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💰 Tax Savings · Special-status benefits

NRE & FCNR interest — fully tax-free for NRIs (old 10(4)/10(15))

In short

Interest on your NRE accounts/deposits and FCNR deposits is fully exempt from Indian tax while you are a non-resident — Income-tax Act 2025 (old Section 10(4)/10(15)). Often the single biggest tax-free lever for an NRI.

What's exempt

  • NRE savings & term deposit interest — 100% tax-free, and no TDS.
  • FCNR (foreign-currency) deposit interest — 100% tax-free.
  • Both are freely repatriable (principal + interest).

The catch — residential status

The exemption runs only while you qualify as a non-resident (or RNOR) under FEMA/Income-tax residence rules. On returning to India permanently, convert NRE to a Resident Foreign Currency (RFC) account — interest then generally becomes taxable once you are a resident, though RNOR status can extend tax-free treatment for 2–3 years.

Compare with NRO

NRO account interest is taxable and suffers TDS (up to ~30%). Keep foreign earnings in NRE/FCNR, and use NRO only for India-source income (rent, dividends) — then trim its TDS with a lower-TDS certificate.

Who it helps

Every NRI parking savings in India — structure deposits as NRE/FCNR, not NRO, for tax-free, repatriable returns.

The law behind it
Income-tax Act 2025 (old 10(4)(ii)) old 10(15)(iv)(fa) FCNR
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General information for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), not advice on your specific case. Limits, rates and conditions change with each Finance Act and depend on your facts — confirm before acting. © EaseValue Advisors LLP.
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