Why Abhinav
Cross-border India-US tax and estate work is a narrow, high-stakes field. The quality of advice depends almost entirely on how deeply the advisor understands the intersection of both legal systems — and how much dedicated time they have spent thinking through the specific situation in front of them.
- Independence: I am a fully Independent consultant & don’t have any financial or referral based tie-ups/arrangements with any bank, insurance companies, wealth managers, any tax preparation or entity incorporation firms, etc. If you are an HNWI, given the amount of mis selling going around, this can be your No. 1 reason to hire me – to have someone independent have a look at your strategies and give you conflict free & unbiased advice.
- Exclusive Focus on US-India corridor & Advisory-Only: I am one of the very few advisors who practice exclusively in advisory-only capacity in the US-India cross border space. Not taking up any other work like entity incorporation, tax return filing, accounting, GST, audits, representation, valuations, etc. allows me to use my limited time to research on the complex aspects of HNWI US-India cross border tax & estate strategy issues. Also, you get the benefit of one person knowing the intricacies of both US & India laws which allow for pre-empting the cross-country tax and regulatory risks & devising compliant and low-risk strategies that can work in both systems.
- Solo Professional: Given the complexity and high stakes involved in HNW US-India cross border, I work solo by choice. Every case, right from your first email interaction & introduction call with me to the research, drafting of the review notes, video call is handled by me directly. You’ll not have to deal with any juniors, interns, or associates. As a HNWI, this ensures a certain level of privacy & bespoke care to your case & means that the person you are speaking with on the review findings is the same person who’s actually done the deep work on your case.
- Strategic Mindset: Regular CA/CPA firms work more from a compliance mindset – ensuring taxes are filed on time, all relevant schedules & relevant incomes are included and deductions claimed etc. The strategic advisory they claim to give as part of the tax filing engagement is on a shallow level without a deep understanding of the technicalities & peculiarities of your case. Basically, the advisory in such case act as a loss leader to gain tax filing business. In contrast, I charge dedicatedly & only for a strategic review wherein I look at your case from a proactive & strategic mindset & this can make a significant difference.
What You Walk Away With
- A clear strategic direction tailored to your specific situation — not a generic framework applied from a distance
- A mapped-out picture of your key tax and estate risk exposures, practical optimisation opportunities, and concrete action points: what to do, what to avoid, and in what order
- The clarity needed before engaging lawyers, CPAs, or product providers — so those conversations start from a position of informed intent
- The confidence of knowing your situation has been properly thought through by someone with no stake in the outcome other than getting it right
What Clients Have Said
“The consulting session with Abhinav was excellent, relevant and extremely insightful. What truly stood out was the personalized approach. Abhinav took the time to understand my financial situation, goals and challenges, ensuring that the advice provided was relevant and actionable. His guidance around US tax laws and how they would align with Indian tax laws for OCI holders was very useful in ensuring I took the right steps from the start. I would highly recommend at least an introductory session with Abhinav for every OCI holder planning to return to India or for all India tax related questions. Overall, my consulting session exceeded all expectations.”
“Abhinav possesses extensive knowledge of tax considerations in both India and the United States. He is patient and ensures that all questions are thoroughly addressed. Notably, he takes the initiative to ask for your questions and details in advance, allowing him to come well-prepared for your specific situation. This proactive approach ensures that the consultation is highly effective and personalized. Strongly recommended for anyone seeking expert guidance on cross-border tax matters.”
“The session with Abhinav was super useful and insightful. Abhinav came to the call prepared and not only answered all my questions but also had additional points I should be considering. My situation had questions on US treatment of PFIC and implications on Indian assets. Abhinav is a subject matter expert and is friendly as well. I would be going to him in future in case I need help with tax related situations.”
Services Offered
I offer two kinds of advisory services as follows:
- Strategy Review (One Time, Flat Fee)
- Strategy Retainer (Ongoing, Hourly Fee)
Details of each service is given below:
Service 1: Strategy Review
Who This Service Is For
You are a HNWI [Combined US & India NW > USD 2M ] and any of the below applies:
- You are about to navigate a major transition e.g. relocating from US to India, relinquishing US citizenship, or surrendering a Green Card — and want to get the sequencing right before you act.
- You hold wealth across both India and the US and want to ensure it is protected, properly structured, and not leaking value through avoidable tax exposure.
- You are dealing with a complex situation: cross-border stock compensation, secondment arrangements, PFIC exposure, US estate tax risk, missed tax disclosures, wealth holding structures like trusts etc.
- You are about to execute a significant cross-border transaction — a large gift or inheritance, or a liquidity event at your startup etc. — and need to understand the tax consequences before, not after.
- You have already received advice on an India-US tax or estate matter and need an independent & conflict-free second opinion before you commit to a course of action.
What Is Covered
- The Strategy Review is a proactive, deep-dive diagnostic that involves a comprehensive case review based on the details submitted by you in the profile assessment form from an India-US Tax & Estate Strategy Perspective covering the following areas:
- Reviewing tax residency for US & India as per the Tax Laws of both countries
- Review of the cross border tax implications of your key investments and providing directional recommendations for restructuring or liquidation.
- Screening for compliance risk exposures like PFIC, FEMA, Indian Black Money Act, IRS Foreign Information Reporting etc. and suggesting pathway for regularization and compliance.
- Screening for any related tax implications of transition such as US Estate Tax, US Exit Tax etc.
- Identifying legally defensible tax-optimisation opportunities suitable to Client’s situation and goals.
- Reviewing your present estate strategy in US & India to ensure a seamless & tax-efficient transfer of your wealth to your loved ones post your death/incapacity, asset protection readiness in case of situations like marital disputes, creditor claims, etc.
- Review notes in PDF
- 3 hours of 1:1 video calls of 60 minutes each to discuss the review findings & incorporate feedback
- 30 days of email-based support
What is not covered
- My expertise is in connecting the dots between US & India systems, identify grey areas and recommend a high-level compliant and efficient architecture suited to your unique needs. This is different from routine implementation/execution work (e.g. filing tax returns & forms, drafting estate documents, etc.). My service does not replace the need for you to have your regular CA/CPA/attorney/RIA relationships in place.
- The engagement is for educational purposes & does not involve a written legal opinion. Review notes are for reference only & do not constitute legal opinion for tax representation purposes.
- While I will share some thoughts on investment positioning & strategy, I am not an Investment Adviser in US or India. Deeper analysis regarding asset allocation, portfolio balancing, simulations, FIRE calculations, product level suitability analysis & recommendations, reviewing policies of individual financial institutions on financial accounts etc. are out of scope.
- My expertise is limited to US & India. For investment products, structures, citizenship/residency implications of other countries, you needs to also consult respective licensed professionals in that country. There are nuances from US State law perspective also, for which you need to consult/verify with a US state CPA/attorney.
Investment: USD 2,500.
- Additional fee may apply in very limited cases & communicated upfront prior to terms signing, in case of significantly complex situations
- 18% GST shall additionally apply if billing address is located in India or payment is in INR.
Duration: ~ 1.5 months
Service 2: Advisory Retainer
Who This Service Is For
- You are a HNWI & have previously availed the comprehensive strategy review and need ongoing support beyond the end of the engagement
- You are a HNWI & need advice/second opinion on very specific tax or estate strategy questions (do not wish to undergo a comprehensive strategy review exercise at this time)
- You are a CA/CPA firm or a US/India wealth manager needing advice/second opinion on specific tax or estate strategy questions pertaining to a client you’re dealing with.
What is Included:
- In-depth review of the questions basis the details provided by you
- Response over email or brief review notes in PDF
- 1:1 video calls to explain the review findings & incorporate feedback
Investment:
- For End Clients – USD 1,250 for 5 hours of effort
- For Clients as Tax /Wealth Management Firms – USD 1,750 for 5 hours of effort
- 18% GST shall additionally apply if billing address is located in India or payment is in INR.
Validity: 12 months
Some Important Points
- Hours calculation will include time spent in review of the case, preparing the response & discussion specific to your case. Time spent in research or other work which is not specific to the case will not be included.
- You shall receive a read-only access to a timesheet where you can view the time recorded towards the project.
Ready to Take the First Step?
I take limited number of cases each month where I feel I can add maximum value. If interested, please complete the 2-minute application below. I will review your responses & get back to you with a link to schedule a brief introduction call within 24 hours.