India didn't stop when you left.
Rent from a flat, interest on an NRO deposit, a property sale, shares held since before you moved — each carries an Indian obligation, usually with tax deducted at a rate far higher than you actually owe. We handle the India side remotely, and get the excess back.
The Income-tax Act 2025 carried residential status over unchanged — it still sits in Section 6. Verified as on 03 Aug 2026.
The India side, without a trip to India.
Everything runs on WhatsApp, email and a shared folder. You review and approve before anything is filed.
Indian income tax return
- Rent, interest, dividends and capital gains reported correctly
- Residential status established before the return, not after
- Treaty relief applied where eligible
- Refund of excess tax deducted claimed and followed up
Buying and selling
- Withholding on a purchase from a non-resident, handled for the buyer
- Capital gains computed properly rather than on the sale value
- Lower deduction certificate applied for where the deduction overshoots
- Sale proceeds moved out with the right paperwork
Accounts and money movement
- NRE, NRO and FCNR account structure explained
- Repatriation from NRO with the required certification
- Form 15CA and 15CB for outward remittance
- Position reviewed before the transfer, not after the bank queries it
Double taxation relief
- Which country gets to tax which income
- Tax residency certificate and Form 10F
- Relief claimed in the correct return
- Position documented for both revenue authorities
Indian entity owned from abroad
- Company or LLP incorporation with a non-resident director
- Monthly books, GST and payroll
- Annual MCA filings and director KYC
- Repatriating profits properly
Moving back to India
- The RNOR window and what it protects
- Timing a return to use it
- Foreign accounts, assets and disclosure obligations
- Re-designating bank accounts on arrival
Residential status, before anything else.
Your status is tested every year and it decides what India can tax. Getting it wrong is the single most expensive NRI mistake — and it's decided by day count, not by passport.
| Situation | Threshold | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone — first limb | 182 days in India | Resident for that year |
| Anyone — second limb | 60 days in year + 365 over prior 4 years | Resident for that year |
| Indian citizen leaving for employment, or crew | 60-day limb relaxed to 182 | Effectively only the 182-day test applies |
| Citizen or PIO visiting India | 60-day limb relaxed to 182 | Effectively only the 182-day test applies |
| Visiting citizen or PIO, India income above ₹15 lakh | 120 days + 365 over prior 4 years | Resident, but classified RNOR |
| Indian citizen, India income ₹15 lakh or more, not liable to tax anywhere | Deemed residency | Treated as resident even with no days in India, generally as RNOR |
Verified against Section 6 as on 03 Aug 2026. RNOR matters: foreign income generally stays outside the Indian net, so the classification is a meaningful protection rather than a technicality. Day counts should be tracked through the year, not reconstructed in July.
Six things that cost more than the tax itself.
Deduction on the sale value, not the gain
Withholding on a sale by a non-resident is applied to the whole consideration, not the profit. On a flat bought decades ago, that ties up a large sum for a year unless a lower deduction certificate is obtained first.
Tax deducted and never reclaimed
Banks and tenants deduct at non-resident rates. Without a return, the excess simply stays with the department — and after a point it can no longer be claimed at all.
Filing as resident, or not filing at all
A wrong residential status changes what India can tax. It surfaces years later, usually when a large transaction draws attention.
Accounts never re-designated
A resident savings account that should have become NRO after the move is a FEMA issue, not a banking one — and penalties can run to a multiple of the amount involved.
Relief not claimed for want of paperwork
Treaty benefits usually need a tax residency certificate and a declaration in place before the income arises. Applying for them afterwards is considerably harder.
Property inherited, obligations inherited
An inherited flat brings rental income, capital gains on eventual sale, and a cost-of-acquisition question that needs the original owner's records — which get harder to find each year.
FEMA exposure verified as on 03 Aug 2026: contraventions can attract a penalty of up to three times the sum involved where the amount is quantifiable. The position depends on the facts — this is a general statement, not advice on your case.
Entirely remote, and it has been since 2017.
You send us your country of residence, the Indian income you have and the thing you're actually worried about. We come back with what applies and what it will take — before any engagement. Documents move by WhatsApp, email or a shared folder, scanned copies are fine, and you approve every filing before it goes in. We also keep an office in Muscat, which helps for clients across the Gulf. Where a treaty question spans two jurisdictions, we work alongside your accountant in your country of residence rather than around them.
Where our NRI clients live.
India has comprehensive tax treaties with most countries where Indians settle. What differs is which income each treaty assigns to which country, and what paperwork the relief needs.
UAE & Oman
Large diaspora, zero personal tax at home — which makes deemed residency worth checking.
United Kingdom
Dividend, interest and property income positions, plus remittance questions.
United States
Capital gains and dividend relief, and the RNOR window when moving back.
Germany
Business income, dividends and royalties, with English-language handling throughout.
Rest of world
Canada, Australia, Singapore and beyond — the India side works the same way.
Starting a business in India
Incorporation with a non-resident director, and what follows it.
Four steps, none of them requiring a flight.
Situation call
Country of residence, Indian income types and the specific concern. We tell you what applies — no obligation at this stage.
Documents
A checklist built for your situation rather than a generic list. Scans by WhatsApp, email or a shared folder.
Preparation & review
Returns, certificates and forms prepared, then explained to you in plain language before anything is submitted.
Filing & records
Filed on your approval, with acknowledgements and working papers sent back to you and kept for the following year.
What NRIs ask us first.
Do I have to file an Indian return as an NRI?
If you have Indian income above the applicable threshold, generally yes. It's also worth filing where tax has been deducted at source even if you're below the threshold, because that's the only route to a refund. The exact threshold depends on the tax regime and your income mix, so we confirm it against your figures rather than quoting a number that may not apply to you.
I'm selling a flat in India. How much gets deducted?
Withholding on a sale by a non-resident applies to the sale consideration rather than the gain, which is why the deducted amount often far exceeds the actual tax. A lower deduction certificate obtained before the transaction is the mechanism that brings it down — after the sale, the only route left is a refund claim.
What is FEMA and why does it matter?
FEMA governs cross-border transactions, account types and property dealings for non-residents. Most NRI problems here are unintentional — a resident account never re-designated, a remittance made without the right certification. Contraventions can attract a penalty of up to three times the sum involved where the amount is quantifiable, so it's worth getting the position right beforehand.
Can I move money out of my NRO account?
Yes, subject to the annual limit set by the Reserve Bank, and with Form 15CA and 15CB certification. The paperwork is the part that delays most transfers, so we prepare it before you approach the bank rather than after they ask.
I'm moving back to India. What should I plan?
The RNOR window — which keeps foreign income outside the Indian net for a period after you return. Whether you get it, and for how long, depends on your day counts in the preceding years, so it's worth planning the timing of the move rather than discovering the position afterwards.
Do I need to visit India?
No. Everything runs remotely and has since 2017 — documents digitally, filings on your approval, and acknowledgements sent back to you.
For non-residents.
NRI Property Sale and Withholding Under Section 195
Why the deduction is so large, and how to bring it down legitimately.
Setting Up a Business in India as an NRI
Structure, registrations and the sequence that works.
New vs Old Tax Regime
How the comparison works once deductions are on the table.
Running a business in India from abroad? See Global Desk and company registration. Annual return filing is on income tax return.
Tell us where you live and what you own here.
Country of residence, the Indian income you have, and the thing you're actually worried about. We'll come back with what applies within a few hours. Prefer to talk now? WhatsApp or call us directly.
Still holding assets in India?
Send us your country of residence and what you hold or earn here. We'll tell you what India can tax, what's being over-deducted, and what it takes to put it right.