INCOME TAX16 Sept 2026
Inheritance of online businesses in India: What happens to a creator’s digital assets after death? | Mint
Online platforms won't hand over a dead creator's passwords, even to family. So accounts may be memorialised or closed instead of passed on. YouTube payouts keep going to the linked bank account, and an heir can claim accrued earnings with legal papers. Instagram blocks access to drafts and direct messages. Plan now: add a trusted person to your channel, and include digital assets in your succession planning.
Key Statutory Highlights
- Platforms follow strict privacy policies and do not give out passwords, so a family may not automatically get access to a deceased person's account.
- Instagram allows an account to be memorialised or permanently deleted, but families cannot get an archive of private data, drafts or direct messages.
- YouTube payouts continue to the linked bank account while it stays active, and YouTube can switch off monetisation on channels with no upload for six months or more.
Actionable Advice for Taxpayers / Founders:Speak to your CA or lawyer about putting your channel, earnings and brand contracts into your succession plan, and consider linking the channel to a Brand Account with a trusted person added as an additional owner rather than sharing your password.
Statutory Disclaimer: TaxQue Shorts are AI-assisted editorial briefs for compliance awareness. This brief has not passed every source check; confirm the original notification before acting. This does not constitute formal legal or CA counsel.
TaxQue News Desk
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