80 c

Section 80C of the Income Tax Act

In order to encourage savings, the government gives tax breaks on certain financial products under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Investments made under such schemes are referred to as 80C investments. Under this section, you can invest a maximum of Rs l lakh and if you are in the highest tax bracket of 30%, you save a tax of Rs 30,000. The various investment options under this section include:

Provident Fund & Voluntary Provident Fund

Provident Fund is deducted directly from your salary by your employer. The deducted amount goes into a retirement account along with your employer’s contribution. While employer’s contribution is exempt from tax, your contribution (i.e., employee’s contribution) is counted towards section 80C investments. You can also contribute additional amount through voluntary contributions (VPF). The current rate of interest is 8.5% per annum and interest earned is tax-free.

Public Provident Fund

An account can be opened with a nationalized bank or Post office. The current rate of interest is 8%, which is tax-free and the maturity period is 15 years. The minimum amount of contribution is Rs 500 and the maximum is Rs 70,000.

National Savings Certificate

These are 6-year small-savings instrument, where the rate of interest is 8% and is compounded half-yearly. The interest accrued every year is liable to tax but the interest is also deemed to be reinvested and thus eligible for section 80C deduction.

Equity-Linked Savings Scheme

Mutual funds offer you specially-created tax saving funds called ELSS. These schemes invest your money in equities and hence, return is not guaranteed. Money invested here is locked for a period of three years.

Life Insurance Premiums

Any amount that you pay towards life insurance premium for yourself, your spouse or your children can be included in section 80C deduction. If you are paying premium for more than one insurance policy, all the premiums can be included. Besides this, investments in unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs) that offer life insurance with benefits of equity investments are also eligible for deduction under Section 80C.

Home Loan Principal Repayment

Your EMI consists of two components, namely principal and interest. The principal component of the EMI qualifies for deduction under Section 80C.

Stamp Duty and Registration Charges For Home

The amount you pay as stamp duty when you buy a house, and the amount you pay for the registration of the documents of the house can be claimed as deduction under section 80C. However, this can be done only in the year in the year of purchase of the house.

Five-Year Bank fixed deposits

Tax-saving fixed deposits (FDs) of scheduled banks with a tenure of five years are also entitled for section 80C deduction.

Others

Apart from the above, things like children’s education expenses that can be claimed as deductions under Section 80C. However, you need receipts to claim the same.

Sec 80C of the Income Tax Act is the section that deals with these tax breaks. It states that qualifying investments, up to a maximum of Rs. 1 Lakh, are deductible from your income. This means that your income gets reduced by this investment amount (up to Rs. 1 Lakh), and you end up paying no tax on it at all!

Qualifying Investments

• Provident Fund (PF): The payments that you make to your PF are counted towards Sec 80C investments. For most of you who are salaried, this amount gets automatically deducted from your salary every month.

  Thus, it’s not just compulsory savings for your future, but also immediate tax savings!

   

• Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF): If you increase your PF contribution over and above the statutory limit (as deducted compulsorily by your employer), even this amount qualifies for deduction under section 80C.
• Public Provident Fund (PPF): If you have a PPF account, and invest in it, that amount can be included in Sec 80C deduction. The minimum and maximum allowed investments in PPF are Rs. 500 and Rs. 70,000 per year respectively.

  To learn more about PPF, please read “Public Provident Fund (PPF) – Plan Your Retirement and Save Tax”.

   

• Life Insurance Premiums: Any amount that you pay towards life insurance premium for yourself, your spouse or your children can also be included in Section 80C deduction.

  Please note that life insurance premium paid by you for your parents (father / mother / both) or your in-laws is not eligible for deduction under section 80C.

  If you are paying premium for more than one insurance policy, all the premiums can be included.

  It is not necessary to have the insurance policy from Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) – even insurance bought from private players can be considered here.

   

• Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS): There are some mutual fund (MF) schemes specially created for offering you tax savings, and these are called Equity Linked Savings Scheme, or ELSS. The investments that you make in ELSS are eligible for deduction under Sec 80C.

  To know the multiple benefits of Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS), please read “ELSS is not for someone else”.

   

• Home Loan Principal Repayment: The Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) that you pay every month to repay your home loan consists of two components – Principal and Interest.

  The principal component of the EMI qualifies for deduction under Sec 80C.

max. amt. Rs. 100000 for exemption

There is no change in FY 2009-10

So, its 100000 only

Maximum amount Rs.100000/-..........