India’s foreign assets reporting is no longer evolving quietly in the background; it has entered an era of assertive enforcement. Budget 2026 reinforced that overseas income/ asset disclosure is not merely a procedural obligation to disclose in the Income tax return forms, but a core compliance priority. The finance minister through her Budget speech clarified a shift towards technology-driven, non-intrusive compliance powered by data analytics. The implication is clear; with Indian tax authorities now equipped with extensive information through global reporting frameworks, non-disclosure of foreign income/ assets reporting is a quantifiable and traceable risk.As a quick snapshot, the major milestones in India’s foreign asset reporting framework to strengthen compliance, is outlined below:
The enforcement architectureIndia today operates within a global financial transparency architecture whereby it receives through international information exchange mechanisms such as the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The relevant authorities receive granular, account level data on overseas financial assets, ranging from foreign bank accounts, investment portfolios, immovable properties, beneficial ownership etc. This information is not episodic – it is received in a structured way. Therefore, enforcement is no longer limited to suspicion-based audits or investigations, instead, discrepancies are detected systematically, as overseas financial data is matched against Income-tax returns filed in India, algorithmically.The legal foundation: foreign income /asset mandatory disclosureAs per domestic tax laws in India, individual taxpayers who qualify as Resident and Ordinarily Resident (ROR) are taxed on their global income are mandatorily required to disclose foreign income and assets in their Income-tax return forms in FSI & FA schedule.The disclosure and reporting are quite wide, covering foreign bank accounts – whether held individually or jointly or custodian, ESOP/ ESPP/ RSU’s granted of foreign parent entity, shares and securities of foreign enterprises, immovable property, trusts, retirement pension accounts like 401k etc. held outside India. The disclosure obligations are not only linked to income generation or asset value, even dormant or low-balance accounts or assets that yield no income etc., are required to be reported. Foreign assets reporting: India in a Global ContextIndia’s foreign asset reporting regime has progressively aligned with global transparency standards, though its structural design differs from mature jurisdictions such as the United States.While India requires Resident taxpayers to disclose foreign assets and income in Schedule FA and FSI schedule within the Income tax return form, with stringent consequences under the Black Money Act, the US reporting is citizenship & residency based. Besides FATCA reporting with IRS US also requires reporting via FinCEN form 114 to US Treasury under Bank Secrecy Act. Both jurisdictions emphasize transparency and global information exchange, the US regime is threshold-driven and dual-reported (IRS and FinCEN), India integrates disclosure within the tax return but couples it with a separate penal statute for undisclosed foreign assets. Practical challenges in Foreign Asset ReportingIndividual taxpayers often struggle with determining the correct reportable value of foreign assets, particularly in cases involving dormant bank accounts, inherited holdings, or investments acquired over multiple years. Currency conversion methodology and availability of historical documentation further complicate accurate disclosure.While income in the tax return is reported on a financial year basis (April to March of subsequent year), disclosures in Schedule FA require details relating to the calendar year (i.e., January to December). This mismatch frequently results in reconciliation challenges, especially where overseas financial statements follow a different reporting cycle.In addition, inconsistencies may arise where foreign income has been offered to tax but the corresponding asset was omitted in Schedule FA exposing taxpayers to technical non-compliance, despite absence of concealment intent.CBDT’s NUDGE initiative: From awareness to enforcementThe CBDT had already demonstrated the data-driven model in action. Through its Compliance-cum-Awareness Campaign and the Non-Intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable (‘NUDGE’) initiative, overseas financial information received under CRS was used to flag discrepancies and encouraged prompt voluntary correction.The response was significant: in the first phase alone, 24,678 taxpayers revised their returns, disclosing foreign assets worth over ₹29,200 crore and foreign income of over ₹1,089 crore.While the campaign was positioned as NUDGE by the CBDT, it sent signals for more assertive enforcement.Why the Black Money Act raises the stakesThe Black Money Act operates parallel to the Income-tax Act, 1961 and carries a significantly harsher compliance. Under this, even mere non-reporting of a foreign asset, irrespective of whether it has generated income or not, would attract penalty exposure. An undisclosed foreign asset may be taxed at a flat rate of 30% of its Fair Market Value (FMV), with penalties for non-reporting of ₹10 lakhs, even where no income has arisen.To balance the stringent penalties under the Black Money Act, the proposed Finance Bill 2026 also introduces targeted relief for small taxpayers. Prosecution will not be initiated where the aggregate value of undisclosed foreign assets (other than immovable property) does not exceed ₹20 lakh, and this change applies retrospectively from October 01, 2024.Finance Bill, 2026: A calibrated amnesty opportunityThe Finance Bill, 2026 also proposed a targeted compliance reset through ‘The Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers Disclosure Scheme, 2026 (FAST-DS 2026)’. The scheme provides a one-time opportunity to disclose specified foreign income and assets acquired up to March 31, 2026, with immunity from further proceedings under the Black Money Act, subject to prescribed conditions. The scheme will come into force from a date to be notified by the Central Government.The scheme’s objective is to address legacy reporting gaps of foreign income and assets through a structured correction window rather than prolonged enforcement. This amnesty scheme is clearly positioned as a limited correction, and not a recurring compliance facility with it being operative for a 6-month window. The scheme applies to individual taxpayers who are/ were ROR when the foreign income accrued/ earned or asset was acquired, irrespective of their current residential status. Accordingly, even those who are presently Non-Residents or Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident may avail the scheme if the non-disclosure pertains to a period when they qualified as ROR in India.The scheme has two categories tabulated below for easy comprehension:
The payment of the above provides immunity from further tax, penalty, and prosecution under the Black Money Act. For taxpayers, this may be the last opportunity to regularize legacy foreign reporting gaps within a structured immunity framework. However, the relief is not universal: the scheme excludes assets that constitute proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, and does not extend to cases where assessment proceedings under the Black Money Act have already been concluded.What FAQs clarifiesThe Budget 2026 FAQs offer some interpretative guidance. Importantly, the FAQ confirms that valuation under Category A is linked to the FMV of the asset as on 31 March 2026, not its original acquisition cost. It further clarifies that individual taxpayers who were Resident at the time of acquiring remain eligible, even if they are currently Non-Resident. While these clarifications are welcome, several operational and implementation questions remain open.Areas that require clarificationsWhile the disclosure window offers an opportunity for course correction. The clarity on the 6-month timeline commencement date and procedural mechanics is yet to be notified. Likewise, the requirement of valuing foreign assets at FMV as of March 31, 2026, raises practical questions around valuation methodology, currency conversion rates, particularly for assets such as foreign securities, immovable properties, employer provided stocks etc.Further, ambiguities remain if an individual taxpayer has multiple foreign assets acquired over several years, whether – one fee applies for all assets, or separate fee apply per asset / per year of non-disclosure. Lastly, while the scheme grants immunity from penalties and prosecution for disclosed income and assets, there are questions whether this will fully shield against reassessment under the existing Income tax Act. While the amnesty scheme is intended to make compliance easier for small taxpayers and those with inadvertent or legacy non-disclosures, it requires more detailing from CBDT to provide clarity on its practical implementation.What should individual taxpayers do now?In this evolving compliance landscape, individual taxpayers with overseas financial interests should undertake a prompt and structured review. Residential status must be reassessed for each relevant financial year with careful consideration, as the reporting obligations will depend entirely on it. A comprehensive inventory of all foreign assets including bank accounts, investments in foreign securities, pension funds, trusts, immovable property etc., should be prepared to evaluate reporting exposure.The disclosure window proposed in Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to revisit and regularise past positions, but it demands taxpayers to seek informed guidance from experienced tax professionals before taking any action. In a data-driven enforcement environment, proactive correction today is far preferable than facing disproportionate consequences later.(Ravi Jain is Tax Partner at Vialto Partners. Vikas Narang, Director at Vialto Partners and Pawan Digga, Manager at Vialto Partners have contributed to the article. Views are personal.)
