How should chartered accountants and KPOs in India receive payments from foreign clients?

Indian accountants have served overseas clients for decades, and the work keeps widening. A Surat CA keeps the books of thirty US small businesses on QuickBooks, a Kochi practice prepares UK self-assessment returns for an accountancy firm in Leeds, a Gurugram knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) company produces equity research for a New York fund, and a Coimbatore team handles payroll and accounts payable for an Australian group. All of them invoice abroad, and the structure behind the invoice decides whether it is an export.

This page covers payment routes and platforms, the export test, traps for accountants and KPOs, purpose codes, bank filings and income tax. It does not cover Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) rules on practice, which you should check separately. Confirm tax outcomes with a chartered accountant colleague you trust.

How do international clients pay Indian chartered accountants and KPOs?

International clients usually pay Indian accounting firms and KPOs monthly by SWIFT wire or through local account details from a payment provider, often under a master services agreement with fixed monthly fees. Small-business clients may pay by card link or ACH.

• Master services agreements: Fixed monthly fees for bookkeeping, payroll or research.
• Small-business clients: Card link or ACH payments for monthly bookkeeping.
• Firm-to-firm work: Foreign accountancy firms paying for return preparation they sign off.

For example, the Surat CA above may receive thirty small monthly payments from US clients by ACH, while the Gurugram KPO receives one larger monthly wire from its New York fund. See receiving payment from a US client.

Where does the money go between a foreign client and an Indian accounting firm's bank?

Money from a foreign client reaches an Indian accounting firm or KPO either through the banking network or through a platform that collects it abroad and pays out in rupees. The route decides who converts the currency and who issues the Foreign Inward Remittance Advice (FIRA).

• SWIFT wire: The client's bank sends the payment to your Indian bank, sometimes through correspondent banks. Your bank converts it to INR and reports it under a purpose code from the RBI list.⁵
• Payment platform: The client pays into local account details or a payment link in its own country, and the platform converts the money and pays INR into your Indian bank account.

For example, the Kochi practice's Leeds client can pay by UK domestic transfer into local GBP account details, or by wire. Whichever route you use, exports from 1 October 2026 need an Export Declaration Form (EDF).⁴

What are the ways for Indian chartered accountants and KPOs to receive international payments?

Indian chartered accountants and KPOs can receive international payments through local account details from a payment platform, a card or payment link, or a SWIFT wire to an Indian bank. Larger monthly invoices usually go by wire or local transfer.

How do Indian chartered accountants and KPOs get paid through local account details from a payment platform?

Local account details let a foreign client pay Indian chartered accountants and KPOs with an ordinary domestic transfer in the client's own country, such as ACH in the US. The platform then converts the money and pays INR into your Indian bank account.

• How it works: You open an account with the platform, receive account details in the client's currency, and put them on your invoice.
• Pros: The client pays the way it pays a local supplier, with no international wire to set up.
• Cons: Each platform sets its own sign-up rules, limits and supported currencies.
• Cost: About 0.68% to 4.00% of a USD 5,000 receipt on published fees, for platforms that publish full pricing.^{121314151617181920}
• Settlement: From the same day to weekly, depending on the platform.²¹²²
• FIRA: Terms differ by platform; see the FIRA column in the platform table below.
• Ideal for: Clients who pay by bank transfer in USD, GBP, EUR and other major currencies.

How do Indian chartered accountants and KPOs get paid by card, PayPal or a payment link?

A card, PayPal or payment link lets a foreign client pay Indian chartered accountants and KPOs online from an invoice or link, and the platform settles INR to your Indian bank account.

• How it works: You send a link or invoice; the client pays by card, PayPal balance or a bank debit such as US ACH.
• Pros: Easy for small clients and one-off jobs that do not want to set up a bank transfer.
• Cons: Published fees on these routes reach 8.23% of a USD 5,000 receipt,.^18202324
• Cost: About 1.99% to 8.23% of a USD 5,000 receipt on published fees.^18202324
• Settlement: Depends on the platform; see the platform table below.
• FIRA: Depends on the platform; see the platform table below.
• Ideal for: Small or one-off clients who prefer to pay by card.

How do Indian chartered accountants and KPOs get paid by SWIFT wire to an Indian bank?

A SWIFT wire sends the client's payment from its bank to the Indian bank account of Indian chartered accountants and KPOs, with no payment platform in between.

• How it works: You give the client your bank's SWIFT code and account details; your bank converts the credit to INR and asks you to confirm the purpose code.
• Pros: No platform account is needed, and the payment stays inside the banking system from end to end.
• Cons: The sending bank, any correspondent bank and your own bank can each charge, and your bank's conversion rate applies.
• Cost: Set by the banks involved; ask your bank for its charges. See bank wire vs payment platform.
• Settlement: Depends on the banks involved.
• FIRA: Ask your bank for a FIRA or FIRC for each credit.
• Ideal for: Large invoices and clients whose procurement teams pay only by wire.

Which platforms are best for Indian chartered accountants and KPOs?

The best platform for Indian chartered accountants and KPOs depends on how clients pay, because each platform suits a different kind of payment. The table lists platforms by estimated cost on a USD 5,000 receipt on their published fees, cheapest first, then platforms without full published pricing, A to Z.^{121314151617181920}

Each platform name links to its full review.

How much INR do Indian chartered accountants and KPOs receive on $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000?

The INR that Indian chartered accountants and KPOs receive on each invoice size depends on the platform's published fee, its currency conversion and the day's exchange rate. The table below works it out from published fees at today's rate.

Bank wires are not in the table because each bank sets its own charges and conversion rate. Use the platform cost comparison for other amounts.

What should Indian chartered accountants and KPOs look for beyond cost?

Beyond cost, Indian chartered accountants and KPOs should check every route on the documents and limits their monthly billing depends on. Use the same criteria for every provider.

• Rupees received: The amount after fees and FX markup, not the headline fee alone.
• FIRA: A FIRA for each receipt.
• Purpose code: How the provider handles the purpose code.
• Limits: Per-transaction limits for large monthly invoices.
• Regulatory status: The provider's regulatory status in India.

The comparison hub lines providers up on these points. Firms may also read payment platforms for agencies.

What compliance documents do Indian chartered accountants and KPOs need?

Indian chartered accountants and KPOs need a FIRA for each receipt, a purpose code matched to the main service, a Letter of Undertaking (LUT) once registered for GST, and a monthly EDF from 1 October 2026.¹⁴⁵ The structure behind each invoice decides whether it is an export at all.¹

Is accounting or KPO work for a foreign client an export of services?

Accounting or KPO work for a foreign client is an export of services when all five conditions in section 2(6) of the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Act are met: supplier in India, recipient outside India, place of supply outside India, payment in convertible foreign exchange (or rupees where the Reserve Bank of India permits), and the parties not merely establishments of one person.¹ Remote bookkeeping, tax preparation and research usually take the client's location under section 13(2).¹ Exports are zero-rated under section 16, so a registered firm invoices under an LUT.¹

Which GST traps apply to Indian accountants and KPOs?

• Captive centres: Circular No. 161/17/2021-GST says an Indian subsidiary supplying its foreign parent is not merely an establishment of a distinct person, so it can export; an Indian branch supplying its own foreign head office cannot.¹¹ See receiving payment from a foreign parent company.
• Audits and filings for Indian entities: The statutory audit, tax audit or GST compliance of a foreign group's Indian company is supplied to the Indian company, even if the parent pays. Invoice the Indian entity domestically.
• Back-office or sales support: An intermediary arranges or facilitates a supply between two other persons and does not supply on its own account (section 2(13)).¹ Circular No. 159/15/2021-GST says at least three parties are needed and sub-contracting is not intermediary work.³ Accounting and research done on your own account are main supplies, and roles such as finding customers for a foreign principal can look like intermediary work. Section 157 of the Finance Act, 2026 omitted section 13(8)(b) from 30 March 2026, so intermediary services now follow the recipient's location.² See intermediary services under GST.
• Sub-contracting from foreign firms: Preparing returns for a Leeds firm that signs them off for its own clients is your main service to the Leeds firm, and is not an intermediary arrangement.³

Which RBI purpose codes fit accounting and KPO income?

Accounting and KPO receipts are reported under codes from the RBI list issued with A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 84 of 29 February 2012; match the code to the main service on each invoice.⁵ RBI descriptions, as reproduced by HDFC Bank:⁶

A firm doing both bookkeeping and tax for one client can ask its bank whether to split the remittance by code. See P1005 purpose code and the purpose code finder.

What do Indian chartered accountants and KPOs file with the bank from 1 October 2026?

From 1 October 2026, the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026 require every exporter of services to submit an EDF, generally within 30 days from the end of the month of invoicing; one EDF can cover all exports to one or more recipients in a month, and exporters of services other than software may submit it on or before the date payment is received.⁴ Proceeds must be realised within nine months from the invoice date, or twelve months if invoiced or settled in rupees.⁴

For example, a firm billing forty foreign clients each month can cover them in one monthly EDF.⁴ See EDF for service exporters, EDPMS for service exporters and set-off of export receivables.

What tax applies to international income for Indian chartered accountants and KPOs?

Accounting income from abroad is professional income taxed in India, and accountancy is a listed specified profession. Section 62(4) of the Income-tax Act, 2025 lists legal, medical, engineering, architectural, accountancy, technical consultancy, interior decoration, information technology and company secretary, plus professions notified by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).⁸

• Presumptive scheme: The 50% presumptive scheme in section 58(2), Table row 3 (formerly section 44ADA) is for resident individuals and partnership firms (not LLPs) with gross receipts up to ₹50 lakh, or ₹75 lakh if cash receipts are within 5%.⁷
• KPO companies and LLPs: A KPO run as a company or LLP is outside the scheme and is taxed on actual profits.⁷
• Proprietor KPOs: Research or data processing KPO work is not "accountancy" as such, so a proprietor KPO should confirm its position.
• Foreign withholding: A foreign client that withholds tax reduces your receipt, and you may be able to claim a foreign tax credit using Form 44 under rule 76 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026 (Form 67 for income up to 31 March 2026).⁹
• Treaty forms: Clients applying a treaty rate may ask for a tax residency certificate and Form 41 under rule 75.⁹
• US clients: Income from personal services is sourced where the services are performed.¹⁰ Companies give US payers a W-8BEN-E.

See specified professions under section 62, transfer pricing for Indian subsidiaries for captives, foreign withholding tax and DTAA for exporters.