Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs: When You Need Them

Form 15CA is your online declaration to the Income Tax Department. Form 15CB is a Chartered Accountant’s certificate that confirms whether tax applies and at what rate. Banks demand them before they release most outward remittances above the ₹5 lakh annual threshold. This guide explains when NRIs need Form 15CA and 15CB, when they do not, what each of the four parts of Form 15CA covers, how to file step by step, the penalty for non-compliance, and what changed with the 2026 form rename

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What Are Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs?

Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs are two documents the Income Tax Act prescribes under Section 195, read with Rule 37BB of the Income-tax Rules. They cover any outward remittance from India to a non-resident.

That includes transfers NRIs make from their NRO accounts to their foreign accounts or to NRE accounts.

Form 15CA: Your Declaration to the Tax Department

You file Form 15CA yourself on the Income Tax e-filing portal. It tells the department whether the payment carries tax and whether you deducted that tax.

The form splits into four parts (A, B, C, D). The part you pick depends on the size of the remittance and whether it is taxable.

Form 15CB: The Chartered Accountant’s Certificate Behind Form 15CA

A practising Chartered Accountant issues Form 15CB. The CA verifies the taxability, locks in the correct TDS rate, and applies any Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) benefit you can claim.

The CA logs into the e-filing portal as a registered professional and uploads the certificate against their PAN.

How Banks Use Form 15CA and 15CB

Both filings happen before the bank touches the transfer. Authorised dealer banks will not release funds abroad until you produce the Form 15CA acknowledgement, plus a Form 15CB where the rules demand it, alongside the A2 application that the bank attaches to every outward wire.

When NRIs Need Form 15CA and 15CB

NRIs need Form 15CA and 15CB the moment they move taxable funds out of India through an authorised dealer bank, especially when the amount crosses ₹5 lakh in a financial year.

The exact filing turns on three things: whether the remittance is taxable, whether Rule 37BB exempts it, and whether you hold a lower-deduction certificate from the Assessing Officer.

Here are the four most common situations that pull NRIs into the Form 15CA and 15CB process.

NRO Repatriation Triggers Form 15CA and 15CB

The most frequent trigger for Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs is NRO account repatriation. NRO balances build up from Indian-source income like rent, dividends, interest, pension, or sale proceeds.

RBI lets NRIs repatriate up to USD 1 million per financial year from NRO funds. The catch: you have to clear tax compliance first.

If your total NRO repatriation in a year stays at or below ₹5 lakh, you file only Part A of Form 15CA. No CA certificate. The moment the cumulative amount crosses ₹5 lakh, Part C kicks in, and Form 15CB becomes mandatory.

Property Sale Proceeds Need Form 15CA and 15CB.

NRIs who sell property in India almost always file Form 15CA and 15CB. FEMA and Section 195 govern the sale of immovable property together, and the proceeds usually blow past the ₹5 lakh threshold.

A real example: an NRI in London sells a Mumbai flat for ₹1.2 crore.

• The buyer deducts TDS on the sale value.e
• The seller’s CA prepares Form 15CB after factoring in capital gains and the India-UK DTAA
• The seller files Part C of Form 15CA
• The bank then repatriates the net proceeds to London

Inheritance Repatriation Still Goes Through Form 15CA and 15CB

Inheritance carries no tax in India. But the repatriation of inherited funds still passes through Form 15CA and 15CB. Banks will not move funds abroad without compliance, even when the underlying receipt is exempt.

In most cases, the remittance qualifies as not chargeable to tax, so you file Part D of Form 15CA. Your paperwork includes the will or succession certificate, a CA opinion on non-taxability, and FEMA documentation.

Many banks still ask for Form 15CB as a safety net, even when Part D alone covers the law.

Rental and Investment Income Crosses the Form 15CA and 15CB Threshold

Rental income, dividends, mutual fund redemptions, and NRO interest all flow into the Form 15CA and 15CB process the day you repatriate them.

If you earn ₹6 lakh in net rental income in a year and want to send it to your US account, you cross the threshold. Your CA issues Form 15CB confirming TDS already deducted and any balance liability, and you file Part C of Form 15CA before the bank releases funds.

The Four Parts of Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs

Form 15CA splits into four parts. The part you pick depends on the amount, the taxability, and whether you carry an AO certificate. The structure stayed unchanged through the 2026 rename.

Part A of Form 15CA (Up to ₹5 Lakh)

You file Part A when the remittance carries tax in India and your total for the financial year stays at or below ₹5 lakh. No Form 15CB. No CA fee. Just a quick self-declaration on the portal.

Part B of Form 15CA (With an AO Certificate)

You file Part B when the remittance carries tax, the annual total crosses ₹5 lakh, and you already hold an order or certificate under Section 195(2), 195(3), or 197 for lower or nil deduction.

You skip Form 15CB here because the Assessing Officer has already certified the tax position.

Part C of Form 15CA (The Most Common Path)

You file Part C when the remittance carries tax, the annual total crosses ₹5 lakh, and you do not have an AO certificate. Form 15CB from a CA is mandatory, and you have to upload it first.

Part C handles the bulk of NRI remittances above the threshold.

Part D of Form 15CA (Not Taxable)

You file Part D when the remittance does not attract tax under the Income-tax Act and falls outside the Rule 37BB exemption list. No Form 15CB. But you still need documents that back the non-taxability claim, like inheritance papers or a CA opinion.

When NRIs Don’t Need Form 15CA and 15CB

Not every outward remittance triggers Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs. Rule 37BB lists 33 categories where Form 15CA is not required at all. These are payments the government already tracks through other channels.

The Rule 37BB Specified List

Categories where Form 15CA and 15CB do not apply include:

• Indian investments abroad in equity shares, debt securities, and branches
• Remittances by individuals under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme
• Personal gifts and donations within RBI limits
• Imports of goods through bank channels
• Travel for business, education, medical treatment, and pilgrimage
• Family maintenance and savings of expatriates working in India

NRE and FCNR Transfers Skip Form 15CA and 15CB

NRIs often miss this one. Transfers from NRE accounts to a foreign account do not require Form 15CA and 15CB. NRE balances arrive in the account already post-tax and fully repatriable. The same logic covers FCNR(B) deposits at maturity.

Banks sometimes still ask for the forms as an internal audit habit. You can push back with the Rule 37BB reference, or file Part D as a defensive move.

How to File Form 15CA and 15CB: Step-by-Step Process

Filing Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs runs in a clean sequence once your paperwork is ready. Everything happens on the Income Tax e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in. Typical turnaround: 2 to 5 working days.

Here are the steps below

#1 to 3: Prep and Form 15CB

1. Engage a Chartered Accountant. For Part C cases, register your CA on the e-filing portal under “Add CA” against your PAN.
2. Gather documents. Pass PAN, passport, NRO bank statement, source-of-funds proof, sale deed or rental agreement, Tax Residency Certificate, Form 10F, and any AO order to your CA.
3. CA prepares Form 15CB. The CA verifies taxability, applies the right DTAA rate, and uploads Form 15CB on the portal. The portal generates an acknowledgement number.

#4 to 5: File and e-Verify Form 15CA

4. You file Form 15CA. Log in as the taxpayer, pick the right part (A, B, C, or D), enter the remittance details, and link the Form 15CB acknowledgement for Part C.
5. e-Verify Form 15CA. Use Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or a Digital Signature Certificate. Without verification, the form does not count.

#6 to 7: Submit to the Bank and Wait for Settlement

6. Submit to the bank. Email both acknowledgements to your relationship manager along with the A2 form and supporting documents.
7. The bank processes the remittance. Funds usually land in your foreign account within 1 to 3 working days after the bank clears the file.

You can withdraw Form 15CA within 7 days of submission if you spot an error. After that, you file a fresh form.

Form 15CA and 15CB Renamed to Form 145 and 146 in 2026

From 1 April 2026, the Central Board of Direct Taxes renumbered Form 15CA and 15CB as Form 145 and Form 146 under the reissued Income-tax Rules.

The structure, the thresholds, the four parts, and the Rule 37BB exemption list all stay exactly the same. Only the form numbers changed.

Most banks, CAs, and the e-filing portal still call them 15CA and 15CB in everyday use. If your CA mentions Form 145 or Form 146, the compliance underneath looks identical to what you filed last year.

Penalties for Not Filing Form 15CA and 15CB

Skipping Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs costs you real money. Section 271-I of the Income-tax Act imposes a penalty of ₹1 lakh for failure to furnish the form, or for furnishing inaccurate information.

The penalty applies to each instance, not per financial year. Multiple unfiled remittances stack the penalty up fast.

Two other risks come along for the ride:

• The bank delays or rejects the remittance and freezes your funds in India until you fix the paperwork
• The tax department can disallow the related expense under Section 40(a)(i) if TDS was due, but you did not comply

A CA fee of ₹3,000 to ₹10,000 for a Form 15CB looks like nothing next to a ₹1 lakh penalty and a frozen wire.

Common Mistakes NRIs Make With Form 15CA and 15CB

NRIs run into the same handful of problems year after year. You can dodge most of them once you know the patterns.

• Filing the wrong part. Picking Part D when the income actually carries tax will not stop the department from coming back later.
• Ignoring the ₹5 lakh aggregation. The threshold sums across the financial year, not per transaction. Three transfers of ₹2 lakh each push you into Part C
• Skipping the Tax Residency Certificate and Form 10F. Without these, you cannot claim DTAA relief, and the payer deducts TDS at the higher domestic rate.
• Forgetting to e-Verify Form 15CA. An unverified form does not count. The bank will reject it.
• Treating NRE-to-foreign transfers like NRO. NRE transfers skip Form 15CA and 15CB entirely. Filing them anyway burns time and CA fees.

How ZoltMoney Supports NRI Compliance Around Form 15CA and 15CB

ZoltMoney does not file Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs on your behalf. No remittance app should claim to. Your CA signs the forms, and you e-verify them on the Income Tax portal.

ZoltMoney handles the leg before and after the form. Once your NRO repatriation clears and funds land in your foreign account, ZoltMoney moves future transfers back to India at real mid-market exchange rates with zero transfer fees.

The app runs on a modern payment infrastructure with stablecoin settlement rails in the backend. That means faster settlements and sharper pricing than traditional SWIFT corridors.

For routine personal transfers from your US, UK, or EU bank account to family in India, ZoltMoney avoids the entire Form 15CA and 15CB workflow. Those transfers move into India, not out, so the outward-remittance rules do not apply. Your recipients receive INR directly into their Indian bank accounts.

ZoltMoney is live on Android and iOS. You can also read the NRE vs NRO vs FCNR account guide and the NRO account repatriation USD 1 million limit guide to pick the right account before you start the process.

FAQs on Form 15CA and 15CB for NRIs

Do I need Form 15CA and 15CB for every NRO to foreign account transfer?

You need Form 15CA for every NRO to foreign account transfer where the income is subject to tax in India. Up to ₹5 lakh aggregate in a financial year, you file only Part A, with no CA certificate. Above ₹5 lakh, Form 15CB from a Chartered Accountant becomes mandatory along with Part C of Form 15CA. Transfers from NRE accounts to a foreign bank skip these forms because NRE balances are post-tax and fully repatriable.

Is Form 15CB required for transfers below ₹5 lakh?

Form 15CB is generally not required for taxable remittances up to ₹5 lakh in a financial year. You file Part A of Form 15CA on your own, without a CA certificate. The ₹5 lakh limit sums across all your outward remittances in the financial year, so multiple smaller transfers add up. Once the running total crosses the threshold, the next remittance triggers the Form 15CB requirement under Part C.

How long does it take to file Form 15CA and 15CB?

The end-to-end process usually takes 2 to 5 working days. A CA typically prepares Form 15CB within one or two working days of receiving the invoice, Tax Residency Certificate, Form 10F, and source documents. You file and e-verify Form 15CA in a few minutes. The bank then takes another 1 to 3 working days to review the paperwork, process the A2 application, and release the outward wire.

What is the penalty for not filing Form 15CA and 15CB?

Section 271-I of the Income-tax Act imposes a penalty of ₹1 lakh for failure to furnish Form 15CA and 15CB or for furnishing inaccurate information. The penalty applies to each non-compliance instance, not per financial year. Authorised dealer banks can also delay or reject the foreign remittance if you do not produce the required forms. The tax department can disallow the related payment under Section 40(a)(i) in a future assessment.

Have Form 15CA and 15CB been renamed in 2026?

Yes. From 1 April 2026, the Central Board of Direct Taxes renumbered Form 15CA and 15CB as Form 145 and Form 146 under the reissued Income-tax Rules. The four parts of Form 15CA, the ₹5 lakh threshold, and the Rule 37BB exemption list all stay unchanged. Only the form numbers changed. Banks, CAs, and the e-filing portal still use the old names in everyday communication, and compliance for NRIs continues exactly as before.

Disclaimer: This content is for general information only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Form 15CA and 15CB compliance, threshold limits, and TDS rates can change based on amendments by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the Income Tax Department, or the Reserve Bank of India. Always consult a qualified Chartered Accountant and use authorised dealer banks for outward remittances from India.