Form 15CA/15CB Is Now Form 145/146: NRI Guide for 2026

If you’re a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) planning to send money out of India this year, you’ve probably heard that Form 15CA and Form 15CB have new names. This isn’t a rumour. From 1 April 2026, Form 15CA is renamed Form 145 and Form 15CB is renamed Form 146 under the Income-tax Act 2025. If you’re sending property sale proceeds, rental income, or Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) account balances abroad this year, here’s exactly what changes for you. This is a general summary, not tax advice, so confirm your specific situation with a Chartered Accountant (CA).

What changed Form 15CA/15CB → Form 145/146

This is a rename and renumbering exercise, not a change in who owes what. The shift is a byproduct of the Income-tax Act 2025 restructuring the entire statute, which meant every form linked to old section numbers needed a new number too. The legal basis has moved from Section 195 and Rule 37BB of the old Income-tax Rules to Sections 393, 395, 397, and 462 of the Income-tax Act 2025, along with Rule 220 of the Income-tax Rules 2026. One small but genuine change worth knowing: the list of exempt remittance categories under Rule 220(3) has grown from 28 to 33, with five new import-related purpose codes added. For NRIs this rarely matters directly, but it’s part of why the update isn’t purely cosmetic. The Income Tax Department has confirmed this transition on its own Form 145 FAQ page on incometaxindia.gov.in, titled “Form No. 145 (Earlier Form No. 15CA).”

The 4 Parts of Form 145 (formerly Form 15CA)

Part C is the one that covers most NRI situations, including property sale proceeds and high-value rental repatriation. The full list of remittance categories and exempt categories runs into dozens of entries; rather than reproduce them here, it’s worth checking the current list directly on the Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal when you file. For most NRIs, the case that actually applies is Part C. The next section explains why.

When NRIs actually need Form 145/146 -4 real scenarios

Property sale proceeds repatriated abroad

Say an NRI sells a flat in Bangalore for ₹1.2 crore, having bought it for ₹80 lakh and held it for more than two years. The long-term capital gain of roughly ₹40 lakh is taxed at 12.5% without indexation benefit under the current capital gains regime. Because the taxable remittance comfortably exceeds ₹5 lakh, the CA issues Form 146, the remitter then files Form 145 under Part C, and only after both are in place does the Authorised Dealer (AD) bank release the funds abroad.

Rental income transferred out of NRO

Rental income collected in an NRO account and sent abroad follows the same threshold logic. If the taxable amount for the year stays within ₹5 lakh, Part A is enough and no CA certificate is required. Cross that threshold, and it moves into Part C, meaning a Form 146 certificate is needed before the transfer can go through.

NRO balance transferred to overseas account

NRIs can move funds from an NRO account to an overseas account subject to the Reserve Bank of India’s overall cap of $1 million per financial year under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) rules. Form 145, and Form 146 where the taxable portion exceeds ₹5 lakh, are prerequisites the AD bank will check before releasing any part of that transfer.

Gift, inheritance, or matured investment proceeds

Whether these need the full Part C treatment depends on taxability at source. Non-taxable transfers, such as certain inheritances, often fall under Part D with no CA certificate required, while taxable transfers above the threshold need Part C. The 12.5% capital gains figure and the $1 million FEMA cap cited above reflect rules as they stood through 2026; always confirm current figures with your CA before relying on them.

The bank workflow: what to hand to your Authorised Dealer

Once your forms are filed, the AD bank needs a documentation package before it will process the remittance. Most banks will ask for the Form 145 acknowledgement, the Form 146 acknowledgement along with its Unique Document Identification Number (UDIN), the bank’s own A2 remittance form, and supporting paperwork such as the sale deed for a property transaction, a rental agreement, your Permanent Account Number (PAN), and a Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) if you’re claiming Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) relief. One change worth flagging: UDIN is now mandatory on every Form 146, whereas it was inconsistently required on Form 15CB in some workflows earlier. A Form 146 without a valid UDIN won’t be accepted.

The transition trap: remittances straddling 1 April 2026

If you filed Form 15CA/15CB before 31 March 2026 and the actual remittance was completed by that date, the old forms remain valid; there’s no need to refile. But if you filed the old forms before the cutoff and haven’t remitted yet, check with your CA on whether the transaction now needs to be refiled as Form 145/146. From 1 April 2026 onward, every new remittance must use the new forms, no exceptions. In practice, some banks are still catching up, and staff may ask for “15CA/15CB” out of habit. Be ready to point out, politely, that these forms have been renamed and renumbered, and cite the Income Tax Department’s own Form 145 FAQ if you need to back that up.

6 mistakes that get NRI remittances blocked at the bank

Filing the wrong Part of Form 145: Choosing Part A when your remittance is actually above ₹5 lakh, or vice versa, causes rejections. Confirm your taxable amount before you file.

Skipping the TRC when claiming DTAA relief: No Tax Residency Certificate means the bank defaults to standard TDS rates instead of the treaty rate, which can mean unnecessary deduction.

Wrong RBI purpose code on the form: An incorrect purpose code is one of the most common reasons banks send remittances back for correction.

Filing after the remittance instead of before: Form 145 has to be filed and, where needed, backed by Form 146, before the money moves, not as a formality afterward.

Name or PAN mismatch. Even a small spelling difference between your PAN card, your bank KYC, and the form itself can hold up an otherwise straightforward transfer.

Using outdated Form 15CA/15CB after 1 April 2026: This is the mistake unique to this year. Old forms simply aren’t valid for remittances made on or after the cutover date, whatever your bank staff might assume.

Penalty and the 7-day withdrawal window

Non-filing or incorrect information can attract a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh, now under Section 462 of the Income-tax Act 2025 rather than the earlier Section 271-I. The good news is that the withdrawal window hasn’t changed: Form 145, like Form 15CA before it, can still be withdrawn within 7 days of submission if you spot an error. Courts have previously held that this penalty does not extend to payments for imports of goods, which is useful background but rarely relevant to a personal NRI remittance.

Frequently Asked Questions