Canada NRIs · NRO TDS Recovery
NRO account TDS recovery for NRIs in Canada
Your Indian bank deducts tax on NRO interest at the full non-resident rate. The India-Canada treaty lets you bring it down and reclaim the excess.
India-Canada key facts: nro tds recovery
| Default non-resident TDS rate | 30% |
| India-Canada DTAA treaty rate | 15% |
| Your saving via the treaty | 15% |
| Treaty article / basis | Article 11, caps interest withholding at 15% for Canadian-resident beneficial owners |
| Your TRC issuing authority | the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) |
Rates reflect India's domestic withholding under Section 393(2) (Section 195 until 31 March 2026) and the India-Canada treaty. Surcharge and cess apply on top where relevant.
How it works on the India side
Indian banks deduct TDS on NRO interest at the 30% non-resident rate plus surcharge and cess, under Section 393(2) (Section 195 until 31 March 2026). Where India has a treaty with your country that caps interest lower, Form 41 (formerly Form 10F) and a Tax Residency Certificate lodged with the bank get you that capped rate on future interest. Where there is no treaty, there is nothing to claim down to, so the same paperwork changes nothing and the 30% stands.
A lower-deduction certificate is the one piece of paperwork that works at the bank either way. You apply on Form 128 under Section 395 (the old Form 13 under Section 197) through the TRACES portal, and it is open to non-residents on interest. Where your estimated Indian tax for the year is below what the bank is deducting, the Assessing Officer can certify a lower or nil rate, which the bank then applies to future interest.
The refund route is the same either way, and it's your Indian return. The bank's TDS shows against your PAN in Form 26AS and the AIS, you work out what you actually owe (the treaty rate where one applies, otherwise your slab rate, because NRO interest is ordinary slab income), and the excess comes back with interest under Section 244A. Years you never filed can often still be reached: CBDT Circular 11/2024 lets you apply for condonation under Section 119(2)(b) of the 1961 Act, the law that governs the years you're reclaiming, up to five years from the end of that assessment year, though a refund allowed that way carries no Section 244A interest.
What changes because you live in Canada
Canada taxes worldwide income, so this Indian income goes on your T1 with a foreign tax credit (line 40500 federal via Form T2209, plus a provincial foreign tax credit on Form T2036) for the Indian tax paid. Indian assets over CAD $100,000 in cost amount must be disclosed each year on Form T1135, the CRA already receives your Indian account data through CRS, and a deemed-disposition departure tax (s.128.1) can crystallise on the day you give up Canadian residence, so the India-side rate is only part of the planning.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from Canadian NRIs
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NRO TDS Recovery sorted, by an Indian CA who works with Canadian NRIs
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