In simple terms: if you spend fewer than 182 days in India during a financial year, you're an NRI. But there are edge cases — the "60-day rule," RNOR status if you recently returned, years where you're borderline. Your residency status determines which income India can tax you on: as an NRI, only income from Indian sources is taxable here. Your overseas salary, foreign bank interest — not India's concern. Getting this classification right matters, because it changes the whole picture.

DTAA — Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement — is a treaty between India and 90+ countries. In plain terms: you shouldn't pay full tax in both countries on the same income. The treaty specifies which country can tax what kind of income, and at what rate. For NRIs, this usually means reduced TDS rates on Indian interest and dividends, and a tax credit in your country of residence for taxes paid in India.

Here's the thing people miss: it doesn't apply automatically. You have to claim it in your ITR, and you need a Tax Residency Certificate from your country of residence. Most NRIs I work with have never claimed it. And DTAA doesn't exempt all Indian income — it assigns taxing rights. For some income types, both countries still have a right to tax; the treaty just limits the rate. Know what it does before assuming it solves everything.

Repatriation requires tax to be paid first — and then certified. Form 15CA is a self-declaration you submit. Form 15CB is a CA certificate (which I issue) that confirms the tax computation is correct. Banks won't move large amounts abroad without 15CB. The threshold where 15CB is mandatory has changed over the years, so it's worth checking what applies to your specific amount and purpose. I handle the tax computation, draft both forms, and liaise with the bank if needed.

Short version: if you held the property for more than 2 years, it's long-term capital gains (taxed at 12.5% after July 2024, without indexation — the rules changed). Under 2 years, it's short-term and taxed at your slab rate. As an NRI seller, the buyer must deduct TDS at 12.5–20% before paying you. You can apply for a lower TDS certificate if you expect the actual tax to be less. Then there's the Section 54/54F exemption if you reinvest in another property. And Form 15CB before repatriation. It's a lot of steps — I've done 200+ of these and I know exactly which apply in your situation.

First: don't ignore it. Every notice has a response deadline, and missing it converts a manageable situation into a much harder one. Second: read the section number — 143(2), 148, 156, 245 — they're very different situations and require different responses. Third: send it to me. I'll tell you within 24 hours what it actually means and what needs to happen. Most notices, when responded to correctly and on time, don't escalate. The ones that become expensive are usually the ones that were ignored too long.

In my experience: for simple cases, yes. For complex ones — anything with cross-border income, multiple properties, a legitimate exemption being claimed — it's often worse. The intention was to remove discretion and face-to-face pressure from assessments. The actual experience is often a stream of machine-generated queries that don't map cleanly to the specific facts of your case, with no AO to clarify intent or acknowledge a reasonable explanation. Every response goes into a faceless portal and you wait. Appeals are delayed. If your return is straightforward, faceless assessment is fine. If it isn't, you need proper legal representation from the moment the first notice arrives.

Initial consultation is free. For specific work — ITR filing, notice handling, property sale, DTAA structuring — fees depend on the complexity of your situation, not a fixed rate card. I'll give you a clear number before we start anything. No surprises, no open-ended billing. Most clients find the fee pays for itself in what gets recovered or avoided.

Yes. Registration, monthly/quarterly returns, input tax credit reconciliation, refund claims, GST audit. CA Shefali on the team handles this specifically — it's a lot of volume-based work and having someone who does nothing but GST makes a difference. If your GST filings have been inconsistent or you've had a notice, we can clean that up too.

Yes. CA Harsh on the team specifically handles Africa-focused audit work — 15+ African markets, IFRS-compliant audit, India-Africa DTAA, FEMA compliance, and fund repatriation back to India. If you have an Indian business with African subsidiaries or investments, this is a specific area of expertise rather than a general claim.

It means figuring out which country has the right to tax which income — and making sure you're only paying where you legally have to, not both places. If you're an NRI with rental income in India and a salary in the UK, those are two different income streams with different treaty rules. Cross-border planning maps that out properly, claims the right exemptions, and structures any future income or asset decisions to avoid creating unnecessary tax in either country. It's not aggressive tax avoidance — it's just applying the treaties the way they were designed to work.

India–Australia is one of the most common situations I deal with. The India–Australia DTAA covers most income types — dividends, interest, capital gains, employment income — and prevents double taxation on all of them. For clients in Australia: I help determine what Indian filing obligations you have, claim DTAA relief properly, handle property sales in India, and sort Form 15CA/15CB when funds move. I have a +61 WhatsApp number specifically because so many clients are Australia-based — reach me directly on +61 403 865 645.