The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued an order authorising the Director General of Income-tax (Systems), Delhi, to upload information received under the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework into taxpayers' Annual Information Statement (AIS).
The order, issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, is dated 8 July 2026 and has been passed under Section 239 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, read with Rule 245(2) of the Income-tax Rules, 2026.
What the CBDT Order Says
As per the order, the Director General of Income-tax (Systems), Delhi, has been authorised to upload information received under international Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) agreements referred to in Section 159 of the Income-tax Act, 2025.
The information will be reflected in the Annual Information Statement (AIS) through Form No. 168.
The order further provides that such information must be uploaded within 90 days from the end of the month in which it is received by the Director General of Income-tax (Systems).
Procedures to be Specified
The CBDT has also directed the Director General of Income-tax (Systems) to prescribe the necessary:
- Procedures
- Formats
- Technical standards
for uploading the information in Form No. 168, ensuring uniform implementation of the reporting mechanism.
Why This Matters
The Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework enables India to receive financial account information from foreign jurisdictions under international tax information-sharing agreements.
By integrating this data into the Annual Information Statement (AIS), the Income Tax Department aims to:
- Improve transparency of taxpayers' overseas financial information.
- Facilitate voluntary tax compliance.
- Strengthen detection of undisclosed foreign assets and income.
- Enhance data-driven tax administration under the Income-tax Act, 2025.
Taxpayers should regularly review their AIS once the information is uploaded and reconcile any foreign financial information reported through the AEOI framework with their income tax returns to avoid future discrepancies.
Official copy of the Order is as follows
CAclubindia
