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Introduction to
India tax planning guide

From the fast-paced cities of Mumbai and Bangalore to the serene beaches of Goa and the cultural charm of Jaipur, India offers expats an exciting and deeply immersive lifestyle.โ€จโ€จ

In this guide, weโ€™ll walk you through everything you need to know about relocating to India from a personal tax perspective, including tax residency, income tax, special tax regimes and tax return obligations. โ€จโ€จ

GTC recommend that you organize your affairs in good time to get ahead and make the most of favorable tax treatment while making sure youโ€™re meeting your tax return obligations.

How you are taxed in India
India follows a residence taxation model. If you are resident, you will pay tax worldwide incomes. If you are non-resident, you will pay tax on local incomes only.
Resident
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Local Income
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Foreign Income
Non-Resident
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Local Income
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Foreign Income
Your resident status in India
Youโ€™ll be considered tax resident if you satisfy any of the following criteria:
Physical presence

if you spend more than 181 days in India during the tax year.

Business

Physical presence

if you are present in India on more than 59 days during tax year and 365 days in the previous four tax years.

Vital interests

Physical presence

Hungarian citizen

if you are a citizen of Hungary unless you have no permanent home in Hungary during the tax year.

Domicile

Spanish nationals

if you are a Spain national who relocated to a tax haven less than five years ago.

Working

Ties

if your ties are located in Mexico and 50% of your income arising in Mexico during the tax year.

Home

EEA citizen

if you are an EEA citizen and you are present in Hungary on more than 182 days during the tax year.

Nationals

Physical presence & work

Family

Citizen

Resident commune

Visa

Income

Physical presence

if you spend more than 181 days in India during the tax year.

Business

Citizen

Resident population

if you are registered with the Italian resident population.

Physical presence

Physical presence

if you are present in India on more than 59 days during tax year and 365 days in the previous four tax years.

Hungarian citizen

if you are a citizen of Hungary unless you have no permanent home in Hungary during the tax year.

Domicile

Vital interests

Spanish nationals

if you are a Spain national who relocated to a tax haven less than five years ago.

Working

Home

EEA citizen

if you are an EEA citizen and you are present in Hungary on more than 182 days during the tax year.

National

National

Visa

Physical presence & work

Family

Resident commune

Personal income tax rate in India
Residents are subject to progressive tax rates and the highest rate of tax levied on employment income and self employment income is 30%.
Residents are not subject to taxation on personal income.
Global comparison
World highest
World lowest
Denmark
42
56
%
India
42
30
%
UAE
42
0
%
Global comparison
World highest
World lowest
Denmark
42
56
%
India
42
30
%
UAE
42
0
%
Global comparison
World highest
World lowest
Denmark
42
56
%
India
42
30
%
UAE
42
0
%
Special tax regime in India

Providing that you are considered not ordinarily resident, foreign incomes and gains will be exempt from Indian taxation.

* India can be a very tax efficient place to live for expats & nomads and as such, Global Tax Consulting recommends seeking personalized tax planning advice to take advantage of the special tax regime.
Tax cap
ยฃ200,000 per tax year.
Foreign income
Exempt from Indian taxation.
Flat tax rate
Flat tax charge
Earned Income
Taxable income
Business profits
Special tax status
Must be not ordinarily resident.
Special tax status
Applied for 15 years.
Other personal taxes in India
Residents may be subject to the following personal taxes:
Asset tax
Tax on property and share sales
Wealth tax
Tax on value of owned assets
Death tax
Tax on assets passed to heirs
Social tax
Tax to contribute to state welfare
* It is recommended that you review your affairs and structure accordingly so that you do not end up creating an unexpected tax charge and paying more tax than necessary.
Double taxation agreements in India

If you receive incomes overseas while you are living in India, you may find the source country, as a starting point, continues to tax the income which may cause double taxation unless you are using special tax regime.

Double taxation agreements can be used to mitigate double taxation and receive tax free income. As such, the more double taxation agreements a country has, the better, as agreements will ensure youโ€™re not taxed twice and even better, ensure your income is tax free. ย 

At present, India has 94 double taxation agreements signed.

Global comparison
World highest
World lowest
UAE
42
140
India
0
94
Bahamas
42
0
Global comparison
World highest
World lowest
UAE
42
140
India
0
94
Bahamas
42
0
Tax obligations in India
Two images next to each other, on the first image there is a calculator. On the second image woman is using her smartwatch while sitting behind the deskImage of a pattern
What is the deadline to file tax returns and settle tax liabilities?
The tax year starts on 1 April and ends on 31 March.
What is the deadline to file tax returns and settle tax liabilities?
The deadline to file your tax return and settle the tax liability is 31 July following the end of the tax year.
Do you need to make advance payments of tax?
You may be required to make advance payments of tax towards future tax years on top of settling the current tax year liability.