What is Section 80C?
Section 80C, including Sections 80CCC & 80CCD, prescribes a combination of activities. If you want to utilise your income in some of these activities during the Previous Year (PY), you can claim the amount as a deduction from your total taxable income for the PY.
For Example: Assuming you earned a total gross income of ₹ 10,00,000/- as taxable income in P.Y. 2015-16 (Assessment Year will be 2016-17 when you will estimate and pay the tax on this income). If you invest ₹ 100,000/- of this income in any or multiple activities listed under Section 80C, your total taxable income will be reduced to ₹ 900,000/- for the P.Y.
How to avail benefits of Section 80C?
Activities under Section 80C can be divided into two parts:
- Investment activities: You park your money in an investment for some time and then get it back.
- Spending activities: You spend your money on the activities listed under Section 80C.
| Investments | Nature of Investment |
|---|---|
| Fixed Income Products | |
| Provident Fund (EPF/VPF) | Retirement |
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | Retirement/Long-Term Fixed Income |
| National Saving Certificate (NSC) | Long-Term Fixed Income |
| Tax Saving 5 years FD from Banks | Long-Term Debt |
| 5 years Post Office Time Deposit (POTD) | Long-Term Debt |
| Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS) | Long-Term Debt |
| NHB deposit scheme | Long-Term Debt |
| Market-Linked Products | |
| Life Insurance Premium (Participating Endowment Plans) | Life Insurance + Investment |
| New Pension Scheme (NPS) (under Section 80CCD) Atal Pension Yojana | Retirement Plan |
| Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) | Equity Mutual Fund |
| Pension Plans from Insurance Companies | Retirement Annuity |
| Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) | Life Insurance + Investment |
| Spending Activities | |
| Tuition fee for 2 children | Full-time Education cost |
| Stamp duty and registration cost of the House | Only at the time of purchase of a house |
| Home Loan Principal Payment | Purchase of house on loan |
Table 1: Investments & other venues for Deduction under Sections 80C, 80CCC & 80CCD
How much can be claimed under Section 80C?
There are limits to the amounts that can be claimed for different activities and the total that can be claimed under these activities.
The total amount that can be claimed under Sections 80C, 80CCC and 80CCD(1) combined is ₹ 150,000/-.
There is an option to increase the total deduction by an additional ₹ 50,000/- under Section 80CCD. Here’s how it works:
*80 CCD(1) and 80 CCD(2) applies for contributions by employee and employer respectively.
| *80CCD (1) & 80CCD(2) |
|---|
| Deductible in the year contribution is made, up to 10% of the salary |
| Additional Deduction of ₹ 50,000/- over and above 80C limit |
Table 2: Deductions on Contribution to NPS Schemes
Note that, the deduction of ₹ 50,000/- is available on National Pension Scheme (NPS) over and above ₹ 150,000/- deduction available under Sections 80C, 80CCC & 80CCD(1).
How long should you stay invested?
This is an important obligation often ignored by taxpayers while investing under Sections 80C, 80CCC & 80CCD. Different investment instruments have different time limits which you must follow to avoid reversal of the deduction:
| Investment | Minimum Holding Period |
|---|---|
| Unit Linked Insurance Plan | 5 years |
| Term Life Insurance Plan | 2 years |
| Repayment of Home Loan Principal/Cost of purchase or construction of residential house | 5 years |
| Deposit in Senior Citizen Saving Scheme | 5 years |
| Time Deposit in Post Office/Bank | 5 years |
| Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) | 3 years |
| PPF | 6 years |
| NPS | Till Retirement |
Table 3: Minimum Holding Period for Various Instruments under Section 80C
Thus, you can reduce your total taxable income up to ₹ 200,000/- by fully utilising Sections 80C, 80CCC and 80CCD.
Section 80C Income Tax Act FAQs
Are 80C and 80CCC the same?
What is the maximum tax exemption under Section 80C?
Who is eligible for an 80C deduction?
How much should I invest to save tax?
COMP/DOC/Feb/2020/192/3239
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|---|
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