How Can Game Developers in India Receive International Payments in 2026?

• Ticket size: Store income arrives as one monthly payout that bundles many small game, DLC and in-game purchases. Work for publishers or other studios, such as art, porting or co-development, is usually billed per milestone, so a single invoice can be far larger.
• Currencies: Valve sends USD SWIFT wires to banks outside the US, per Steamworks reporting and payments. Google Play pays merchants in India by wire from the United States in US dollars, per Google Play bank account help. Clients outside Asian Clearing Union countries can pay in INR or any foreign currency under the FEMA (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2023.
• Geography: Players can buy from any country where the game is listed, while the store itself pays you. Publishers and studios that hire Indian teams are often based in the US, Europe, the UK, Japan and the Gulf.
• Payment methods: Store earnings reach you as a bank transfer from the store. Publishers and studio clients usually pay by bank transfer against an invoice or milestone. Some developers also sell keys, supporter packs or tools on their own website through a card checkout.

1. 1Player pays the game storeDeduction: Sales tax or VAT where the store collects it, plus refunds and chargebacks. Valve says its monthly report reflects deductions such as refunds, chargebacks and taxes, per [Steamworks reporting and payments](https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/finance/payments_salesreporting).
2. 2Game storeDeduction: The store's revenue share or commission. Each store keeps its share under its distribution agreement. Apple's [Small Business Program](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/) sets 15 percent for eligible developers, and Google Play publishes its [service fees](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622).
3. 3Withholding taxDeduction: US withholding on US sales, or Indian TDS, where it applies. Valve applies a rate from 0 to 30 percent on US source income based on your tax interview, per the [Steamworks Taxes FAQ](https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/finance/taxfaq). Google deducts Indian TDS, per [Google Play withholding tax help](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9384608).
4. 4Sending and intermediary banksDeduction: Possible bank fees and transaction costs. A USD SWIFT wire can pass through intermediary banks, and some of them deduct a charge before the money reaches your Indian bank.
5. 5Currency conversionDeduction: A conversion margin. A US dollar payout is converted to INR by your Indian bank at its own rate, unless you hold the dollars in a foreign currency account.
6. 6Your 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, income tax and EDF records.

The table ranks platforms with full published pricing for USD by the INR received on USD 5,000, 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 ₹94.69 per USD for 4 Nov 2026.

• Tax interview: Valve asks every partner to complete a tax interview, and its withholding on US sales ranges from 0 to 30 percent based on the answers, per the Steamworks Taxes FAQ. Valve says it does not refund tax already withheld when you later add a TIN, so complete the interview before your first sale.
• Treaty rate: Valve classifies revenue share as a royalty. Article 12 of the India-US tax treaty caps US tax on royalties paid to an Indian resident at 15 percent of the gross amount. Claiming the treaty rate needs a Form W-8BEN with a TIN.
• Launch costs: Steam charges a US$100 Steam Direct fee for each new app, recoupable once the product has at least US$1,000 in adjusted gross revenue, per Steamworks Steam Direct fee. Valve charges GST or VAT on the fee where country rules require it.
• Payout timing: Store income arrives weeks after the sale. Valve pays February sales at the end of March, and Google Play pays around the 15th of the following month. Plan salaries and outsourcing bills around these dates, especially after a launch or seasonal sale.
• Reconciliation: A store payout bundles a month of sales, refunds and taxes across many countries into one credit. Download the store's monthly report, match it to each bank credit and keep both for GST, income tax and EDF records.

Game developers in India exporting services need an inward remittance record, the correct purpose code, an LUT for GST and an EDF. The FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, in force from 1 October 2026, treat software as services. The EDF replaces SOFTEX and is due 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 e-BRC.
• Purpose code: Banks report receipts in FETERS using the RBI purpose code list. P0802 is "Software consultancy/implementation (other than those covered in SOFTEX form)" and P0807 is "Off site software exports". Store revenue share may be treated as a licensing receipt instead, so ask your AD bank which code it reports. See P0802 vs P0807.
• LUT: File a Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 on the GST portal before invoicing foreign clients, 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 and the store's monthly report for each payout, 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. Software exporters file with an AD bank or STPI. Ask your AD bank how the EDF applies to monthly store payouts. See EDF form for exports.
• SOFTEX: Circular No. 20 supersedes the SOFTEX circulars from 1 October 2026. Software exports invoiced from that date are declared in the EDF. See SOFTEX for freelancers for the earlier process.

Income game developers in India earn from foreign clients is 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. Store payouts can carry US withholding or Indian TDS. Income tax follows the Income-tax Act, 2025 from tax year 2026-27.

• 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 and payment in convertible foreign exchange or in INR where RBI permits. Whether store sales meet these conditions depends on your store agreement, so check with a GST adviser.
• US withholding: Non-US partners who submit a W-8 receive a Form 1042-S from Valve showing US source income and tax withheld, per the Steamworks Taxes FAQ. Give Form W-8BEN to the payer, not the IRS. See W-8BEN for Indian freelancers.
• TDS: Google deducts Indian withholding tax of 0.1 percent of the customer price, excluding GST, when you have given your PAN, and 5 percent when you have not, per Google Play withholding tax help. Claim the deducted tax in your return. See TDS on marketplace payouts.
• Income tax: The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026. The presumptive schemes, including old section 44ADA for professionals, are consolidated in section 58. Check whether your game or development income qualifies. See section 44ADA for freelancers.
• Foreign tax: Article 25(2)(a) of the India-US tax treaty says India allows a deduction from Indian tax for income tax paid in the US on income the treaty lets the US tax, capped at the Indian tax on that income. Keep the Form 1042-S and payout reports, and confirm how to claim the credit with a tax adviser.

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 4 Nov 2026. The method is on the methodology page.

1. FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, Reg 3(2): EDF within 30 days from the end of month in which invoice for services has been raised; single EDF for a month's exports; Reg 5(1): nine months from date of invoice for services (as amended) (checked 8 Oct 2026)
2. A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 20, 16 January 2026, Supersedes the Master Directions on Export and Import and the SOFTEX circulars from 1 October 2026 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
3. FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, Regulation 5(1): 'fifteen months' replaced by 'nine months'; 'eighteen months' replaced by 'twelve months' (checked 8 Oct 2026)
4. FEMA (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2023, Regulation 3(2)(I)(a): countries other than ACU members may pay in INR or any foreign currency (checked 8 Oct 2026)
5. RBI Master Direction on Regulation of Payment Aggregators, Para 11(d): maximum Rs 25 lakh per inward or outward transaction for a PA-CB (checked 8 Oct 2026)
6. RBI circular on same-day credit of inward cross-border payments, 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 purpose codes for reporting FETERS (A.P. DIR Circular No. 84, 2012), P0802 'Software consultancy/implementation (other than those covered in SOFTEX form)'; P0807 'Off site software exports' (checked 8 Oct 2026)
8. IGST Act, 2017, section 2, Section 2(6): definition of export of services (checked 8 Oct 2026)
9. IGST Act, 2017, section 16, Section 16(1): export of services is a zero-rated supply; supply under LUT without payment of IGST (checked 8 Oct 2026)
10. CGST Rules, Rule 96A, Export without payment of integrated tax under bond or Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
11. CGST Rules, Rule 89, Rule 89(2)(c): BRC or FIRC details for refund claims on export of services (checked 8 Oct 2026)
12. DGFT FAQs on Self-Certification of eBRC, Self-generated eBRC from bank inward remittance data (checked 8 Oct 2026)
13. Income Tax Department: Objective and scope of the new Act, Presumptive schemes under sections 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE consolidated into one section (section 58) of the Income Tax Act, 2025 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
14. IRS: Instructions for Form W-8BEN, Give Form W-8BEN to the withholding agent or payer; do not send to the IRS (checked 8 Oct 2026)
15. India-US Income Tax Convention (IRS treaty text), Article 12(2)(a)(ii): after the first five years, tax on royalties and fees for included services in the source state shall not exceed 15 percent of the gross amount; Article 12(3)(a): royalties include payments for the use of any copyright; Article 25(2)(a): India shall allow as a deduction from tax on income of its resident an amount equal to income tax paid in the US, not exceeding the Indian tax attributable to that income (checked 8 Oct 2026)
16. Steamworks Documentation: Reporting and Payments, Monthly report reflects deductions (refunds, chargebacks, taxes); minimum $100 threshold; payment via EFT; USD SWIFT wires for banks outside the US; payment 30 days after sales, usually at the end of the month (February sales paid end of March) (checked 8 Oct 2026)
17. Steamworks Documentation: Taxes FAQ, Revenue share payments classified as a royalty; W8 filers receive a 1042-S; withholding rate 0% to 30% on US source income based on the tax interview; Valve does not refund withholding when a TIN is later provided; treaty benefits need a W-8BEN with a foreign or US TIN (checked 8 Oct 2026)
18. Steamworks Documentation: Steam Direct Fee, US$100 fee per new app; not refundable but recoupable after the product has at least $1,000 Adjusted Gross Revenue; Valve charges VAT, GST or similar taxes on the fee per country requirements (checked 8 Oct 2026)
19. Google Play Console Help: Payouts, Orders from the 1st to the end of a month paid around the 15th of the following month; US$100 minimum for USD wire-transfer payouts (checked 8 Oct 2026)
20. Google Play Console Help: Bank account and wire transfers, Merchants in India receive payments via wire transfer from the United States in US Dollars (checked 8 Oct 2026)
21. Google Play Console Help: Withholding tax, India: 0.1% of customer purchase price (excluding India GST) with PAN, 5% without PAN (checked 8 Oct 2026)
22. Google Play Console Help: Service fees, Overview of Google Play service fees by market and program (checked 8 Oct 2026)
23. Google Payments Merchant Help: India, Google Play developers in India must verify their merchant accounts with the regulated PA-CB processor to sell to users outside India; FIRC requests processed by the payment processor and issued by a partner bank (checked 8 Oct 2026)
24. App Store Connect Help: Overview of receiving payments, Payments made within 45 days of the last day of the fiscal month in which the transaction was completed (checked 8 Oct 2026)
25. Apple App Store Small Business Program, Reduced commission rate of 15% for eligible developers (checked 8 Oct 2026)
26. Skydo homepage (pricing and fee calculator), Know what you pay; calculator showing GST 18% of transaction fee (checked 6 Oct 2026)
27. 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)
28. 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)
29. 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)
30. 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)
31. 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)
32. 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)
33. Airwallex Help: Eligible Countries and Territories, INDIA IN - AWX Legal Entity SINGAPORE (checked 7 Oct 2026)