The budget has turned out to be taxing for the non-resident Indian. Firstly, to be categorised a non-resident, an Indian now has to stay abroad for 240 days a year, against 182 previously. In other words, an Indian national, to claim the non-resident status, can’t stay in India for 120 days or more in a year.
“We’ve made changes in Income Tax Act where if an Indian citizen stays out of the country for more than 182 days, he becomes non-resident,” said revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey. “Now in order to become non-resident, he has to stay out of the country for 240 days.”
The second rule is more deadly: a non-resident Indian, who is not taxed in the foreign country, will become taxable in India. The government said it is introducing this provision to prevent tax abuse.
