How Can Consultants in India Receive International Payments in 2026?

• Ticket size: Consulting is usually billed per day, per project phase or as a monthly retainer. An engagement can range from a single advisory session to a project lasting several months, so invoice size varies widely between clients.
• Currencies: Clients usually pay in their own currency, such as USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SGD or AED. The FEMA (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2023 allow clients outside the Asian Clearing Union to pay in INR or any foreign currency.
• Geography: Clients include companies, founders, investors, nonprofits and public bodies abroad. Clients in Nepal and Bhutan, and trade payments through the Asian Clearing Union mechanism, follow separate rules in the same regulations.
• Payment methods: Corporate clients usually pay by bank transfer after a purchase order and vendor onboarding. Smaller clients may pay by card or payment link. Some engagements start with an advance or retainer paid before work begins.

1. 1Client's bankDeduction: A sending fee, if the client's bank charges one. International transfers often carry a sender fee, and on a SWIFT wire the client chooses who bears the charges.
2. 2Intermediary bankDeduction: A possible flat handling deduction. Correspondent banks that route a SWIFT wire can take their charge from the amount before it reaches India.
3. 3Collecting provider or AD bankDeduction: A currency conversion margin and any transfer fee. The foreign currency is converted to INR at a rate set by the bank or provider, which sits away from the mid-market rate.
4. 4GST on feesDeduction: GST on the fee charged by an Indian provider or bank. Fees charged to you by an India-based provider or bank are a domestic supply.
5. 5Your Indian bank accountDeduction: None in most cases, though some banks levy an inward charge. The INR credit arrives with an inward remittance record that you keep for GST, EDF and EDPMS records.

The table ranks platforms with full published pricing for USD by the INR received on USD 6,000, then lists other business platforms that accept USD, unranked. Fees were checked on 30 Sept 2026 or later.

Each row applies the platform's published fee, FX markup and 18% GST on the fee to the mid-market rate of ₹94.86 per USD for 3 Nov 2026.

• Purpose code: Most business and management advisory work matches P1006 in the RBI purpose code list. Accounting work may fit P1005, tax advice P1015, engineering advice P1014 and IT consulting P0802. A wrong code can create problems in export and GST records. See P1006 purpose code.
• Large invoices: A cross-border payment aggregator can process up to ₹25 lakh per inward transaction under paragraph 11(d) of the RBI Master Direction on Payment Aggregators. A larger engagement fee can be paid by SWIFT wire, or billed in genuine project milestones that each stay within the cap.
• Advances: Under Regulation 10(1), an advance received for an export and any later realisation must go through the same AD bank, unless you inform both banks of a change. See advance payment against exports.
• Client onboarding: Corporate clients often ask for a vendor form, tax form and bank letter before the first payment. US payers usually request Form W-8BEN from an individual, while a consulting company or other foreign entity uses Form W-8BEN-E.
• Collection period: Each invoice must be realised within nine months from the invoice date, or twelve months if invoiced or settled in INR, under Regulation 5. Slow-paying corporate clients can push an invoice close to this limit, so track overdue invoices. See export realisation period.

Consultants in India exporting services need an inward remittance record, the correct purpose code, an LUT for GST and an EDF. Under the FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, in force from 1 October 2026, consultants file the EDF with their AD bank within 30 days from the end of the invoice month.

• FIRA or FIRC: FIRA is not a term defined in RBI regulations. CGST Rule 89(2)(c) asks for BRC or FIRC details for each invoice in a refund claim, and the DGFT eBRC FAQs explain self-generated eBRCs from bank data. See FIRC vs FIRA vs eBRC.
• Purpose code: Banks report receipts in FETERS using the RBI purpose code list. P1006 is "Business and management consultancy and public relations services". P1005 is "Accounting, auditing, book keeping services" and P1015 is "Tax consulting services". Confirm the code with your AD bank or provider before the payment is credited.
• LUT: File a Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 on the GST portal before invoicing, so the export goes out without IGST under CGST Rule 96A. See LUT filing on the GST portal.
• GST reporting: If you are registered for GST, report each export invoice as a zero-rated export in your GST return. Keep the inward remittance record for each invoice, because a refund claim needs those details.
• EDF: Regulation 3(2) requires an EDF within 30 days from the end of the invoice month, and one EDF can cover a month's exports. Consultants exporting services other than software may instead submit it on or before the date payment is received. See EDF form for exports.
• EDPMS: Your AD bank closes the export entry in EDPMS when payment is realised. Under Regulation 4(2), an invoice up to ₹10 lakh can be closed on your declaration, filed per invoice or quarterly in bulk. See EDPMS for service exporters.

Fees consultants in India receive from foreign clients are usually a zero-rated export for GST and taxable income in India. Under IGST Act section 16, an export of services under an LUT carries no IGST. Income tax follows the Income-tax Act, 2025 from tax year 2026-27, including section 58 for presumptive taxation.

• GST zero-rating: A supply meeting the five conditions in IGST Act section 2(6) is an export of services. These include a recipient outside India, a place of supply outside India and payment in convertible foreign exchange or in INR where RBI permits.
• Place of supply: Under IGST Act section 13(2), the place of supply for most consulting services is the location of the recipient. The CBIC text shows clause 13(8)(b) on intermediary services omitted by the Finance Act, 2026. Consultants who arrange supplies between other parties should confirm the effective date with a GST adviser.
• Section 58: Under section 58 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, a resident individual or firm, other than an LLP, in a specified profession can be taxed on 50% of gross receipts, or a higher actual profit. Receipts must not exceed ₹50 lakh, or ₹75 lakh where cash receipts are within 5%. Section 62(4) names technical consultancy, engineering, accountancy, information technology and legal work.
• Old 44ADA: The Income Tax Department FAQ says old section 44ADA is consolidated into section 58 from 1 April 2026, and the 1961 Act still governs tax years before that. General management consultancy is not named in section 62(4), so check eligibility with a tax adviser. See section 44ADA for freelancers.
• US withholding: The IRS sources income from personal services where the services are performed. A US client may ask for Form W-8BEN to confirm you are a foreign person. You give it to the payer, not the IRS.
• Foreign tax: If a client abroad deducts tax, ask which rule it relies on and keep the deduction certificate. A credit for that tax in India depends on the treaty with that country and the Indian rules for the relevant tax year. See DTAA for Indian exporters.

Rules and rails are linked to official sources below with the dates they were checked. Platform figures come from each platform's own pages, checked on 30 Sept 2026 or later, and RBI authorisation was checked against RBI's published list. Rates are XE live mid-market rates, dated 3 Nov 2026. The method is on the methodology page.

1. Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, Notification No. FEMA 23(R)/2026-RB, Reg 2(1)(f)(ii) specified authority for services other than software is an AD in DTA; Reg 3(2): EDF within 30 days from the end of the invoice month, (a) single EDF, (b) services other than software may submit on or before receipt, (c) AD may extend; Reg 4(2) EDPMS closure on declaration up to ₹10 lakh, quarterly bulk option; Reg 5(1) realisation from invoice date; Reg 10(1) advance and realisation through the same AD (checked 8 Oct 2026)
2. RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 20 (16 January 2026), Supersedes the Master Directions on Export and Import and the circulars in its Annex from 1 October 2026 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
3. Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (22 September 2026), Regulation 5(1): 'fifteen months' replaced by 'nine months'; 'eighteen months' replaced by 'twelve months' (checked 8 Oct 2026)
4. Foreign Exchange Management (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2023, Regulation 3(2)(I)(a): Nepal and Bhutan in INR; ACU members through the ACU mechanism; other countries in INR or any foreign currency (checked 8 Oct 2026)
5. RBI Master Direction on Regulation of Payment Aggregator (PA) (15 September 2025), Para 11(d): maximum ₹25 lakh per inward or outward transaction for a PA-CB (checked 8 Oct 2026)
6. RBI circular: Guidelines to facilitate faster cross-border inward payments (9 April 2026), Para 3: credit payments received during forex market hours within the same business day; para 4: effective six months from the circular date (checked 8 Oct 2026)
7. RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 84, Annex: Purpose codes for reporting under FETERS (receipts), Group 10 Other Business Services: P1005 'Accounting, auditing, book keeping services'; P1006 'Business and management consultancy and public relations services'; P1014 'Engineering Services'; P1015 'Tax consulting services'; Group 08: P0802 'Software consultancy/implementation (other than those covered in SOFTEX form)' (checked 8 Oct 2026)
8. RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 84 (29 February 2012), Circular notifying the revised purpose code list for FETERS reporting (checked 8 Oct 2026)
9. Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, section 2 (CBIC), Section 2(6): definition of export of services (checked 8 Oct 2026)
10. Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, section 13 (CBIC), Section 13(2): place of supply is the location of the recipient; 13(8)(b) omitted by section 157 of the Finance Act, 2026 dated 30.03.2026 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
11. Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, section 16 (CBIC), Section 16(1): export of services is a zero-rated supply (checked 8 Oct 2026)
12. Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, Rule 96A (CBIC), Export without payment of integrated tax under bond or Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
13. Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, Rule 89 (CBIC), Rule 89(2)(c): BRC or FIRC details for refund claims on export of services (checked 8 Oct 2026)
14. DGFT FAQs on Self-Generation of eBRC, Self-generated eBRC from bank inward remittance data (checked 8 Oct 2026)
15. Income Tax Department: Objective and scope of the new Act (Income-tax Act, 2025), FAQ 2: 1961 Act repealed on 01.04.2026; FAQ 21: old Act governs tax years beginning before 1 April 2026; FAQ 25: sections 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE consolidated into section 58 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
16. Income-tax Act, 2025 (as amended by Finance Act, 2026), Income Tax Department, Section 58(2) Table Sl. 3: specified profession under section 62(4), gross receipts up to ₹50 lakh or ₹75 lakh where cash receipts do not exceed 5%, 50% of gross receipts or profit actually earned, whichever is higher; 58(11)(b) specified assessee is a resident individual or firm other than an LLP; 62(4)(a): legal, medical, engineering, architectural, accountancy, technical consultancy, interior decoration, information technology or company secretary (checked 8 Oct 2026)
17. IRS: Instructions for Form W-8BEN, Do not use Form W-8BEN if you are a foreign entity; use Form W-8BEN-E. Do not send to the IRS; give it to the person requesting it. Valid until the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless circumstances change (checked 8 Oct 2026)
18. IRS: Nonresident aliens, source of income, Business income from personal services is sourced where the services are performed (checked 8 Oct 2026)
19. Skydo homepage (pricing and fee calculator), Know what you pay; calculator showing GST 18% of transaction fee (checked 6 Oct 2026)
20. Razorpay MoneySaver Export Account (International Bank Transfers) pricing, Standard Plan: 0% FX markup, 1% fee, FlashLinks 2%, GST applicable, flat fee of INR 1,000 on transactions below INR 1,00,000, setup and AMC INR 0 (checked 6 Oct 2026)
21. Kotak Everyday Savings Account fees and charges, Foreign Inward Remittance certificate (Branch Request) INR 100/Request; GST on Foreign Currency Conversion; fees exclusive of GST (checked 6 Oct 2026)
22. Wise India: Fees for receiving money (Business), Conversion fee depends on the currency; eFIRC for every transfer; GST 18% of (conversion fee + eFIRC fee); calculator (checked 6 Oct 2026)
23. HDFC Bank: Remittance Services Fees & Charges, Inward Remittance Charge: No Charge; FIRC Charge for Inward Remittance & FCY Cheque Collection INR 200 per FIRC; GST slabs on amount of currency exchanged (checked 6 Oct 2026)
24. Stripe India pricing, International cards with USD/other currency presentment 4.3% + 2% if currency conversion is required; Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside India 3% + 2%; American Express outside India 3.5% + 2%; dispute received INR 1,000.00 (checked 7 Oct 2026)
25. PayPal India Merchant Fees, Receiving international transactions; Currency Conversions (3.0% converting balance and payments received; 4.00% all other cases); Withdrawals Out of PayPal; Dispute Fees; Other Fees (Last Updated 28 March 2024) (checked 6 Oct 2026)
26. Airwallex Help: Eligible Countries and Territories, INDIA IN - AWX Legal Entity SINGAPORE (checked 7 Oct 2026)