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Estate & Inheritance Planning for US Based NRIs

Planning your estate across the US and India means dealing with two different legal systems, two sets of tax rules, and no single advisor who covers both. We help you build a plan that protects your US assets, covers your India property, and makes sure your family can access what you leave behind — wherever they are.

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The problem

You have built wealth in two countries. You have no plan that covers both.

For NRIs without a green card, that gap can cost your family 40% of everything you built in the US.

The $60,000 estate tax trap
Non-citizens without a green card get a $60,000 US estate tax threshold — everything above it is taxed at 40%.
Your family in India cannot reach your accounts
US beneficiary designations do not automatically protect a non-US resident — your family could face US probate from abroad.
You inherited from India and do not know what to file
Foreign inheritances above $100,000 must be reported on IRS Form 3520 — missing it carries a 25% penalty.
Where you are

Wherever you are in the process, we can help.

Estate planning rarely starts from zero — most NRIs are already somewhere in the middle of it.

01 / 06

You have US assets and no estate plan yet

Why InvestMates

This is exactly the gap InvestMates was built to fill.

Your US estate attorney stops at the border. Your India CA has no visibility into your IRS obligations. Neither one sees the full picture. We do.

  • Calculate your US estate tax exposure as a non-citizen
  • Review 401k, IRA, and brokerage beneficiary designations
  • Handle India-side inheritance events end to end
  • File IRS Form 3520 and FBAR where required
  • Advise on DTAA treatment for inherited income
InvestMates advisor helping NRI with estate and inheritance planning
What we cover

We cover every dimension of your cross border estate — from what you own today to what your family inherits tomorrow.

NRI cross-border estate planning advisors

Without a green card, your US assets face a 40% estate tax above a $60,000 threshold. We calculate your exact exposure and advise on structures that can reduce it.

A US will governs US assets; an India bank nomination is not a will. We advise on what you need in each country and review your beneficiary designations for non-US family.

When you inherit from India, we handle the India-side succession and repatriation, prepare your IRS Form 3520, and manage FBAR for any new foreign accounts.

If your family lives in India, we structure your 401(k), IRA, and brokerage accounts for a non-US resident beneficiary — and prepare them for what to do.

Your advisors

Meet the experts

Both advisors specialise in NRI cross border financial, tax, and estate planning across the US and India.

Krishnan Subramanian
CPA · Cross Border Estate and Tax Advisor
Krishnan Subramanian
CPA and Cross-Border Estate Advisor · 30+ years

Krishnan has spent three decades advising NRI clients on US tax compliance and cross border estate structure. He advises on the non-citizen estate tax threshold, US trust formation for protecting assets, DTAA claims on inherited income, and IRS Form 3520 compliance for NRIs who receive foreign inheritances.

Gangaraju Hanumaiah
EA · NRI Tax and Succession Specialist
Gangaraju Hanumaiah
Enrolled Agent · NRI Tax and Succession Specialist · 19+ years

Gangaraju works with NRIs on the full range of cross border tax obligations — including estate and inheritance events that touch both countries. He advises on FBAR requirements from inherited foreign accounts, FEMA and LRS compliance for repatriation, and the India-side succession process.

Why NRIs in the US come to InvestMates for estate and inheritance planning

We know both countries.

US estate attorneys handle US law. Indian CAs handle India succession. Neither has visibility into the other country. Our advisors hold US credentials — CPA and EA — and deep working knowledge of India's financial, FEMA, and succession framework. You do not need two separate advisors trying to talk to each other. You need one team that sees both sides at the same time.

We start with your actual exposure, not a sales pitch.

We do not begin by selling you a will or a trust. We begin by showing you what is actually at risk. For most NRIs without a green card, that number is significant and unexpected. We quantify your exposure first so you can make a real decision about what kind of planning you want to do and how urgently.

We handle the India-side inheritance event end to end.

When a parent in India passes away, the list of things to do on the India side is long: succession certificate, property transfer, NRO account closure, repatriation under LRS, India ITR filing for the estate. We handle all of it alongside the US-side reporting. You do not have to coordinate between two sets of advisors across two countries and two time zones.

We tell you when you need someone else.

If your situation requires a US estate attorney to draft a formal trust instrument, we say so and we refer you to the right person. We do not overstate what we do. We work within our scope completely, and we coordinate with the specialists you need when you need them.

Here is how a cross border estate planning engagement with InvestMates works

A plan is built step by step. Here is what each step delivers.

What clients say after working with us

Amit

“My US financial advisor had never once mentioned the $60,000 estate tax threshold in six years. When I got on a call with Krishnan, he walked me through my exact exposure in under an hour. We updated my beneficiary designations and built a plan that actually covers both my US accounts and my property in Hyderabad. First time I've felt like someone understood the full picture.”

Amit

Fremont, California

Priya Kapoor

“When my father-in-law passed away in India, we had no idea there were US filing obligations attached to the inheritance. InvestMates handled the Form 3520, explained the FBAR requirement, and walked us through the repatriation process from both ends. They dealt with the India paperwork and the US filings so we didn't have to coordinate between two advisors through an already difficult time.”

Priya Kapoor

Jersey City, New Jersey

Rajesh

“I had a US will and thought I was sorted. InvestMates pointed out it doesn't cover my India mutual funds or the joint property I have with my brother in Pune. Two sessions later I had a clear plan for both countries, with actual documents and next steps — not just advice. The specificity of what they know about India succession law genuinely surprised me.”

Rajesh

Dallas, Texas

Sanjay

“My wife and I had been saying "we'll sort this soon" for years. When we finally sat down with InvestMates, we found gaps we didn't know existed — no green card, outdated 401k beneficiary info, a house in Bengaluru with no succession plan. They broke it into pieces, told us exactly what to do and in what order, and we walked away with a proper plan for the first time.”

Sanjay

San Jose, California

Arjun Mehta

“I couldn't get a straight answer on how the $60,000 estate tax rule applied to my situation — my US CPA said it wasn't his area and my CA in India had never heard of it. Krishnan knew exactly what I was asking, explained my exposure clearly, and laid out the options without any upselling. Straightforward, specific, and exactly what I was looking for.”

Arjun Mehta

Seattle, Washington

Questions we hear on every estate planning call

Estate planning advisor

Need help with your estate plan?

Book a free call and get clear guidance on your US estate tax exposure, India succession, and cross border beneficiary structure.

Know exactly where your estate stands in both countries.

Your first call is free. No commitment. We tell you upfront what is exposed and what needs to change.