# NRI property sale: dollar returns behind rupee gains, CA warns 2026-08-06T22:01:04+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet According to chartered accountant Sidhant Agarwal, an NRI who invested Rs 22.6 crore in a property between 2015 and 2020 and sold it for Rs 60 crore today would see a currency-adjusted IRR of just 6.5% in dollar terms over 11 years, compared to 10.7% in rupees. The example highlights how currency depreciation and tax treatment can erode real returns for NRIs who plan to spend wealth outside India. Beyond returns, NRIs must navigate TDS obligations (12.5% for NRI sellers), repatriation limits ($1 million per year for NRO accounts), and FEMA rules requiring sale proceeds to go into an NRO account. Using NRE or FCNR accounts for purchase allows full repatriation of principal for up to two residential properties, but capital gains remain subject to the annual cap. Experts also warn against executing sale deeds for family transfers when gift deeds could avoid stamp duty. ## Coverage - livemint.com - livemint.com Tags: FEMA, NRIs, property, repatriation, taxation Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/nris-face-tax-fema-hurdles-in-indian-property-deals/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/nris-face-tax-fema-hurdles-in-indian-property-deals/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.