Notes & insights.
Periodic notes from the partnership on cross-border tax, FEMA changes, the Indian regulatory environment, and what we learn working alongside founders, investors, and family offices.
Recent notes
NRE vs NRO account: which one does an NRI actually need?
The plain-English difference between NRE and NRO accounts — taxability, the USD 1M repatriation limit, and the FEMA rule most NRIs accidentally break after moving abroad.
Read the full noteRNOR status explained: the tax window every returning NRI should use.
RNOR keeps a returning NRI's foreign income tax-free in India for roughly two to three years. Who qualifies, how long it lasts, the NRE-versus-FCNR nuance, and how to use the window to restructure.
Read the full noteESOP taxation in India: the two tax points every startup employee misses.
ESOPs are taxed twice — as a perquisite at exercise and as capital gains at sale. We cover how each stage works, the cash-flow trap at exercise, and the DPIIT-recognised startup deferral.
Read the full noteGCC vs outsourcing: which model should you use to build a team in India?
The cost, control, IP and compliance trade-off between a captive Global Capability Centre and outsourcing — when each makes sense, and the transfer-pricing reality of running a GCC.
Read the full noteThe Income-tax Act, 2025: what actually changes for founders, NRIs and foreign companies.
India replaces the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026. Mostly a renumbering and a new “tax year” — but every section reference in your ESOPs, valuations and TP files needs a second look. A plain-English guide with a 1961 → 2025 section map.
Read the full noteForm 13 LDC for NRIs: when it works, when it doesn't.
A practical note for NRIs selling Indian property. Section 195 imposes 20.8% TDS on the full sale consideration; Form 13 reduces that to the actual capital gains rate. We walk through when the application succeeds, when it fails, what to file, and what to do when timing is against you.
Read the full noteFlip structuring after GAAR. Delaware, Singapore, Cayman, IFSC, UAE compared.
Indian startups going offshore now operate in a post-GAAR, post-PoEM, post-Section 9 reality. We compare five common destination jurisdictions across substance requirements, capital-gains exposure, ESOP migration, IP transfer, and cost. There is no single right answer, but there are wrong ones.
Read the full noteWhat changed in India-US transfer pricing for FY26.
Three meaningful changes (Master File / CbCR threshold revision, the Safe Harbour rules update for IT/ITeS captives, and the Advance Pricing Agreement programme's data-driven turnaround acceleration) meaningfully shift how Indian arms of US groups should approach FY26 documentation.
Read the full noteMailing list
To be notified when we publish, email shamik@advisorymonks.io with "Insights mailing list" in the subject. We send updates only when we publish, typically once a quarter, sometimes more if a regulatory change demands it.
For journalists & researchers
For interview requests, citation-ready summaries of our positions on cross-border tax, or speaking engagements at industry events, contact shamik@advisorymonks.io.
Guides & tools
NRI selling property in India: TDS, Form 13 & repatriation
Cut 20.8% Section 195 TDS to your actual capital-gains rate, with a worked example and the repatriation path.
Read the guideNRI property TDS & Form 13 savings estimator
Estimate the TDS withheld, the tax actually due, and the cash a Form 13 certificate could free up.
Open the calculatorIndia entry for foreign companies: subsidiary, FEMA & GST
Choosing the vehicle, incorporation, FDI/FC-GPR, GST and transfer pricing — a practical setup guide.
Read the guideIndia–US cross-border tax: DTAA, withholding, PFIC & GILTI
Treaty positions, Section 195 with 15CA/15CB, US-person exposure and transfer pricing in one place.
Read the guide