Same Requirement, Different Form Numbers Depending on the Date
Here's something worth knowing before anything else on this page: for remittances initiated on or after 1 April 2026, Form 15CA and 15CB have technically been renumbered to Form 145 and Form 146 under the revised Income-tax Rules. The substance hasn't changed—the ₹5 lakh threshold is the same, the four-part structure carries over, and the Rule 37BB exemption list is unchanged. Only the form numbers are different. Remittances initiated before that date remain governed by the original 15CA and 15CB forms, and those historical filings stay valid for audit purposes. Most banks, CAs, and the portal itself still refer to the requirement by its older, more familiar name, which is exactly why this page continues to use it—the compliance obligation behind Form 15CA and 15CB is what actually matters, regardless of which number sits on the form.
Any person or business making a payment to a non-resident or a foreign company that's chargeable to tax in India needs to account for this before the money leaves the country. Legal-N-Tax India, based in Sector 12, Dwarka, assists individuals, NRIs, and businesses across Delhi with the documentation, CA certification, and filing this requirement involves.
What These Forms Actually Certify
The two forms serve different purposes, even though they're almost always discussed together. Form 15CA is the remitter's own electronic declaration, filed on the Income Tax Department's portal, confirming details of the remittance and whether tax has been deducted where applicable. Form 15CB, on the other hand, is a certificate issued by a practising Chartered Accountant—it confirms the nature and taxability of the remittance under the Income Tax Act and any applicable Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, and verifies that TDS under Section 195 has been correctly worked out. Together, Form 15 CA and 15 CB cover both sides of the same transaction, the remitter's declaration and the CA's independent check on it.
Authorised dealer banks won't process an outward remittance without seeing the appropriate acknowledgement from this requirement first, which is why it sits squarely between the remitter, their CA, and the bank handling the transfer. This isn't unique to large corporate payments either—the same rule applies whether it's a business paying a foreign vendor for services, an exporter settling an overseas invoice, or an individual sending money for a relative's education or medical treatment abroad. The amount and purpose of the remittance decide which part of the form applies, not the identity of who's sending it.
|
Part of the Form |
When It Applies |
|
Part A |
Remittance (or aggregate remittance in the financial year) doesn't exceed ₹5 lakh |
|
Part B |
Remittance exceeds ₹5 lakh, but a certificate/order under Section 195(2), 195(3), or 197 has been obtained from the Assessing Officer |
|
Part C |
Remittance exceeds ₹5 lakh and is taxable, with Form 15CB obtained from a Chartered Accountant |
|
Part D |
Remittance is not chargeable to tax under the Income Tax Act |
A Chartered Accountant's certificate under Part C also needs a valid UDIN attached—per ICAI's guidelines, a Form 15CB issued without one is treated as invalid from the outset, which is a detail that occasionally trips up filings done in a hurry.
When Neither Form Is Actually Required
Rule 37BB lists a set of payment categories exempt from this requirement altogether — the list has grown from 28 to 33 categories over the years and covers things like certain imports of goods, specified government transactions, and investments by Indian entities abroad in equity or debt instruments. A few situations worth knowing:
- Remittances by resident individuals under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme that don't need prior RBI approval—broadly, personal transfers within the annual USD 2,50,000 limit
- Payments already covered by a certificate or order from the Assessing Officer under Section 195(2), 195(3), or 197
- Specific categories listed in the Rule 37BB schedule, such as certain import payments and government-related transactions
That said, banks frequently ask for the filing anyway as part of their own internal compliance checks, even where a transaction technically falls under an exemption. It's worth confirming with the remitting bank directly whether they'll accept the exemption on its own, or whether they'd still want Form 15 CA and CB filed regardless of the technical exemption.
Documents Needed Before Filing
Getting the 15CA CB Form right on the first attempt mostly comes down to having these ready in advance:
- PAN card of the remitter
- PAN card or Tax Residency Certificate of the remittee, along with Form 10F where DTAA benefit is being claimed
- Invoice or contract supporting the remittance
- Bank account details of both the remitter and the remittee
- A clear statement of the nature and purpose of the remittance
- A No Permanent Establishment declaration, where relevant to the transaction
- Applicable DTAA details and the tax rate being claimed
- TDS challan, where tax has already been deposited on the transaction
Filing the 15CA CB Form, Step by Step
The sequence matters here: Form 15CB has to be obtained before Part C of Form 15CA can be filed, since the CA's certificate number is required to complete the 15CA CB Form correctly.
- Confirm applicability first. Check the remittance amount and nature against Rule 37BB before assuming either form is needed at all.
- The Chartered Accountant reviews the transaction and issues Form 15CB, referencing the invoice, contract, and DTAA position where relevant.
- File Form 15CA on the income tax portal, selecting the correct part based on the remittance amount and referencing the CA's certificate where Part C applies.
- Submit the acknowledgement to the bank—most authorised dealer banks require both the 15CA acknowledgement number and the 15CB reference before processing the transfer.
Filing has to happen before the remittance is made, not after—a transfer completed without the acknowledgement in hand is treated as non-compliant even if the paperwork is sorted out later. Form 15CA itself can be withdrawn within seven days of submission if something in the filing needs to be corrected. Given the sequencing involved—CA review, certificate issuance, then the online filing itself—it's worth starting this process at least a few working days ahead of when the remittance actually needs to go out, rather than same-day, particularly where DTAA analysis or a Permanent Establishment determination is involved.
What Goes Wrong, and What It Costs
|
Common Mistake |
Consequences |
|
Filing under the wrong Part of the 15CA CB Form |
Rejection or return of the filing, delaying the remittance |
|
Mismatched details between the CA certificate and the online filing |
Bank query or rejection at the processing stage |
|
Filing Form 15CA before Form 15CB is actually issued |
Unnecessary filing effort, or a missed exemption the bank later questions |
|
Ignoring an applicable Rule 37BB exemption |
Unnecessary filing effort, or a missed exemption the bank later questions |
|
Not filling at all where required |
Penalty of ₹1,00,000 under Section 271-I, plus possible disallowance of the related expenditure |
Beyond the direct penalty, an incorrect or missing filing under Form 15 CA and CB tends to show up as a delayed or outright rejected remittance, since authorised dealer banks are themselves accountable for confirming this compliance before processing a transfer abroad.
Where to Download Form 15CA
Download Form 15CA directly from the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal, under the statutory forms section—filing itself also happens on the same portal, so the form isn't something that gets printed and submitted physically. For anyone who wants to see the format before starting the actual online filing, being able to download Form 15CA as a reference first is a reasonable way to understand what information will be asked for, particularly the fields specific to whichever Part applies to the transaction. Businesses filing repeatedly for similar transaction types often keep a checklist based on what the form asked for the first time around, since the required fields don't change much between filings of the same type.
Why Businesses Work With Legal-N-Tax India
Our Chartered Accountants review the nature of the remittance, work out the applicable tax position under the Income Tax Act and relevant DTAA, and issue Form 15CB where the transaction requires it. Alongside that, we help prepare and file the correct part of the 15CA CB Form, coordinate with the remitting bank where a query comes up, and keep documentation organised for anyone who needs to reference the filing later, such as during a future assessment.
For NRIs sending funds abroad, businesses making payments to foreign vendors, or exporters and importers dealing with cross-border transactions regularly, getting Form 15 CA and CB right the first time avoids the more common source of delay—a rejected filing that pushes a time-sensitive remittance back by days while it's corrected and resubmitted.
Related Services
Filing Form 15 CA and 15 CB correctly often connects to a few other cross-border compliance areas, covered on these related pages:
- NRI Taxation
- Tax Treaty Advisory Services
- Residential Status Determination
- Tax Residency Certificate
- Income Tax Compliance
- Lower Tax Deduction Certificate
- FC-GPR & RBI Compliance
For the official portal, form downloads, and current filing rules, refer to the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Form 15CA and 15CB required for every foreign remittance?
No. Rule 37BB exempts a specific list of payment categories, including many personal remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and certain import-related payments. Where no exemption applies, the requirement stands regardless of the amount.
Is Form 15CA and 15CB the same thing, or two separate filings?
Two separate things that work together, Form 15CA is the remitter's own declaration, Form 15CB is the CA's certificate backing it up when the remittance crosses ₹5 lakh.
Where do I download Form 15CA if I just want to see what it looks like?
Straight from the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal, under the statutory forms section, no need to visit an office for a copy.
Does form 15 ca and 15 cb apply to money coming into India, or only money going out?
Only outward remittances, payments going out to a non-resident or foreign company. Money received from abroad isn't covered by this requirement.
Can I skip the Chartered Accountant and file Form 15CA and 15CB myself?
You can file Form 15CA yourself, but Form 15CB specifically has to come from a practising CA—that part isn't something a remitter can self-certify.
Does the renaming of these forms to Form 145 and 146 change anything for a remittance being made today?
Only the form number. The ₹5 lakh threshold, the four-part structure, and the Rule 37BB exemptions remain the same—remittances from 1 April 2026 onward simply use the new form numbers for the same underlying requirement.
Contact Legal-N-Tax Advisory LLP
115, Lower Ground Floor, Sector-12A Road, Block A, Sector 12 Dwarka, New Delhi – 110078
Phone / WhatsApp: +91-9810957163
Email: mail@legalntaxindia.com
Website: www.legalntaxindia.com
