CA Final · what changed for your attempt
CA Final November 2026 and May 2027: applicable amendments and notifications
Checked against ICAI's official announcements, as of 12 October 2026. Each item links the official notice; read it before you rely on it.
ICAI's Board of Studies (Academic) states the applicable study material, law cut-off dates and amendments for each attempt in its announcements, Revision Test Papers and statutory updates. These appear on the BoS portal and as PDFs on resource.cdn.icai.org.
At a glance
| Update | Type | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Ind AS amendments examinable from November 2026 | Standards | November 2026 |
| November 2026 Direct Tax: Finance Act, 2025 law, A.Y. 2026-27, no statutory update | Tax law | November 2026 |
| RBI NBFC registration exemption and 2025 directions added to the audit paper | RBI and FEMA | November 2026 |
| Professional misconduct clauses and tax audit limit updated for November 2026 | Other | November 2026 |
| November 2026 Indirect Tax: GST and customs law effective up to 30 April 2026 | Tax law | November 2026 |
| GST changes from 22 September 2025 included for November 2026 | Tax law | November 2026 |
| Study material editions applicable for the November 2026 Final exam | Applicability notice | November 2026 |
| CA Final now held twice a year, in May and November | Exam format | November 2026, May 2027 |
| Income-tax Act, 2025 replaces the 1961 Act in Final Paper 4 from May 2027 | Tax law | May 2027 |
Standards · notice of 24 Aug 2026
2025 Ind AS amendments examinable from November 2026
ICAI's November 2026 RTP for Financial Reporting makes two 2025 MCA amendments examinable. The May 2025 rules add guidance to Ind AS 21 for currencies that lack exchangeability and how to estimate the spot rate. The August 2025 rules revise current versus non-current classification of liabilities with covenants in Ind AS 1, add supplier finance disclosures to Ind AS 7 and Ind AS 107, and add the Pillar Two deferred tax exception and disclosures to Ind AS 12.
What to do: Add these amendments to your Ind AS 1, 7, 12, 21 and financial instrument disclosure notes; the RTP includes worked questions on them.
Effective: Applicable from the November 2026 examination · Attempts: November 2026
Chapters affected: Ind AS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates (Financial Reporting); Ind AS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements (Financial Reporting); Ind AS 7 Statement of Cash Flows (Financial Reporting); Ind AS 12 Income Taxes (Financial Reporting); Financial Instruments: Disclosures (Financial Reporting)
Official source: ICAI BoS - Revision Test Paper, Final Paper 1 Financial Reporting, November 2026 (PDF)
Tax law · notice of 24 Aug 2026
November 2026 Direct Tax: Finance Act, 2025 law, A.Y. 2026-27, no statutory update
For November 2026, Paper 4 tests direct tax law as amended by the Finance Act, 2025, with notifications and circulars up to 30 April 2026 and A.Y. 2026-27 as the assessment year. ICAI has not issued a statutory update because there were no significant changes after July 2025, apart from one March 2026 notification covered in the Judicial Update. The September 2025 study material is read with that Judicial Update.
What to do: Use the September 2025 study material, the Judicial Update and the November 2026 RTP; answer under the Income-tax Act, 1961 for A.Y. 2026-27.
Effective: Applicable for the November 2026 examination · Attempts: November 2026
Scope: the whole exam, not one chapter.
Official source: ICAI BoS - Revision Test Paper, Final Paper 4 Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation, November 2026 (PDF) · ICAI BoS - Judicial Update for Final Paper 4 (PDF)
RBI and FEMA · notice of 24 Aug 2026
RBI NBFC registration exemption and 2025 directions added to the audit paper
ICAI's November 2026 academic update for Advanced Auditing adds RBI changes to the NBFC audit chapter. The 2026 amendment directions, effective 1 July 2026, exempt non-deposit NBFCs with no public funds, no customer interface and assets below Rs 1,000 crore from registration, creating a three-way classification. The update also covers the NBFC-MFI remediation rule and the layer-wise capital adequacy and provisioning directions of 2025.
What to do: Read Part I of the November 2026 Advanced Auditing RTP with the NBFC unit of your study material.
Effective: Applicable for the November 2026 examination (1 Jul 2026) · Attempts: November 2026
Chapters affected: Special Features of Audit of Banks & Non-Banking Financial Companies (Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics)
Official source: ICAI BoS - Revision Test Paper, Final Paper 3 Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics, November 2026 (PDF)
Other · notice of 24 Aug 2026
Professional misconduct clauses and tax audit limit updated for November 2026
The same academic update revises the professional ethics chapter. Clause (9) of Part I of the First Schedule now refers to the auditor appointment provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and any other applicable law, and a new clause (5) in Part II of the Second Schedule covers acting as a company auditor in breach of the Companies Act, 2013. The tax audit limit of 60 assignments now applies per financial year, as an aggregate across a member's individual and firm capacity.
What to do: Update your list of misconduct clauses and the tax audit limit rules before attempting ethics case questions.
Effective: Applicable for the November 2026 examination · Attempts: November 2026
Chapters affected: Professional Ethics & Liabilities of Auditors (Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics)
Official source: ICAI BoS - Revision Test Paper, Final Paper 3 Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics, November 2026 (PDF)
Tax law · notice of 19 Aug 2026
November 2026 Indirect Tax: GST and customs law effective up to 30 April 2026
For November 2026, Paper 5 covers GST and customs law as amended by the Finance Act, 2025, including notifications, circulars and amendments in force by 30 April 2026. The September 2025 study material is read with ICAI's Statutory Update for changes between May 2025 and April 2026. Amendments not yet in force by that date are out of scope, including the Finance Act, 2023 changes to section 65 and new section 65A of the Customs Act and the 2019 changes to the GST advance ruling sections (including new sections 101A to 101C).
What to do: Study from the September 2025 material plus the November 2026 Statutory Update; skip the not-yet-effective provisions listed by ICAI.
Effective: Applicable for the November 2026 examination · Attempts: November 2026
Chapters affected: Advance Ruling (Indirect Tax Laws); Warehousing (Indirect Tax Laws)
Official source: ICAI BoS - Final Paper 5 Indirect Tax Laws, Statutory Update for November 2026 Examination (PDF) · ICAI BoS - Revision Test Paper, Final Paper 5 Indirect Tax Laws, November 2026 (PDF)
Tax law · notice of 19 Aug 2026
GST changes from 22 September 2025 included for November 2026
ICAI's November 2026 statutory update for Paper 5 brings in the GST changes effective 22 September 2025. These include revised rates for goods transport agency and passenger vehicle renting where full input tax credit is taken, new exemptions for individual and family life and health insurance, changes to services taxed through e-commerce operators, and a simplified Aadhaar-based registration route under rule 14A for small B2B suppliers. The update also covers changes in valuation, input tax credit, returns, refunds, demands, penalties and appeals.
What to do: Revise the statutory update chapter by chapter; rate and exemption changes are frequent MCQ and case scenario material.
Effective: Applicable for the November 2026 examination (22 Sept 2025) · Attempts: November 2026
Chapters affected: Charge of GST (Indirect Tax Laws); Exemptions from GST (Indirect Tax Laws); Value of Supply (Indirect Tax Laws); Input Tax Credit (Indirect Tax Laws); Registration (Indirect Tax Laws); Electronic Commerce Transactions (Indirect Tax Laws); Returns (Indirect Tax Laws); Refunds (Indirect Tax Laws); Demands and Recovery (Indirect Tax Laws); Offences and Penalties and Ethical Aspects under GST (Indirect Tax Laws); Appeals and Revision (GST) (Indirect Tax Laws)
Official source: ICAI BoS - Final Paper 5 Indirect Tax Laws, Statutory Update for November 2026 Examination (PDF)
Applicability notice · notice of 15 Jun 2026
Study material editions applicable for the November 2026 Final exam
ICAI's Board of Studies lists the November 2024 edition (August 2025 reprint and later) for Financial Reporting, AFM and Advanced Auditing, and the September 2025 edition for Direct Tax and Indirect Tax. All of these except AFM also need the November 2026 RTP (the academic update for Audit), plus the Judicial Update for Direct Tax and the Statutory Update for Indirect Tax. Paper 6 IBS draws on the core paper material, SPOM Sets A and B and the IBS Case Study Digests, read with the Study Guidelines.
What to do: Confirm your editions match this list and collect the November 2026 RTPs and updates before final revision.
Effective: Applicable for the November 2026 examination · Attempts: November 2026
Scope: the whole exam, not one chapter.
Official source: ICAI BoS - BoS Study Material applicable for Final Course, November 2026 Examination · ICAI BoS - Study material applicability list, Final November 2026 (PDF)
Exam format · notice of 6 Apr 2026
CA Final now held twice a year, in May and November
The ICAI Council has moved CA Final from three sittings a year (January, May, September) to two, held in May and November, starting with the May 2026 exam. The decision followed stakeholder feedback. There is no longer a January or September Final attempt.
What to do: Plan your attempts around the May and November windows; a missed attempt now means a six-month gap.
Effective: From the May 2026 examination onwards · Attempts: November 2026, May 2027
Scope: the whole exam, not one chapter.
Official source: ICAI - Important Announcement: CA Final Examination to be held twice a year from May 2026 (6 April 2026)
Tax law · notice of 5 Dec 2025
Income-tax Act, 2025 replaces the 1961 Act in Final Paper 4 from May 2027
ICAI has decided that Final Paper 4 (Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation) will be examined under the Income-tax Act, 2025 from the May 2027 attempt onwards. The Act received Presidential assent on 21 August 2025 and takes effect from 1 April 2026, making 2026-27 the first tax year under it. The same switch applies to SPOM Set C Paper 5 (International Taxation) for exams held from 1 May 2027.
What to do: If you are targeting May 2027 or later, study direct tax from material based on the Income-tax Act, 2025; the November 2026 attempt stays on the 1961 Act.
Effective: From the May 2027 CA examination onwards (1 Apr 2026) · Attempts: May 2027
Chapters affected: Basic Concepts (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Incomes which do not form part of Total Income (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Profits and Gains of Business or Profession (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Capital Gains (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Income from Other Sources (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Income of Other Persons included in Assessee's Total Income (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Aggregation of Income, Set Off or Carry Forward of Losses (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Deductions from Gross Total Income (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Assessment of Various Entities (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Assessment of Trusts and Institutions, Political Parties and Other Special Entities (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Tax Planning, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Taxation of Digital Transactions (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Deduction, Collection and Recovery of Tax (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Income Tax Authorities (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Assessment Procedure (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Appeals and Revision (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Dispute Resolution (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Miscellaneous Provisions (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Provisions to Counteract Unethical Tax Practices (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Tax Audit and Ethical Compliances (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Non Resident Taxation (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Double Taxation Relief (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Advance Rulings (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation); Transfer Pricing (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation)
Official source: ICAI BoS - Applicability of the Income-tax Act, 2025 from May 2027 CA Exams Onwards · ICAI BoS announcement (PDF, 5 December 2025)
Chapters to revise with these changes in mind
- Ind AS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange RatesFinancial Reporting
- Ind AS 1 Presentation of Financial StatementsFinancial Reporting
- Ind AS 7 Statement of Cash FlowsFinancial Reporting
- Ind AS 12 Income TaxesFinancial Reporting
- Financial Instruments: DisclosuresFinancial Reporting
- Special Features of Audit of Banks & Non-Banking Financial CompaniesAdvanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics
- Professional Ethics & Liabilities of AuditorsAdvanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics
- Advance RulingIndirect Tax Laws
- WarehousingIndirect Tax Laws
- Charge of GSTIndirect Tax Laws
- Exemptions from GSTIndirect Tax Laws
- Value of SupplyIndirect Tax Laws
- Input Tax CreditIndirect Tax Laws
- RegistrationIndirect Tax Laws
- Electronic Commerce TransactionsIndirect Tax Laws
- ReturnsIndirect Tax Laws
- RefundsIndirect Tax Laws
- Demands and RecoveryIndirect Tax Laws
- Offences and Penalties and Ethical Aspects under GSTIndirect Tax Laws
- Appeals and Revision (GST)Indirect Tax Laws
- Basic ConceptsDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Incomes which do not form part of Total IncomeDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Profits and Gains of Business or ProfessionDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Capital GainsDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Income from Other SourcesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Income of Other Persons included in Assessee's Total IncomeDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Aggregation of Income, Set Off or Carry Forward of LossesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Deductions from Gross Total IncomeDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Assessment of Various EntitiesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Assessment of Trusts and Institutions, Political Parties and Other Special EntitiesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Tax Planning, Tax Avoidance and Tax EvasionDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Taxation of Digital TransactionsDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Deduction, Collection and Recovery of TaxDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Income Tax AuthoritiesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Assessment ProcedureDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Appeals and RevisionDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Dispute ResolutionDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Miscellaneous ProvisionsDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Provisions to Counteract Unethical Tax PracticesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Tax Audit and Ethical CompliancesDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Non Resident TaxationDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Double Taxation ReliefDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Advance RulingsDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
- Transfer PricingDirect Tax Laws & International Taxation
This page lists only items we could verify on ICAI's or the regulator's own website, summarised in our words. If ICAI publishes a newer applicability notice, it overrides this page. Check for new notices: ICAI Board of Studies - BOS announcements.