Don’t put InvITs and REITs on the MAT brink says tax design could slash investor returns

Budget 2026 MAT tweaks could quietly tax REIT dividends

India’s listed REITs and InvITs are a key pipeline for long-term infrastructure capital, backed by distribution rules and a mostly single-layer tax design. But Budget 2026’s revised treatment of MAT credits creates a structural dilemma for REIT/InvIT SPVs: shifting to the new corporate tax regime may make dividends taxable for unit holders, cutting yields, while staying outside risks MAT credit lapse and future liabilities. Either way, cash-flow uncertainty could raise the cost of capital. Policy design must protect predictability.