“Mani, do I have to pay taxes twice? Once in the US and once in India?” I get this question at least five times a week. Every single week. For the past seven years. And I get it. The fear of double taxation kept me up at night too when I was planning my move…

My first TDS shock came in 2010. I had an NRO fixed deposit in India. Matured after a year. I expected the full amount plus interest. Instead, I received 70% of the interest. The bank had deducted 30% TDS. Nobody told me this would happen. I called the bank. “Sir, you are NRI. TDS is…

I sold my Bangalore flat in 2019. The buyer was ready. The price was agreed. Papers were signed. Then my CA called. “Mani, the buyer needs to deduct 20% TDS before paying you.” I did not know this. The buyer did not know this. We almost completed the transaction incorrectly. That one phone call saved…

My flat in Kochi sat empty for three months after I moved to California. My mom finally said, “Why not rent it out? At least it will be maintained.” Great idea. Except nobody told me about TDS. Or that I would need to file ITR in India. Or that the tenant was supposed to deduct…

The email from my CPA made my heart stop. “Mani, did you report your Indian mutual fund gains? The IRS classifies these as PFICs. You might owe penalties.” This was 2015. I had been filing US taxes for eight years. I thought I knew what I was doing. Turns out I had been making mistakes…