Section 80C Tax Saving Planner
Allocate your ₹1.5L Section 80C across PPF, ELSS, EPF, LIC, tuition fees. Plus the often-missed ₹50k Section 80CCD(1B) NPS and ₹25–75k Section 80D health insurance. See how much tax you save and where to invest more.
Your income tax slab
80C only works in OLD tax regime. If you're in new regime, switch to old at ITR filing if your total deductions exceed ~₹3.5L.
Section 80C investments (₹1.5L limit)
🔥 Section 80CCD(1B) — NPS additional ₹50,000 (most under-used)
This is OVER AND ABOVE the ₹1.5L 80C limit. Most salaried Indians miss this — it's an extra ₹15,000 tax saved at 30% slab.
Section 80D — Health Insurance
Suggested next investments to max out deductions
Already deducted from salary — counts toward 80C
OVER & ABOVE the ₹1.5L 80C limit. Most under-used deduction.
📊 80C investment options compared
| Option | Lock-in | Return | Risk | Your investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏛️ PPF (Public Provident Fund) | 15 years | 7.1% p.a. tax-free | low | ₹50,000 |
| 📈 ELSS Mutual Fund | 3 years | 10–15% historical (market-linked) | high | ₹50,000 |
| 💼 EPF (Employee Provident Fund) | Until retirement | 8.25% p.a. tax-free | low | ₹50,000 |
| ❤️ LIC / Life Insurance Premium | Policy term | 4–6% (endowment) / N/A (term) | low | ₹0 |
| 🎓 Children's Tuition Fees | N/A | N/A | low | ₹0 |
| 🏠 Home Loan Principal | N/A | Reduces loan | low | ₹0 |
80C & Tax Saving FAQ
What is Section 80C and what's the maximum deduction?
Section 80C of the Income Tax Act allows a deduction of up to ₹1,50,000 per year for specified investments and expenses. Eligible items include: EPF contribution, PPF deposit, ELSS mutual fund, life insurance premium, home loan principal repayment, children's tuition fees, NSC, Sukanya Samriddhi, 5-year tax-saving FD, and a few others. Only available in OLD tax regime.
What is Section 80CCD(1B) and why is it called the 'extra ₹50k'?
80CCD(1B) is an additional ₹50,000 deduction for NPS Tier-1 contributions — over and above the ₹1.5L Section 80C limit. So total deduction possible = ₹1.5L (80C) + ₹50k (80CCD-1B) = ₹2L. Most salaried Indians don't use this — at 30% slab, this is ₹15,000 extra tax saved per year that people leave on the table.
PPF vs ELSS — which is better for 80C?
Different goals, both useful. PPF: 7.1% guaranteed tax-free return, 15-year lock-in, sovereign safety. ELSS: market-linked 10–15% historical returns, 3-year lock-in, equity exposure for long-term wealth. Recommended mix: ELSS for higher long-term returns + PPF for safety. A 60-40 split (ELSS-PPF) is a common balanced strategy for salaried investors.
Is EPF counted in the ₹1.5L 80C limit?
Yes. Your EPF contribution (12% of basic + DA, auto-deducted from salary) counts toward the ₹1.5L 80C limit. If your annual EPF deduction is ₹50,000, you only have ₹1L of 80C 'space' left for PPF/ELSS/etc. This is why many salaried employees end up unable to use their full ₹1.5L limit on additional investments — EPF takes a big chunk.
What's the difference between 80D and 80C?
Completely separate deductions. 80D = health insurance premium (₹25k self/family + ₹25k parents, or ₹50k each if senior). 80C = ₹1.5L for investments/expenses. They DON'T share a limit. You can use both fully and get total deduction of ₹2L+ (80C) + ₹50k (80CCD-1B) + up to ₹75k (80D) = ₹3.25L+ total in old regime.
If I'm in new regime, do I still get 80C?
NO. The new tax regime (default since FY 23-24) does NOT allow most deductions including 80C, 80CCD(1B), 80D, HRA. It only allows standard deduction ₹75k and employer NPS 80CCD(2). If you have significant 80C investments + 80D + HRA exceeding ₹3.5–4L, the old regime saves you more — switch at ITR filing time.