« Top Headlines » Open DEMAT Account in 24 hrs  Tax planning for 2025: How to maximise your savings before March 31 deadline  New income tax bill reaches Parliament: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tables I-T Bill 2025 in Lok Sabha  5 major changes in the last 6 months every taxpayer should know!  Good news for taxpayers: ITR forms updated to allow 87A tax rebate claims, but there's a catch  Top 10 income tax changes from 2024 to look out for while filing ITR in 2025 «  I-T returns to help you work from home... NRIs may get to send home more money... » Passport to hassle-free deals October, 27th 2006 Non-resident Indians (NRIs) are investing big time in India. However, a majority of NRIs is unaware about the laws regarding taxation and repatriation of funds. One of the key requirement for a hassle-free financial transaction is to have a PAN card. Till recently, the few NRIs who bothered to apply for PAN cards had to go through a cumbersome process. It meant applying for a card with the help of an Indian representative (a tax consultant or CA in most cases) on Form 49 A. However, considering the problems and also the fact that very few cards were issued, the Income Tax Department has recently simplified the process. It now allows NRIs and even foreign citizens to directly apply for a PAN card, without any reference to a representative. The Form 49 A is similar to that of anybody seeking a PAN card. NRIs can download the forms from the websites of two designated PAN service providers — UTI Technology Services and National Securities Depositories — and send the filled-up form to their offices. The application form requires NRIs to attach a photocopy of their passport and a photocopy of their bank account in India. In case the application is made by NRIs when visiting India, they need to furnish a photocopy of the their resident-country bank account. The services providers can charge for the processing of PAN card application and courier charges for sending the PAN card.Given that e-filing of tax returns has also been facilitated now, NRIs can file returns on basis of their PAN card from overseas.