Indian CPA and NRI Tax: US-India Tax Help

If you search for an "Indian CPA" or an "Indian CA", you are usually looking for one thing: a tax professional who understands both the U.S. and the Indian systems and the places where they collide. The U.S. taxes its citizens and residents on income from all over the world, including interest on an NRE or NRO account, dividends from an Indian mutual fund, rent from a flat in Pune and gains from a plot you sell in Gujarat. India has its own rules for the same money. Reporting it correctly in the United States is where many people get into trouble.

This section explains the U.S. side in plain English: foreign account reporting (the FBAR and Form 8938), the unusual tax treatment of Indian mutual funds, property in India, gifts from relatives, the foreign tax credit and the US-India tax treaty.

A U.S. CPA and an Indian Chartered Accountant (CA) do different jobs. We handle the U.S. return and reporting. Filings under Indian law, such as the Indian income tax return and certificates for remittances, are handled by a CA in India, and we can coordinate with yours so both sides are consistent. Read Indian CPA vs Indian CA for the details.

If you are unsure whether you have a filing obligation, or you have missed one in earlier years, talk to a CPA before you file anything. There are IRS programs that can reduce penalties when corrections are made the right way.