When to use P1301
Use P1301 for money received from abroad: family maintenance and savings from non-resident Indians. It sits under RBI head 13, family, gifts, donations and taxes.
A recorded-only code: never use it for payment for goods or services, which misstates your income.
Watch out. Family maintenance is personal money from a non-resident Indian — not payment for work. For a client fee pick the code for the service.
The same purpose in the other direction is S1301: Family maintenance and savings (money paid abroad).
Form A1 or Form A2
Neither. Form A1 and Form A2 are applications to send money out of India. For money coming in, the bank issues a Foreign Inward Remittance Advice (FIRA), or a payment platform an e-FIRA, naming the purpose code.
Income tax
Money sent by a relative abroad for family maintenance, or a gift from a relative, is not income. A gift from someone who is not a relative is taxable once the year's gifts from non-relatives pass ₹50,000.
GST
Capital, loans, gifts, claims, salaries and dividends are not supplies of goods or services, and interest on loans and deposits is exempt. Ask your CA where a fee is bundled with the transfer.
Reporting and closure
The bank reports it to RBI under its code, but it settles no invoice or customs document.
Questions
Guides
General information on RBI purpose codes and the FEMA, income-tax and GST rules as they stood on 14 October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice: confirm the position for your payment with your AD bank or your chartered accountant before acting.
