Taxation of Foreign Income of a resident taxpayer

As per the Income-tax provisions, a resident taxpayer needs to disclose global income in his Income-tax return.

In short, income earned in India as well as income earned abroad is taxable for the resident taxpayers. Incomes earned in India are required to be disclosed normally in Income-tax forms, however, if the taxpayer is having a source of income outside India or any asset located abroad, then the taxpayer needs to fill an additional schedule FA in his Income-tax form.

If the taxpayer is a non-resident then he needs to disclose only those incomes which are earned by him in India. Hence, the residential status of a taxpayer plays a vital role to determine the taxation of income.

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Foreign source income may be of various forms which are as follows-

1. If a taxpayer has gone abroad for employment purposes, the Salary received by him abroad shall be Foreign Income.
2. If the taxpayer opens a bank account abroad, Interest credited to this account shall be Foreign Income.
3. While residing abroad, the taxpayer received shares under ESOP (Employee stock option plan). He invests in Securities, Shares of companies listed abroad then all Dividends, Interests received from these Securities, Shares, etc. shall be his Foreign Income.
4. If a taxpayer has acquired House Property abroad, however, while returning to India he let out such property, then Rentals received from such property shall be Foreign Income.
5. If the taxpayer sells his foreign Capital Assets viz. Securities, Shares, House Property etc., then Capital Gain on such sale is also a Foreign Income.

E.g. – Mr Niraj (age 28) was posted to Russia by his employer for some technical assistance. He was in Russia for 40 days during F.Y. 2017-18 after that he came back to India. He received Rs. 2,50,000/- as salary while in Russia whereas Rs. 12,00,000/- as salary in India.

He received Rs. 56,000/- as Dividend from Shares of companies listed in Russia and Rs. 8,000/- as Interest in his savings account held in Russia. He paid Premiums for Life Insurance Policies viz. Rs. 20,000/- (policy drawn abroad), Rs. 1,20,000/- (policy in India).

What is the taxable income of Mr Niraj for F.Y. 2017-18?

Ans. :- Computation of income of Mr Niraj for F.Y. 2017-18

Click here to know about “Taxation of Non-resident Indians (NRIs).