Form 145 & 146: Complete Guide Under the Income Tax Act, 2025
A comprehensive breakdown of India's foreign remittance compliance forms, updated for the Income Tax Act, 2025 covering applicability, exemptions, CA certificate requirements, effective from 1 April 2026.
What Has Changed?
If you've been filing Form 15CA and Form 15CB for foreign remittances, there's an important update you need to know. With the Income Tax Act, 2025 coming into effect from 1 April 2026, these familiar forms have been replaced. Form 15CA is now Form 145 (declaration by the remitter) and Form 15CB is now Form 146 (CA Certificate). The underlying compliance obligations remain the same only the form numbers, section references and rules have changed as part of a complete restructuring of the Income Tax framework.
Important Transition Note: Form 15CA/15CB filed for remittances made on or before 31 March 2026 remain valid. For any remittance on or after 1 April 2026, you must use Form 145 and Form 146.
Governing Provisions at a Glance
Under the old Income Tax Act, 1961, the remitter's declaration was filed as Form 15CA and the CA certificate as Form 15CB, governed by Section 195(6) and Rule 37BB of the Income Tax Rules, 1962. Under the new Income Tax Act, 2025 these correspond to Form 145 and Form 146 respectively, now governed by Sections 393, 395, 397and 462 and Rule 220 of the Income Tax Rules, 2026. The exempt payments list has also been expanded from 28 to 33 categories under the new rules.
What Is Form 145 (Previously Form 15CA)?
Form 145 is a mandatory self-declaration filed by any person or entity responsible for making a payment to a non-resident or a foreign company, before the remittance is made. It is governed by Sections 393, 395, 397 and 462 of the Income Tax Act, 2025 read with Rule 220 of the Income Tax Rules, 2026.
Who Must File It?
Form 145 must be filed by any resident individual, firm or company making a remittance to a non-resident or foreign company. NRIs remitting funds from their NRO account to an NRE account or overseas bank account are also required to file it as a banking requirement. Any representative assessee or authorised signatory responsible for foreign payments is equally covered.
Note: Each remittance requires a separate Form 145. A single form cannot cover multiple transactions.
What Is Form 146 (Previously Form 15CB)?
Form 146 is a certificate issued by a Chartered Accountant that certifies the nature of the remittance, the applicable DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) provisions, and the applicable TDS rate. The CA examines the nature of the income being remitted, whether India has a tax treaty with the recipient's country, the applicable treaty rate or domestic rate (whichever is lower) and confirms that the correct TDS has been deducted.
When Is Form 146 Required?
Form 146 is required only when all three of the following conditions are met: the remittance to a non-resident is taxable in India; the aggregate remittances during the financial year exceed ₹5 lakh and the remitter does not hold a nil/lower deduction certificate from the AO.
Important: Form 146 Cannot Be Edited After Filing
Once submitted, Form 146 cannot be modified. It can only be withdrawn within 7 days of filing. If a Part C of Form 145 is withdrawn, the linked Form 146 is automatically marked as withdrawn.