Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) saw an important tax rule change in Budget 2026 as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says capital gains exemption will be available only when SGBs are purchased at the time of issue and held till maturity. Capital gains tax exemptions will not be available if someone buys them from the secondary market, where such bonds are tradable from a date to be notified by the Reserve Bank if India. The new SGB tax rule will be applicable from April 1, 2026. 

Once implemented, SGB investors who purchased SGB from the secondary market might have to pay a substantial tax as long-term capital gains (LTCG) will be taxed at a 12.5% rate without indexation. However, as before interest given on SGBs is taxable for everybody. 

Through calculations, we will show how a person with Rs 20 lakh LTCG from SGBs purchased from the secondary market will have to pay approximately Rs 2.60 lakh income tax from April 1, 2026 where their capital gain income tax as per the existing rule is zero. 

What did Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman say about SGB taxation rule in her Budget 2026 speech? 

As per the Finance Minister, "It is proposed to provide that the exemption from capital gains tax in respect of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) shall be available only where such bonds are subscribed to by an individual at the time of original issue and are held continuously until redemption on maturity."

How will the new tax rule impact SGB investors who buy gold bonds from the secondary market? 

Taxmann in its Union Budget 2026-27 report explains, under the earlier wording, a person who acquired SGBs in the secondary market and later redeemed them could also claim the exemption. Under the amended provision, the exemption is available only to the original subscriber who has held the bond from the date of issue till maturity. This significantly narrows the scope of the exemption and changes the tax outcome for secondary market investors and cases of premature redemption. Capital gains arising in such cases will now be taxable.