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April 7, 2025
Question

if anyone has a NRO/NRE account in India how do you report interest gained in those accounts on your US tax filing?

  • April 7, 2025
  • 2 replies
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    2 replies

    DaveF1006
    April 7, 2025

    You do not report interest earned/gained as taxable income. unless it is paid out to you. You do have a 8938 filing requirement if the balance on the accounts exceeds $50,000 on the last day in the year or $75,000 at any time during the year if you file Single.  The thresholds are $100,000/$150,000 respectively if Married Filing Jointly.

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    Employee
    April 7, 2025

    @kdutta ,Namashkar.

    Whereas I do not  have experience in owning NRE or NRO accounts,  I am aware  of the US tax implications of such accounts.

    (a) Are you a US person ( citizen / GreenCard/ Resident for Tax purposes ) ?  I ask because as NRA  you do not need to report the earnings in such schemes.

    (b)  There are no special handling / carveouts in the US-India Tax Treaty -- this is just interest income.

    (c) Issues that are  most vexing ( depending on the actual facts & circumstances) are:

                           1. For NRE accounts   earnings while not taxed  in India still have to be recognized and taxed in the USA.  And to this add the uncertainty/ effects  caused by  exchange rate.   You recognize  these earnings  ( for US purposes ) as interest earnings.  Since India does not tax the earnings there is NO Foreign Tax credit ( No double taxation ).

                             2.  For NRO accounts, because India taxes these, you have  eligibility  for Foreign Tax Credit    but generally no  exchange rate degradation issue.  Your reporting / recognition  is dependent on the type of income deposited into the account  (  savings/CD interest , rental income. business income etc. )

     

    Given the general nature of your question , I do not know for certain if I have answered your query  in full or not .  I will await your response .