Why are Indian CAs learning US accounting and tax?

A Rajasthan CA’s journey to ₹6 lakh monthly income reveals why thousands of Indian accountants are pivoting to US corporate compliance and why this trend is just beginning

The starting point: When traditional dreams shatter

Let me tell you the story of Raunak, someone who discovered why US accounting and tax knowledge has become the golden ticket for Indian CAs. From a brilliant student destined for Beijing sports glory to building a ₹6 lakh monthly business serving US corporations from Rajasthan, his story reveals a massive opportunity that thousands of Indian CAs are now racing to capture.

A story that involves shoulder dystrophy, 5,000 international clients, and the discovery of why US corporate compliance has become the most lucrative skill for Indian accountants.

Let’s start at the beginning and introduce you to Raunak.

Raunak was the academic star everyone envied. Ranked 13th in his state and 2nd in his city, he had two clear paths ahead: excel in sports (with Beijing in his sights) or become a Chartered Accountant. Life, however, had different plans. A shoulder injury shattered his sports dreams. Failed relationships and extreme stress compounded his challenges. But Raunak wasn’t one to give up—he pivoted to his CA dreams with everything he had.

But here’s where his story gets interesting. After clearing his CA in February 2022 (despite having to write exams while trembling from pain, supported by steroids), Raunak faced a new challenge: societal pressure.

“Now that you’re a CA, you must take a job,” everyone said. From a third person’s point of view, that’s the natural next step, right? But not for Raunak.

He knew the traditional path wasn’t for him. His health wouldn’t permit a grueling corporate schedule. He had no family background in CA—no ready client base, no grandfather or father to show him the ropes. But what could be done? The path ahead seemed to demand conformity, yet his body and spirit rebelled against it.

The moment of realization: Why US compliance is the game-changer

Enter the life-changing discovery: The massive demand for US corporate compliance services among Indian entrepreneurs. Raunak stumbled upon a goldmine that many Indian CAs are only now beginning to understand.

After a brief, unsuccessful stint at Vishnu Prakash R. Pongali Ltd. (a listed company), a friend introduced him to freelancing. That introduction led him to LawSikho’s specialized US corporate compliance course, which opened his eyes to why US accounting knowledge multiplies a CA’s earning potential.

Through Skill Arbitrage’s training, Raunak discovered what’s driving thousands of Indian CAs to learn US tax and accounting:

In that moment, Raunak discovered what’s driving thousands of Indian CAs to learn US tax and accounting:

The numbers don’t lie: Indian CAs with US expertise earn 5-10x more than those doing traditional Indian compliance
The market is exploding: 70% of his 5,000+ clients are Indians with US corporations—a rapidly growing segment
The supply-demand gap is massive: While India produces 15,000+ CAs annually, very few understand US corporate structures
The work is location-independent: Serve Silicon Valley startups from a small town in Rajasthan
The hourly rates are transformative: US compliance commands $50-150/hour vs. ₹500-1000/hour for Indian work

Skill Arbitrage revealed the entire ecosystem and opportunity that most Indian CAs were missing.

But vision alone wasn’t enough. The path ahead had serious challenges:

The client acquisition problem: After setting up his own firm, Books and Counts LLC, Raunak wrote countless proposals but got zero responses initially. He was academically brilliant but had no idea how to sell his services. The platforms (Upwork, Fiverr) were crowded with competitors. How could a newcomer from Rajasthan compete?

The knowledge gap: Despite being a CA, US corporate compliance was entirely different—but that’s exactly why it pays so well. LLC formations, C-Corp structures, Wyoming annual reports, Form 5472, Section 174 capitalisation—these weren’t taught in Indian CA curriculum. The complexity that scared others away became his competitive moat.

The credibility challenge: “Who would trust a young CA from Rajasthan with their US business compliance?” The geographic and age bias was real. No track record, no testimonials, no proof of capability.

The work-life balance equation: Unlike his peers pulling 12-hour days in Big 4 firms, Raunak needed to build a practice that wouldn’t deteriorate his shoulder dystrophy or destroy his already fragile health. The long hours of traditional employment would worsen his paralysis and require increased steroid dependency. But could working less actually earn more?

Taking the leap: The $10 beginning

By now, a few things are clear:

Raunak knew that freelancing in US compliance was his path forward
He had the vision and the qualification
He needed to crack the code of client acquisition and service delivery

Then came the breakthrough moment—a critical learning that changed everything.

Learning moment #1: Focus on client pain, not your achievements

Raunak discovered his proposals were failing because they were all about him—his qualifications, his struggles, his capabilities. The moment he shifted to addressing client pain points—their compliance deadlines, their confusion with US regulations, their need for someone who understood their Indian background—everything changed.

His first client paid just $10 for filing a Wyoming annual report. But that $10 job taught him more than his entire CA education about running a global business.

Stepping over one roadblock at a time

Let’s see how Raunak overcame the other roadblocks.

The knowledge gap: Instead of trying to master everything, Raunak followed the framework SkillArbitrage taught him. While all the mentors’ classes proved valuable, one mentor made a particularly profound impact—Ms. Komal Shah. Her sessions revolutionized how Raunak approached the overwhelming world of US compliance. She shared a principle that became his guiding philosophy: “If your basics in accounting are clear—debit, credit, reading P&L and balance sheet—you can work on any software in the world.”

Building credibility: SkillArbitrage’s mentorship program taught Raunak the art of strategic progression. SkillArbitrage provided templates, checklists, and SOPs for each service level.. The mentorship group sessions allowed him to learn from other CAs’ mistakes without making them himself. Within months, he was confidently handling complete tax compliance—something that seemed impossible at the start.

The platform strategy: This was where SkillArbitrage’s practical approach truly shined. Rather than generic advice about finding clients, the SkillArbitrage team provided a detailed playbook:

Upwork optimisation: Skill Arbitrage helped him identify high-value keywords and taught him the psychology of winning proposals. Result: 200 clients
Fiverr positioning: SkillArbitrage showed him how Fiverr’s algorithm worked differently, helping him create gigs that stood out. Result: 40 clients
Direct outreach templates: The course included proven scripts for reaching Indian as well as foreign entrepreneurs with US entities—emails that actually got responses

Eventually, this systematic approach led to 5,000+ total clients served globally.

Learning moment #2: Your constraints can become your competitive advantage

While his peers were burning out in corporate jobs, Raunak’s health constraints forced him to work just 6-7 hours daily. This limitation became his strength—he developed systems, automated processes, and focused on high-value services. Result? He earned more in 6 hours than most CAs earned in 12.

The actual success: Why every Indian CA should pay attention

Here’s where Raunak’s story becomes a case study for the entire Indian CA community.

Today, Raunak consistently earns ₹5-6 lakh monthly, sometimes peaking at ₹8-9 lakh. To put this in perspective: the average Indian CA in practice earns ₹8-12 lakh annually. Raunak makes that in 1-2 months. This isn’t an anomaly—it’s what happens when Indian CAs tap into the US market.

His client composition tells the real story of why US knowledge matters:

70% are Indians with US corporations—the fastest-growing segment needing bilingual, bicultural expertise
30% are from Middle East, Europe, Argentina, Poland—all needing affordable US compliance help
Services include: LLC formation, C-Corp formation, bookkeeping, accounting, taxation, Form 1120, Form 1065, Form 5472, state compliance—all commanding premium rates

But the numbers only tell part of the story. The real success is deeper:

He works just 6-7 hours a day (while Big 4 CAs pull 14-hour shifts)
Most new clients come through referrals (the US market values Indian CA expertise)
He charges $50-100/hour (vs. ₹500-1000/hour for Indian compliance)
His knowledge of both Indian and US systems makes him irreplaceable for Indian entrepreneurs expanding to the US

Learning moment #3: The three wealths framework

Through his journey, Raunak developed a philosophy that every professional should internalize:

First Wealth = Health: Without it, nothing else matters
Second Wealth = Knowledge: Continuous upskilling opens doors
Third Wealth = Money: It comes naturally when the first two are in place

This framework guided his decisions—from refusing high-paying but high-stress jobs to investing in specialized courses while managing medical expenses.

What next?

Raunak isn’t stopping here. His vision is to build his boutique firm into something as significant as the big practices in Gurgaon or Ahmedabad—at least 50 employees. But unlike traditional firms, his will be built on different principles: flexible work, global clients, and health-first culture.

The best part? He’s already laid the foundation. With a co-founder on board and systems in place, he’s scaling strategically, not desperately.

His message: Why Indian CAs must look west

Raunak’s transformation reveals why US accounting and tax knowledge has become essential for ambitious Indian CAs. But his core message to fellow professionals is refreshingly different from typical success stories.

“Don’t stress. Your first wealth is health. Second is knowledge – keep upskilling. The third is actual money,” Raunak emphasizes. He learned this the hard way—working through steroid treatments, managing chronic pain, and realizing that without health, even the best opportunities mean nothing. “If your health is good, you can work for hours and build something substantial. Without it, even 2-3 hours become impossible.”

Yet his journey also teaches us something profound about the opportunity in US compliance. When we look at Raunak’s success, we learn that the Indian CA qualification is respected globally, but without US knowledge, CAs are leaving lakhs on the table. Every Indian startup incorporating in Delaware, every IT professional setting up a US LLC, every Amazon FBA seller—they all need what Indian CAs can offer, if they just learn US compliance.

The math is simple:

Indian GST return: ₹5,000-15,000
US tax return: $500-2,000 (₹40,000-1,60,000)
Indian company formation: ₹15,000-25,000
US LLC formation with compliance: $1,500-3,000 (₹1,20,000-2,40,000)

If a CA from Rajasthan, dealing with chronic health issues and no business background, can tap into this opportunity and build a global practice earning ₹6 lakh monthly, imagine what’s possible for CAs with fewer constraints.

The market is global, the opportunities are endless, and technology has eliminated geographical boundaries. You just need the courage to write your own rules.

The bottom line: the US opportunity is real

Raunak’s story isn’t just about one CA’s success; it’s about a massive shift in the global accounting landscape.

His journey from a trembling exam-taker on steroids to a thriving US compliance expert proves that the question isn’t whether Indian CAs should learn US accounting and tax—it’s whether they can afford not to.

The opportunity that changed Raunak’s life is available to you

The specialized US corporate compliance bootcamp that transformed Raunak from a struggling CA to a ₹6 lakh monthly entrepreneur is happening again; FREE and LIVE on September 20-22, 2025. Three days that could redefine your next 30 years.

But here’s the reality check: While you’re thinking about whether to learn US compliance, other CAs are already signing up US clients. The Indian entrepreneurs setting up Delaware C-Corps aren’t waiting. The Amazon FBA sellers needing US tax returns aren’t pausing. The demand is NOW.

Why timing matters more than you think

Remember when GST was introduced? CAs who learned it early charged premium rates. The same window exists today with US compliance, but it won’t last forever.

The question isn’t whether US compliance is profitable (Raunak’s ₹6 lakh monthly income proves it is).

The question isn’t whether you can learn it (if someone managing chronic health issues could master it, so can you).

The real question is: Will you be one of the few CAs who capture this opportunity now, or one of the many who’ll wish they had started earlier when they see their peers earning 5x more for the same hours of work?

Every week you delay is a week your competition gets ahead. Every US tax season you miss is lakhs left on the table. Every Indian startup incorporating in Delaware without your help is a client relationship you’ll never build.

P.S.: Still unsure? Consider this—Raunak started when he could barely write due to tremors. He learned while on steroids for pain management. He built his practice despite having no family background in CA. If he could overcome all that, what’s really stopping you? The only barrier between you and ₹6 lakh monthly US compliance income is the decision to start.