Kuwait NRIs · Dividend Tax

Dividend tax on Indian shares for NRIs in Kuwait

Dividends from Indian companies are withheld at the non-resident rate before they reach you in Kuwait. Here's the treaty position and how to reclaim any excess.

When an Indian company pays you a dividend while you live in Kuwait, the company withholds tax at source before the money reaches you. India's default withholding on non-resident dividends is 20% under Section 393(2), the successor to Section 195. The India-Kuwait treaty position is more favourable, capping the rate at 10% for individual residents, a real saving over the 20% default (Article 10). To claim it you need Form 41, the successor to Form 10F, and a Tax Residency Certificate on file with the company or your broker.

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India-Kuwait key facts: dividend tax

Default non-resident TDS rate	20%
India-Kuwait DTAA treaty rate	10%
Your saving via the treaty	10%
Treaty article / basis	Article 10
Your TRC issuing authority	the Ministry of Finance, Department of Income Tax

Rates reflect India's domestic withholding under Section 393(2) (Section 195 until 31 March 2026) and the India-Kuwait treaty. Surcharge and cess apply on top where relevant.

How it works on the India side

Since the 2020 shift back to classical dividend taxation, dividends from Indian companies are taxable in the shareholder's hands and the company deducts TDS before paying. For a non-resident the default is 20% under Section 393(2) (Section 195 until 31 March 2026), plus surcharge and cess, and Section 115A taxes those dividends at 20% of the gross amount with no expenses allowed. A lower rate only ever comes from a treaty, and only where that treaty writes one for individuals: several of India's treaties reserve the reduced dividend rate for companies holding a large stake in the Indian payer, and some countries have no treaty with India at all, so portfolio investors there stay at the domestic rate.

Where a lower individual rate does apply, you claim it with Form 41 (formerly Form 10F) and a Tax Residency Certificate lodged with the company or broker, and any dividend withheld at the higher rate before your paperwork was on file is reclaimed through your Indian return. Where no lower rate applies, the 20% is generally your final Indian tax, so the questions worth asking are whether the payer withheld more than the correct rate and surcharge, and whether the country you live in gives you a credit for that Indian tax.

What changes because you live in Kuwait

Kuwait charges individuals no personal income tax, so there's no second layer on this Indian income and no foreign tax credit to chase. The catch sits on your side of the border anyway. This treaty's residence test is unusually narrow: Article 4(1)(b) counts you as a Kuwait resident only if you're an Indian or Kuwaiti national who was physically present in Kuwait for at least 183 days in the fiscal year, and Article 3 defines that year as the one beginning 1 April, so the count runs April to March, not over the calendar year. If you've swapped your Indian passport for another one and now hold OCI, you're neither an Indian nor a Kuwaiti national, so this treaty gives you nothing, which is why a bank's Kuwait DTAA declaration makes you confirm Indian nationality and quote your Indian passport number.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions from Kuwait NRIs

India's default is 20% under Section 393(2), but the India-Kuwait treaty caps it at 10% for individual residents, a saving of 10%. To get the lower rate you file Form 41 with a Tax Residency Certificate from the Ministry of Finance, Department of Income Tax. Any excess withheld beforehand is reclaimed on your Indian return.

Yes. With Form 41 and a Tax Residency Certificate on file, the treaty rate of 10% applies instead of the 20% default, a 10% reduction. Dividends withheld at the higher rate before your paperwork was lodged are reclaimed when you file your Indian return.

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