Before looking for funds that are eligible for Repatriation, let’s look into what Repatriation is? Repatriation signifies the ability of funds to be transferred freely across countries by changing to foreign currencies. All the NRI’s need to open NRO and NRE accounts for their financial management. In these accounts, NRO accounts are means for funds earned in India, while NRE accounts hold your foreign income. When you transfer your finances from an NRO account into an NRE account or to a bank account in your home country, it is called Repatriation. We have discussed in detail both the accounts in the previous article. Kindly visit our website for more information.
Now, let’s take a look at what qualifies as repatriable income.
Various Income Sources
We can broadly classify all the income sources of these accounts into the subsequent sections:
- Inheritance in the form of money
- Income earned through Indian assets or investments
- Funds held when you move abroad
- Overseas remittances – funds sent to India for acquisitions or other purposes
What and how much can be repatriated?
- CURRENT INCOME: Current income includes salary, dividend, interest, pension, distribution from any deposits, investments, rents, or properties, including earnings from proprietorship or Shareholding business. There is no limit for “current income” repatriation.
- IMMOVABLE ASSETS: Immovable assets included sales proceeds from a residential property bought in India according to the Foreign Exchange Management Act – FEMA 1999. (FEMA does not permit you to purchase agricultural property, a farmhouse, or a plantation as an NRI). The repatriation limit is USD 1 million per financial year.
- MOVABLE ASSETS: Movable assets include balance held in your NRO account, sale returns of investments in India gained by way of inheritance, legacy, or following a settlement agreement by parents or a close relative. The repatriation limit is USD 1 million per financial year.
Rules governing Repatriation – FEMA
- You can repatriate reserves from your accounts quickly and freely without any limit.
- There will come income tax implications in India at every point you repatriate funds.
- You can cumulatively repatriate money earned in any year in that year itself or on succeeding years.
- Your NRO account balance should hold legitimate dues receivable in India and not through fund transfer from another NRO account or not through borrowing from another person.
- In the case of residential properties, you can repatriate sale proceeds of up to two such properties.
Repatriation Limit
Reserve Bank of India allows you to repatriate funds higher than the preset limits only after explicit permission. The situation in which you may request to increase the permissible limit includes children’s education, medical emergencies, or purchasing the property back in your home country.
That is all you need to know about the Repatriation from an NRO account, different income sources, what and how much can be repatriated, repatriation limit. You can directly contact us to arrange a free demo call on the UNIMONI website or live chat with our specialists for any inquiries related to it. We would be pleased to assist you!
