Laws and legal documents when transferring large sums of money into India

Emigrating, funding a business or helping family abroad? Sending large sums to India from Australia can be tricky.

Updated Nov 13, 2020. What changed?

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India is the world's leading remittance recipient, with many expats sending money back to family members. Knowing the tax implications and how the process works can help give you peace of mind when transferring money there.

Is there tax on money being transferred from abroad to India?

There is no tax on money being transferred from abroad to India when it's being sent to blood relatives. In general, "blood relatives" — including spouses, children and grandchildren, siblings or in-laws — do not pay tax on any amount that you send. Your recipient also won't pay tax on any money sent as part of an inheritance or a wedding gift.

However, if you're sending more than $700 to someone in India who isn't a blood relative, they'll need to report it on their taxes. No matter how you send the money, your recipient could be on the hook for a gift tax if they aren't a blood relative, as regulated by the Indian Income Tax Act.

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How India regulates large remittances

India is the world’s leading remittance recipient, with more than $1.9 billion sent from Australia to India in 2017 alone, according to the World Bank. Many providers in Australia offer transfer services to India, but your recipient could be on the hook for a gift tax as regulated by the Indian Income Tax Act.

In general, if your recipient is a "blood relative" — including spouses, children and grandchildren, siblings or in-laws — they do not pay tax on any amount that you send. Your recipient also won't pay tax on any money sent as part of an inheritance or a wedding gift.

However, if your recipient is not related to you, any amount over 50,000 rupees (about $980, depending on the exchange rate) that you send is taxable and must be declared as income.

As with all international money transfers, be wary of potential fraud and only send money to people you know. Using a reputable provider can safeguard you from potential scams.

What are the penalties for not reporting a large remittance?

With so much attention on money entering and leaving India, if you fail to report large sums, don’t know you have to report them or don’t report them correctly — it will likely be discovered. Make sure to declare any large remittance as income on your general tax return with the Indian Income Tax Department.

To avoid the severe penalties that could come with a failure to report large sums of money into the country, speak with a professional to guarantee that everything is above board and complies with the laws of both Australia and India.

Do I have to report large transfers out of Australia?

By law, banks and money transfer services report all cash transactions that exceed $10,000 — and any transaction of any amount that alerts their suspicions. Some money transfer businesses have reporting thresholds as low as $1,000. You generally won't need to do anything on top of this, but it's good to keep all records of the transfer just in case.

Learn about the legal requirements for transferring large amounts of money into Australia.

How will my recipient receive my remittance in India?

The process of receiving a money transfer in India will vary by provider and delivery method. In general, your recipient will provide ID or a confirmation number for the transaction to receive your funds.

If your recipient owns an account with an Indian bank or money transfer company, they may not need to provide this information each time you send money.

DISCLAIMER: This article is general advice. It does not consider your own personal circumstances and may not be applicable to you. You should obtain professional advice and consider your own situation before acting on anything contained in our article.

Money transfer services with no maximum sending limit

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Min. Transfer Amount	Transfer Speed	Online Transfer Fee	Rate	Amount Received	Description	CTA	Details
GBP 0	1 - 2 days	AUD 1.99	56.162	INR 561,504	Azimo sends money directly to a bank account or over 280,000 cash pick-up points. It also has fast transfers to 50+ countries.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount GBP 0.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options One off payments Customer service Chat, Email Available currencies AED, ALL, AMD, AOA, ARS, AUD, AWG, AZN, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, BWP, BYR, BZD, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ERN, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GIP, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HKD, HNL, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, ISK, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MNT, MOP, MRO, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, SRD, STD, SZL, THB, TJS, TMT, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VND, VUV, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, XPF, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review
AUD 2,000	1 day	AUD 0.00	56.331	INR 563,312	SendFX guarantees to match any competitor’s exchange rate. T&Cs apply. Fee-free transfers in 30+ currencies to over 200 countries.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 2,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AUD, BGN, BHD, CAD, CHF, CNY, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KES, KWD, MXN, MYR, NOK, NZD, OMR, PHP, PLN, QAR, RON, SAR, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
AUD 250	1 - 2 days	AUD 0.00	56.331	INR 563,312	$0 transfer fees for Finder customers. OFX has no maximum limit transfers, with competitive exchange rates for 45+ currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 250.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AUD, AZN, BGN, BND, CAD, CHF, CNY, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, FJD, GBP, HKD, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KRW, KWD, LKR, MAD, MGA, MXN, MYR, NOK, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, RUB, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, THB, TOP, TRY, TWD, TZS, USD, VEF, VND, VUV, WST, XOF, XPF, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
AUD 1	1 day	AUD 45.00	56.557	INR 563,029	Pay no fees on your first two transfers, up to $3,000. SingX offers the real exchange rate every time you make a transfer and can help you send money across the world.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HKD, IDR, INR, JPY, KRW, LKR, MYR, NPR, NZD, PHP, SGD, THB, USD, VND, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
AUD 10	Within an hour	AUD 2.99	55.935	INR 559,186	Special offers like free transfers and better exchange rates available for new customers. Remitly has quick, affordable transfers around the world, with both express and economy options.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 10.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options N/A Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies ARS, AUD, BDT, BGN, BOB, BRL, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DOP, EGP, ETB, GHS, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, INR, JMD, KES, KMF, KRW, LKR, MAD, MXN, MYR, NIO, NPR, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RWF, THB, TND, TRY, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XAF, XOF, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
AUD 1	Same day	AUD 3.99	55.879	INR 558,565	Use promo code 3FREE to send your first 3 transfers with no fee. Conditions apply. WorldRemit sends money to 110+ countries for bank-to-bank deposits, cash pick-ups or mobile top-ups.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, ALL, AMD, ANG, AOA, ARS, AUD, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BOB, BRL, BWP, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DKK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, ISK, JMD, JOD, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, LSL, MAD, MDL, MGA, MRO, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RUB, RWF, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, SOS, SRD, THB, TJS, TND, TOP, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review
AUD 5	1 - 2 days	EUR 3.00	55.992	INR 550,418	Special offer: Zero fees on your first 10 transfers. CurrencyFair has bank-beating exchange rates and fast transfer times on 15+ popular currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 5.00 Transfer methods Online Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AUD, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, NOK, NZD, PHP, PLN, SEK, SGD, THB, USD, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
AUD 200	1 - 2 days	AUD 50.00	56.500	INR 562,179	Exclusive: Use code FINDER10 to receive US$10 off your first transaction. InstaReM offers simple transfers with a flat 0.5% transfer fee for most transfers. Zero-margin rates on some currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 200.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AUD, BDT, CAD, CNY, EUR, GBP, HKD, IDR, INR, KRW, LKR, MYR, NPR, PHP, PKR, SGD, THB, USD, VND Go to site Read the full review
AUD 1	1 - 2 days	AUD 60.00	56.557	INR 562,175	TransferWise uses the mid-market rate and transparent fees to help you send money in 45+ currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount AUD 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AED, ARS, AUD, BDT, BGN, BRL, BWP, CAD, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, GBP, GEL, GHS, HKD, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KES, KRW, LKR, MAD, MXN, MYR, NGN, NOK, NPR, NZD, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, RON, RUB, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XOF, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review

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Leah Fallon

Leah Fallon is an editor for Finder. With 10 years of teaching English under her belt, it was a natural progression to move into editorial. She's written feature pieces for regional print and digital media and today helps fix annoying apostrophes, elusive infinitives and the muddled em and en dash. When she's not helping people with their finances, you can find her exploring the trails of Loudoun County, Virginia and wrangling her two sprightly girls.

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WorldFirst International Money Transfers

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Laws and legal documents when transferring large sums of money into India

Emigrating, funding a business or helping family abroad? Sending large sums to India from Australia can be tricky.