FIRC and FIRA checklist for Indian freelancers receiving foreign payments
Every foreign payment to an Indian freelancer needs export proof. Here is a practical FIRC/FIRA collection checklist for Wise, Payoneer, Stripe, and bank wire clients.
Every rupee you earn from a foreign client is export revenue. Indian tax and GST law requires proof that foreign currency was repatriated to India. That proof is the FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) or FIRA (Foreign Inward Remittance Advice).
Nobody sends it automatically. Nobody reminds you. Your CA asks for it in March — and you have six months of missing certificates.
What is a FIRC/FIRA?
FIRC — issued by an Authorised Dealer (AD) bank when foreign currency is converted and credited to your Indian account. Confirms: who sent money, how much, in which currency, on what date, and the RBI reference rate.
FIRA — similar document, sometimes issued by platforms like Payoneer or payment aggregators instead of your bank directly.
Both serve the same purpose: proof of export earnings for income tax and GST filings.
Why freelancers forget to collect them
- Wise, Payoneer, and Stripe each work differently — some issue FIRA automatically, some require you to request it from your bank
- No deadline reminder — unlike GST due dates, FIRC collection has no portal notification
- Multiple platforms — three clients on three platforms = three different processes
- Lag is invisible — you only discover gaps when your CA asks
The 30-day rule
Best practice: collect FIRC/FIRA within 30 days of each foreign payment landing in your Indian account.
After 30 days:
- Bank records get archived
- Platform support tickets take longer
- You forget which payment was which
Set a calendar alert or use a tracker that fires COLLECT NOW at day 30.
Platform-by-platform guide
Wise
Wise transfers to your Indian bank account. Your Indian bank (Authorised Dealer) issues the FIRC — not Wise.
Action: Contact your bank's forex/AD desk with the Wise transfer reference (UTR), date, amount, and sender details. Request FIRC for export of services (purpose code varies — commonly P0802/P0808 for software/consulting services).
Payoneer
Payoneer often provides FIRA directly from their dashboard for transfers to Indian accounts.
Action: Log in → Activity → select payment → download FIRA/confirmation. If unavailable, request via Payoneer support with transaction ID.
Stripe / PayPal
These route through intermediary banks. FIRC typically comes from your receiving Indian bank, not Stripe/PayPal directly.
Action: Give your bank the settlement reference, USD/EUR amount, and date. Ask specifically for FIRC with correct purpose code.
Direct bank wire (SWIFT)
Your bank AD branch issues FIRC when foreign currency is credited.
Action: Email your relationship manager within 7 days of credit. Include SWIFT copy, invoice, and contract.
Purpose codes matter
Each FIRC must reference an RBI purpose code matching your service type:
| Service type | Common purpose code |
|---|---|
| Software development | P0802 |
| Business/management consulting | P0808 |
| Other professional services | P0808 / P0809 |
Wrong purpose code = GST/export documentation mismatch. Match the code to what's on your LUT and GST invoices.
FIRC tracker: minimum fields
For every foreign payment, log:
- Date received in India
- Platform (Wise / Payoneer / wire / Stripe)
- Foreign currency amount
- INR amount at RBI rate
- Client name and invoice reference
- Purpose code
- FIRC/FIRA status: Pending / Collected / Overdue
- Certificate file link or folder path
What happens if you skip FIRCs
- Income tax: Harder to defend export earnings if assessed
- GST export returns: Table 6A / GSTR-1 export entries need supporting proof
- LUT compliance: Export under LUT requires documented foreign exchange inflow
- CA filing delays: Your CA cannot close books without certificates
One missing FIRC won't trigger a raid. Twelve missing FIRCs will trigger a very long Sunday call.
The collection email template
Subject: FIRC request — export remittance dated [date] — Ref [UTR/SWIFT]
Dear [Bank/Platform] team,
I received a foreign inward remittance of [currency amount] (INR [amount]) on [date], reference [UTR]. I am an exporter of services (freelance [type]) and require a FIRC/FIRA for this transaction under purpose code [code].
Please share the certificate or confirm the process to obtain it.
Account: [your account number] PAN: [your PAN]
System beats memory
HisaabKit Workflow 2 — FIRC/FIRA Tracker — logs every foreign payment with platform, RBI rate, purpose code, and a 30-day overdue alert. Pair it with the export GST pack (LUT tracker + GSTR export turnover) for a complete export compliance stack.
Not tax advice. Verify purpose codes and filing requirements with your CA.
Related: TDS → 26AS reconciliation guide · Advance tax under 44ADA · Get HisaabKit — ₹1,499