The Central Board of Direct Taxes notified the Income Tax Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026, extending the registration deadline for valuers and authorised representatives by six months. This grace period allows professionals who practice before income tax authorities — including chartered accountants, advocates, and registered valuers — more time to comply with new registration requirements. The amendment modifies the Income Tax Rules, 1962, and applies to practitioners who must register under the updated framework before beginning or continuing their practice.

The Income Tax Rules, 1962, are subordinate legislation framed under the Income Tax Act, 1961. CBDT, as the apex direct-tax administration body under the Finance Ministry, periodically amends these rules through gazette notifications. The Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026 address a procedural gap: under the new compliance architecture, valuers and tax practitioners are required to formally register before they can represent clients or conduct valuations in income tax proceedings.

The six-month extension matters because non-registration could otherwise invalidate their practice — affecting thousands of professionals nationwide. For valuers specifically, their role is critical in determining fair market value of assets during capital gains computation, charitable institution assessments, and international transfer pricing cases. Authorised representatives (including CAs, advocates, and company secretaries) appear before the Assessing Officer, Commissioner (Appeals), and tribunals on behalf of taxpayers.

From an exam standpoint, this amendment sits at the intersection of tax administration reform and regulatory compliance. CBDT's power to amend rules flows from Section 295 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The amendment process — gazette notification, commencement date, transition provisions — is a standard examiner testing angle. UPSC and RBI Grade B aspirants should understand how delegated legislation works: Parliament sets the principal Act, while CBDT issues rules and circulars that operationalise it. Any extension of a statutory deadline via subordinate legislation, rather than a Parliamentary amendment, illustrates the flexibility and scope of delegated rule-making in India's tax administration.