating to such penalty shall be deemed to be the arrears of tax or surcharge.”.
• In section 20, the existing provision shall be numbered as sub-section (1) and after the sub-section (1) so numbered, the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely:―
“(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Kerala Revenue Recovery Act, 1968 (15 of 1968), waiver of arrears under section 13A of this scheme shall be applicable to those cases in which revenue recovery proceedings have been initiated and the designated authorities shall have the power to settle such amounts towards amount payable and in cases where the arrears of tax, surcharge, interest or penalty are waived under section 13A, the revenue recovery proceedings against such applicants shall be deemed to have withdrawn on the 1st day of April, 2026 which shall then be binding on the revenue authorities and such applicants shall not be liable for payment of any collection charge leviable by such revenue authorities.”.
[Notification No. 12/Leg. A2/2026/Law]
