Oman NRIs · NRO TDS Recovery
NRO account TDS recovery for NRIs in Oman
Your Indian bank deducts tax on NRO interest at the full non-resident rate. The India-Oman treaty lets you bring it down and reclaim the excess.
India-Oman key facts: nro tds recovery
| Default non-resident TDS rate | 30% |
| India-Oman DTAA treaty rate | 10% |
| Your saving via the treaty | 20% |
| Treaty article / basis | Article 11: 10% cap, unchanged by the 2025 protocol |
| Your TRC issuing authority | the Oman Tax Authority |
Rates reflect India's domestic withholding under Section 393(2) (Section 195 until 31 March 2026) and the India-Oman 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 Oman
Oman charges no personal income tax today, so this Indian income isn't taxed a second time and there's no foreign credit to chase. That ends on 1 January 2028, when Royal Decree 56/2025 brings in a flat 5% and Omani tax residents, expats included, are taxed on worldwide income rather than just what they earn in Oman. The trap is the OMR 42,000 threshold: it's measured on your total annual income, so Indian rent, interest, dividends and what you make selling Indian shares or property all count toward it, and a Muscat package sitting just under the line can be pushed over by the Indian side. Oman's tax year is the calendar year with the return due by 30 June after it, while India's runs April to March, so get your Indian TDS records lined up January to December before 2028, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from Oman NRIs
Go further
Read the full guide, or see your country's complete picture
NRO TDS Recovery sorted, by an Indian CA who works with Oman NRIs
Tell us your situation and a practising Chartered Accountant will confirm the rate that applies, the paperwork you need, and what you can reclaim, on a free call with no obligation.
No card, no obligation. All filing work is handled by ICAI-registered practising Chartered Accountants.