Property sale TDS, lower-deduction certificates, Form 15CA/15CB, and remitting funds abroad — compliantly and without excess tax stuck in India.
When an NRI sells property in India, the buyer must deduct tax at source on the entire sale consideration — not just the capital gain — at the high rates applicable to non-residents. On a property with a modest actual gain, that can lock up a painfully large slice of the sale price with the tax department for a year or more. The remedy is a lower or nil deduction certificate obtained from the tax officer before the sale — and securing it, quickly and at the right figure, is the core of what we do in NRI property transactions.
The second half of the journey is getting the money home. Remittances abroad from NRO balances — sale proceeds, inheritance, rent, deposits — are permitted up to USD 1 million per financial year, but every remittance requires Form 15CA and, in most cases, a CA-certified Form 15CB confirming that Indian taxes on the funds are settled. Banks will not process the transfer without them. We prepare the certificates, assemble the source-of-funds documentation banks demand, and coordinate with the Authorised Dealer until the funds actually land.
Around these two anchors sits everything else NRIs need on Indian assets: TDS guidance for buyers purchasing from NRIs (the buyer bears the compliance risk), capital gains computation and reinvestment exemptions, inherited and gifted property transfers, and execution through Power of Attorney for clients who cannot travel — which is most of them. The entire engagement runs remotely.
TDS on the Full Sale PriceA buyer purchasing property from an NRI must deduct tax on the entire consideration at non-resident rates unless the NRI produces a lower-deduction certificate. Without one, refunds arrive only after the return is filed and processed.
USD 1 Million SchemeNRIs may remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from NRO balances — covering property sale proceeds, inheritance, and income — supported by Form 15CA and a CA-certified Form 15CB.
Plan Before You SignThe lower-TDS certificate must be in hand before the sale deed and payment. Applying after the transaction means the full deduction happens anyway — and your money waits on a refund cycle instead.
Typically a few weeks from a complete application, depending on the jurisdictional officer. The practical rule: engage us as soon as a sale is contemplated — ideally before the agreement is signed — so the certificate is ready when the buyer needs it.
Form 15CA is the remitter’s online declaration to the tax department for a foreign remittance; Form 15CB is a Chartered Accountant’s certificate confirming the nature of the remittance and that applicable Indian tax has been addressed. Banks require them before processing most NRO remittances.
Yes — sale proceeds of property acquired from rupee sources flow through your NRO account and can be remitted within the USD 1 million per financial year limit, with tax settled and documentation in order.
You must obtain a TAN, deduct tax at the applicable non-resident rate on each payment (or at the certificate rate if the seller holds one), deposit it, and file TDS returns. Getting this wrong makes you liable for the shortfall plus interest and penalties — we handle the entire buyer-side compliance.
Yes. With a properly drafted and executed Power of Attorney, the agreement, registration, TDS compliance, certificate application, and repatriation can all be completed without you travelling to India.
Inherited property can be sold and the proceeds repatriated within the USD 1 million scheme, with documentation establishing the inheritance and cost history of the deceased. We reconstruct the acquisition records and handle the capital gains computation.
Tell us a little about your requirement and our team will get back to you with the right guidance and a clear next step.
