Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said salary income earned by non-resident Indians in Gulf countries would continue to be exempt from tax in India. Quoting a tweet of TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Sitharaman clarified that the Finance Act 2021 has not brought in any new or additional tax on Indian workers in Saudi/UAE/Oman/Qatar.

The minister said the said amendment in the Finance Act, 2021, has merely incorporated general definition of the term “liable to tax” in the Income Tax Act to provide clarity. “This amendment has not altered the taxability of salary income earned by non-resident Indian citizens in Gulf countries. Their salary income earned in Gulf countries would continue to be exempt in India,” the Office of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted.