Blog

  • Understanding IRS Form 1040: Complete Guide for NRIs (2026)

    I’ll never forget this. A friend in our WhatsApp group had been living in the US for 11 years. Green card holder. Good job. Family. He decided to move back to India. He sold his home, transferred his 401(k), and shipped his stuff. All good. Then April came. His CA asked – “Did you file…

  • Form 1099 – Complete Guide for NRIs (2026)

    A member in our WhatsApp group posted this last tax season: “I got four different 1099 forms in the mail. I don’t even know what half of them mean. Do I report all of them? I moved to India last year. Help!” She wasn’t alone. That message triggered 47 replies in two hours. The 1099…

  • PPF for NRIs: Complete Guide (2026)

    “Mani, I opened my PPF account in 2008. I moved to the US in 2012 on an H-1B. My PPF matured in 2023. I didn’t do anything. Is my money gone?” I get some version of this question every single week. No, your money isn’t gone. But it might not be earning interest anymore. And…

  • ITR for NRIs: The Complete Guide That Saved Me ₹45,000 in Penalties

    Picture this. March 2018. I had just moved back to India from the US with Priya and our two boys. Dhruv was asking me why we had to file taxes in two countries now. Good question, beta. That’s when I realized most NRIs are completely lost when it comes to ITR filing in India. The…

  • Aadhaar Card for OCI Holders: NRIs Guide (2026)

    “Mani, I have an OCI card. Can I get an Aadhaar?” This question comes up almost every week in our WhatsApp community. And the confusion is understandable. For years, the rules around Aadhaar for OCI holders were murky. People got turned away from Aadhaar centers. Others were told they didn’t qualify. Some managed to get…

  • Section 80D Tax Deductions for NRIs: What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)

    Last month, a member in our WhatsApp community asked if he could claim his parents’ health insurance premium as a deduction in his Indian tax return. He’d been sending money from Singapore to cover the policy, and his CA back home kept giving him conflicting advice. I’ve seen this confusion play out hundreds of times.…

  • Tax Exemption Under Section 54 and Section 54F for NRIs: Complete Guide (2026)

    A community member messaged me last year with this situation: “Mani, I sold my flat in Pune for ₹1.2 crore. The buyer deducted ₹15 lakh as TDS. My CA says I can save the entire capital gains tax if I buy another house within 2 years. But I live in the US. How does this…

  • PayPal in India: The Complete Guide for NRIs

    Let me be upfront with you – PayPal in India is not the same PayPal you’ve been using in the US, UK, or anywhere else. I’ve had countless NRIs in our community confused about this. They set up a PayPal account expecting it to work like it did abroad, only to hit wall after wall.…

  • Income Tax on Retirement Benefits in India: Guide for NRIs (2026)

    A member in our WhatsApp group retired from an Indian PSU after 28 years. He’d been on deputation to the Middle East for the last 8 years. When he finally got his settlement, it included EPF, gratuity, leave encashment, commuted pension, and a superannuation payout. Total: around ₹1.8 crore. His first question: “How much of…

  • How To Apply For Lost Or Damaged PAN Card: Complete Guide (2026)

    I get this question at least once a week in our WhatsApp groups. “Mani, I can’t find my PAN card. I need it for a property sale next month. What do I do?” The panic is understandable. PAN is one of those documents you need for almost everything in India – bank accounts, property transactions,…