80C Tax Saving Planner
Plan your ₹1.5 lakh Section 80C investments. Enter what you already invest through EPF and see how much more you can put in ELSS, PPF, LIC, or NPS to maximise tax savings.
Section 80C — India's Biggest Tax Saving Opportunity
Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 allows you to claim a deduction of up to ₹1,50,000 from your taxable income every year. At the 30% tax slab, this saves ₹46,800 in taxes annually (₹1.5L × 30% + 4% cess). Even at the 20% slab, you save ₹31,200 per year. Over a career, maximising 80C every year can save tens of lakhs in taxes — and simultaneously build significant long-term wealth.
Best 80C Investments — Ranked by Returns
1. ELSS (Equity Linked Saving Scheme) — Mutual funds with a 3-year lock-in. Only 80C instrument investing in equity, giving historically 12–15% returns. Shortest lock-in of all 80C options. Best choice for those with 5+ year horizon who want wealth creation along with tax saving.
2. EPF (Employee Provident Fund) — Mandatory for most salaried employees. Earns 8.25% tax-free interest with employer matching. Already counted toward 80C automatically for most employees. Excellent guaranteed return instrument.
3. PPF (Public Provident Fund) — Government-backed, 15-year lock-in (partial withdrawal from year 7). Currently earns 7.1% p.a., tax-free. Contribution, interest, and maturity — all tax-free (EEE status). Best for risk-averse investors building a retirement corpus.
4. NPS Tier-1 — National Pension System contributions also qualify under 80C (up to ₹1.5L), plus an additional ₹50,000 under 80CCD(1B). Good returns (10–12% historical for equity option) but 40% must buy annuity at retirement.
5. Life Insurance Premiums — LIC or term/endowment policy premiums count under 80C. However, traditional insurance plans typically give only 4–6% returns and mix insurance with investment — this is generally not recommended. Pure term insurance + separate ELSS/PPF is the smarter strategy.
EPF Already Covers Part of Your 80C
Many salaried Indians forget that Employee PF contribution already goes into Section 80C. If your basic salary is ₹40,000/month, your employee PF is ₹4,800/month = ₹57,600/year — which uses ₹57,600 of your ₹1.5L 80C limit automatically. You only need ₹92,400 more from other instruments (ELSS, PPF, LIC, etc.) to fully utilise 80C.