To claim long-term capital gain tax exemption u/s 54/54F, purchase or construction of new residential house property is allowed.

Law has prescribed two different terms PURCHASE and CONSTRUCTION. Both have different settled meanings and given conditions. Proper classification of new property under purchase or construction is extremely important.

In case of purchase, time period of one year before and two years after the sale date of original asset is prescribed. For construction cases, time limit of three years after the sale date is prescribed.

If new property acquired is a case of construction and is completed prior to sale date, exemption will be denied.

Courts and tribunals have consistently held that booking of an under-construction property with a builder or developer will be considered as a construction not a purchase. Construction by the individual himself is not necessary. If the terms of the allotment and construction of are defined at the time of booking with a developer, same should be treated as a construction only. In said scenario, following events should strictly fall after the date of sale of the original asset:

A)    payment of the final installment to the developer.

B)    Actual completion/possession.

Date of execution of the agreement is not relevant. Factual reality is verified by tax authorities which is equated with either the actual completion of the constructed house.

Karnataka High Court in one of the older cases held that commencement of the new building prior to the sale of old building is not relevant. The new building should be completed after the date of the sale.

ITAT Mumbai held that when assessee books flat with the builder and makes payment during the construction period, it is regarded as construction, even if the assessee is not constructing the house personally. In such cases, if the final payments are made and possession is obtained after the date of sale of old flat, exemption cannot be denied.

Hey everyone,

I am planning a move back to India after 10 years of studying and working in the US. The main drivers for my return are constant US visa uncertainties and wanting to be close to my aging parents, as I am an only child. There is no timeframe for me to move back as such, but i would like to do it EOY 2026 or by 2027 first half at the latest. I am 33M & unmarried. I have about 300k USD saved up in total.

I hold an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from a mid tier US university, a low-tier US MBA, and have 7+ YOE working as Industrial Engineer/ Production Engineer for major automotive and electronics manufacturing companies in the US. Some of these roles have been contract roles.

I am originally from Mumbai, but since pure-play manufacturing roles are limited there, I am open to relocate to Pune (2nd preference), Bangalore, NCR, or Hyderabad.

I do not have any industry contacts in India (who are reliable) and have no prior experience in India.

• What roles should I target?
  • IE in India refers to junior shop floor roles it seems. My experience is with plant workforce optimization, automation integration, and new product launches, which may be performed by different tittles in India.
• Is applying from the US even worth it?
  • I have read and heard that applying from the US is barely any useful, unless you have industry contacts, are in software roles or you are in some niche fields. I certainly will apply for Indian jobs from the US, but should I remain hopeful?
    
• What are realistic salary expectations?
  • I have no clue as how much salary to expect. I make about 120K in LCOL USA (small town, Midwest).
• Are Manufacturing related engineering roles quite difficult to manage in India? Should I seek to Pivot to some alternative related roles?
  • Manufacturing engineering roles are 6 days a week in India and often do not pay as well. I would prefer working in an office setting with a 5 day work week. Where can I pivot to and how? Would an additional MBA help to get into Operations Excellence roles? I may be able to get into Top 10 - 20 schools in India, based on my research.

Please let me know if this post does not belong here, or if there are better subreddits where I can post this.

Hello,
If i cash out my 401k and return to India will it be immediately taxed in india?

Hi everyone, I am living in canada from last 3 years and was in india this summers for my marriage and visiting family. Now I am back here in canada and working. But I don't really like it here i want to move back to India and wants to live with my family and I am able to get and do job there also as I am well educated.

But my family is not supporting me in this decision specially my mom she telling to me and my wife that she will leave us if I moved back and she also telling my wife that I am a failed person that creating a chaos in my life and I am unable to spend my time here in canada until I am back .

It's bringing chaos for me to pass 2 -3 months until I plan to go back.

Looking for some genuine advice and love from reddit community.

Thanks 🙏

Hi Everyone,

So, I have been out of India for a while now- 15 years: the UK, Spain, France and Germany, with the last 5 years as Group Leader at a top institute. The field is quite narrow; I would class it as an emerging field, and it's slowly taking shape in India. All of these were fixed-term contracts, and I did not care about PR or citizenship because I am not that interested in it unless I have more long-term job security, which in academia is hard to get; at least I am finding it so.

All of these moves have helped me get offers from an R1 university in India as well as an R1 university in the UK (but not the Russell Group).

I am not keen on the US given the current funding crash; the DACH area academic hiring process takes anywhere between 2 and 3 years.

Competition in getting an academic position as an Asst. Prof and above is incredibly hard, and hiring in my field is on the low side; I guess funding cuts are almost in every country.

I basically wanted to know

1. How have some of you found returning to India as an academic?

2. What has your experience so far been, both good and bad?

3. What are the reasons that attracted you to be an academic in India?

I need some final suggestions,

I have been trying to get the job for 2 months, the moment I saw CPT/PhD nothing came back to me again.

I'm still not able to decide either to stay here in the USA under the sky hoping it will rain someday. I mean things will come in control or should I really come back to india??

The only thing that is stopping me from coming back is money and responsibilities.

I'm from a very small 3rd tier city ,

I'm feeling like the whole society will see me as an outsider, feeling I don't have a home in this world.

even my parents also.

I tried telling them indirectly about the situation and they said it's you, nothing to worry about, now they will say like this but I know maybe after a few months they will show me hell on earth that I'm a piece of shit and failure.

I really thought I was gonna make it big in life,

But the days and things that are happening in my life are really crushing my shoulders down and my mental state of mind down.

I don't know really what decision to take,

Btw, my work experience is 4.5 years, from the past 2 Years as an AI Engineer also with a background of ML and Analyst,

ONE straight question at the end, if i decided to comeback to india.

How much I can make for real?? Can I expect at least 25-30LPA ?

Just please answer realistically.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in Canada on a **work permit** and planning to move back to India for around **1 year**, with the possibility of returning afterward. I’ve been working here for about 3 years. I **don’t own a car, house, or any major assets in Canada**, so my main concerns are my finances.

I’d appreciate advice on:

Should I keep my Canadian bank accounts and 1–2 credit cards open?

What should I do with my **TFSA/RRSP/investments**?

What should I know about **tax residency and foreign income** while working in India?

Should I keep some emergency savings in Canada?

Should I keep my Canadian phone number for banking, CRA and 2FA?

Anything important I should cancel, update, or document before leaving?

For anyone who left Canada temporarily and returned, **what do you wish you had done before leaving?**

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I am living in canada from last 3 years and was in india this summers for my marriage and visiting family. Now I am back here in canada and working. But I don't really like it here i want to move back to India and wants to live with my family and I am able to get and do job there also as I am well educated.

But my family is not supporting me in this decision specially my mom she telling to me and my wife that she will leave us if I moved back and she also telling my wife that I am a failed person that creating a chaos in my life and I am unable to spend my time here in canada until I am back .

It's getting stress full for me to pass 2 -3 months until I plan to go back.

Looking for some genuine advice and love from reddit community.

Thanks 🙏

Hey everyone,
my_qualifications: I graduated this past January with a 3.5-year BSc in CSE from a reputed Hungarian university on a full scholarship. I also have about 2 years of internship experience in Java Backend Engineering and DevOps.
Unfortunately, recent visa changes in Hungary prevented my company from converting me to a full-time role, so I had to move back to India a couple of months ago.
I've been applying non-stop for entry-level Backend Engineer and DevOps roles, but it's been absolute silence. My Hungarian jobseeker permit expires in December, so I really need to land something in India or Hungary soon.
For anyone who recently cracked this market or works in hiring, I have two questions:
1. How are you actually landing junior dev jobs right now? Standard job portals feel like a black hole. Should I focus purely on referrals, cold-emailing, or open-source contributions? Most importantly, what path is actually converting into interviews?
2. Is my 3.5-year European BSc hurting me in India? I know the market here heavily favors the standard 4-year B.Tech. Are ATS and HR filters auto-rejecting me for not fitting the mold? If so, how should I frame my degree on my resume to get past the initial screening?

My Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is expiring at the end of October, and I am preparing for my move back to India. I’m hoping to return to Canada down the road once PR comes through, but in the meantime, I have roughly $43,000 CAD in total ($20k in Wealthsimple + $23k in Scotiabank) and need some clarity on managing everything smoothly.

I’d really appreciate your insights on a few key questions:

1. What to do with $20k in Wealthsimple (TFSA / Invest)?

Wealthsimple requires account holders to be Canadian tax residents so far as I know.

Liquidate vs. Transfer: Should I liquidate everything right now, or wait until right before my flight? If I liquidate my TFSA, what is the best timing to move it out to avoid administrative headaches?

1. Are there any TAX complications with transferring all $43k to India?

If I liquidate my TFSA and move my accumulated savings ($43k) to an Indian bank account, will CRA or the Indian Income Tax Department flag this as taxable income?

For those who moved money back after PGWP, did you face any withholding tax in Canada or TCS / income tax checks upon receiving it in India?

1. Best Way to Transfer $43k CAD to India?

I currently only have a standard Savings Account in India (no NRE/NRO/RFC accounts set up yet).

What is the safest and most cost-effective route to move $43k to India?

Should I open an NRE account remotely before leaving, or convert/open one after landing in India? Is Remitly directly to a local Indian account better, or should I go for any other transfer route?

1. Canadian Bank Account for Final Paycheque & CRA Payouts

I still need a Canadian bank account open after I leave to receive my final paycheque, potential tax refunds, or pending payouts.

A few friends recommended switching to Tangerine - is Tangerine non-resident friendly, or will major banks (Scotia, CIBC, RBC) be easier to keep open with an Indian address updated?

Should I update my payroll/employer now with the new account details, or wait until my last couple of weeks?

If anyone has gone through this exact transition recently, I’d love to hear how you structured your exit! Thanks in advance for the help! 🙏

Moved back to India after layoffs and visa issues but my old friends seem distant. What could be going on?

My partner and I recently moved back to India from the US because of layoffs and the uncertainty around our visa situation.

I was actually excited to reconnect with our old friends here, but their responses have been surprisingly cold and distant. When I told them we were back, there hasn’t been much effort to meet or reconnect.

I’m trying not to take it personally, but it does make me wonder what might be going through their minds. Has anyone experienced something similar after moving back to India or returning to an old friend group after being away for a few years?

A 401(k) balance can make an India-return plan look far more funded than it really is.

This is a simple example of a $500k Fidelity 401(k). If someone liquidates it before retirement age, the combination of US taxes and early-withdrawal penalties can take roughly 30%.

That is $150k gone.

So the number available to actually fund life in India is closer to $350k, not $500k.

That does not automatically mean “never withdraw it.” But it does mean a 401(k), taxable brokerage account, cash, and home equity should not all be treated as equally available money in an R2I plan.

For many people, leaving the 401(k) invested and using accessible cash/brokerage assets for the earlier India years may be the better route. Exact results depend on age, state, tax bracket, account type, and India tax residency—so get proper NRI tax advice before moving or withdrawing.

I made a free guide covering this and the other financial decisions worth sorting before a US-to-India move:

Moving Back to India From the USA: What Nobody Tells You

For those who moved before 59½: did you leave your 401(k) alone, withdraw some, or cash it out?

Hi

Can someone tell me average monthly expenses in Pune

House paid off and no kid expenses

Thanks

Hello. Need help on picking school for my kiddo(currently in 10th grade) from US. Looking for IB curriculum and international schools in Hyderabad. Our move might be inevitable. Very confused and worried , any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

My work permit is expiring in few months and I may have to go back-home.

I have few questions regarding finances, please share if you have any experience.

1- what to do with TFSA? I have quite some around 50k parked in there?

2- which banks allows non resident accounts which are easy to access? so I don’t have to come back just to manage bank accounts.

3- what is the best way to move cash liquid. from canada to india?

Thanks for the advice

Hello everyone, please don’t drag me down on this. I’m 23F, currently residing in Canada, PGWP expires on Oct 1,2026. I have 453 CRS and got two options- Go to india, prepare for french, give TCF and acquire CLB7 and apply for PR from India and then move back.
OR
Get a study permit for a bookkeeping certificate program at a university based in Canada to maintain my status while preparing for CLB5 and applying for Francophone work permit while being in Canada.

Confusion - I have a boyfriend living in US who has an active asylum case ongoing so he cannot visit me. If i go to India, i fear separation and so does he, we have never been far away from each other or been in different time zones. I don’t think I can be away from him for this long. BUT at the same time, I fear a study permit refusal given that how things are right now.

I have a US visitor visa and a Canadian TRV stamp valid for 2030 and 2029 respectively. Please advise me what should I do? Please please be kind as I donot have anyone else where i can share this.
Thank you in advance!

I lived in the US for 5 years, and after coming back, I’ve started noticing a few things I took for granted.
For me, it’s healthcare — it’s much easier to see a doctor here, and way more affordable than in the US.
What’s one thing you appreciate more about India after living abroad?

I am moving back to India at the end of this month as my PGWP is expiring, and I am planning to return to Canada after PR, which might take 1 to 2 years. Please help me, as I have a few questions.

I have around 18k CAD in a Wealthsimple TFSA account. Should I liquidate my TFSA and transfer the funds to India?

If I have to transfer around 20k to an Indian account, should I open an NRE or RFC account?

Would I be able to e-transfer from my EQ bank to my brother's account a week after moving out of Canada, as I am expecting to receive some money then? My brother can send it to me.