I was working abroad since June 2009 and returned back to India permanently on October 28, 2020.
I changed my NRE bank account status to that of resident saving account in November 2020. Also, the FDs in the NRE account status were changed to resident saving account FDs.
The interest accrued on these FDs on December 31, 2020, on quarterly basis and the bank cut TDS on the same. Also, TDS deducted in the March 2021 quarter on FD interest/ matured FDs in this quarter.
My questions are:
1. While filing tax for the financial year April 2020 to March 2021, will the interest income on the savings account and the FDs be considered from the date of account status changed from NRE to resident saving account? Or will the interest income be considered from Mar 2020 (ie, for whole year)?
Ans: As per the RBI's master directions, upon returning to India permanently, the existing NRE FD account of the NRI account holder is required to be converted to a resident account, without any changes in the promised rate of interest.
The interest earned from the NRE FD is not taxable. However, after it is converted to a resident FD, the interest earned is taxed as per your income tax slab. TDS will be deducted if applicable.
2. If the answer of the first question is from the date of account status change, then the total income for the year will be less than exempted income. In this case, can I get tax return on deducted TDS on FDs after filing ITR?
Anil Rego Yes. Once you file ITR, you can claim a refund for any extra tax paid.
