Any person earning Income has to pay tax. So why are we waiting for the last-minute rush, tax planning and investing to save taxes should not be left for the last minute. Better to start now, this way one can get ample time to carefully plan your tax which will enable us to achieve our target of Tax saving and also helps to accumulate wealth for our future.
There are various tax savings options available under section 80 C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Now the next step is to figure out the option which offers the highest possible returns.
Here we are going to discuss few such investments which are good tax-saving instruments and simultaneously helps to create wealth in a long term:
- Equity Linked Saving Scheme (ELSS)
Equity is the best investment option that offers a kind of wealth creation opportunity. It holds the potential to beat inflation and generate long-term wealth. However direct investment in stocks does not offer a tax-saving advantage and it is subject to a highly volatile market that needs lots of expertise to create wealth out of it. That is where Mutual Funds come because one can leverage the power of investing in equity but leave the expertise required for equity investing to the domain experts for small fees.
Equity Linked Saving Scheme (ELSS) is one of the best options in the given scenario. ELSS funds are diversified Equity Mutual Funds. One of the important advantages is it has a mere 3 years Lock-in period which is the lowest among other tax-saving instruments at the same time it gives the highest returns.
ELSS funds primarily invest in Equities and Equity Linked Instruments, across the market in terms of sectors and market cap.
Liquidity is also one of the factors of evaluation, the 3 years lock-in with ELSS funds may be a better option for most investors because your money is far more liquid than in other investments.
Due to 3 years, lock-in period Fund Managers can generate better returns because they can take long term strategic decisions as opposed to short term moves in response to investor behaviour when the market is volatile.
SIP in ELSS:
Another good option is to invest in ELSS via SIP. Here one can invest regularly as per our financial goals and it also benefits from averaging during times of volatility.
One can also gain from the power of compounding, which is one of the next best options in building wealth creation. As per the growth option in ELSS funds you stand to benefit from the power of compounding.
E.g. If we invest Rs.5000/- per month (SIP) for 15 years in ELSS then the total investment was only Rs. 9 lakhs and the returns after 15 years would have been Rs.44.5 lakhs.
- Public Provident Fund (PPF)
When people think of building a corpus for their retirement, the first thing that comes to their mind is by contributing to the Public Provident Fund. Public Provident Fund is one of the safe options of investment as it is backed by the government. It gives a fixed rate of Interest annually (7.1% per annum – at present). However, with the current changes proposed in Union Budget 2021, the interest earned will be taxable if the annual contribution is Rs.2.5 lakhs and above.
It is available in all post offices and all public or private sector banks.
The Frequency to deposit in the PPF account is also as per the tax payer’s requirement ie. One can deposit either a lump-sum amount or in instalments during the Financial Year.
E.g. With an investment of only Rs. 5000 per month at 7.1% per annum one can receive approx. Rs. 16.7 Lakhs after 15 years.
It is suitable for investors who want to avoid risk, save for long term goals like child education, marriage, etc without worrying about any capital loss.
Must Read: Portfolio Management Services in India
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a small deposit scheme for the girl child launched as a part of the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign. One of the reasons why this scheme has become popular is due to its tax benefit. It is again backed by the Government so it is preferred by those taxpayers who want to save tax and get good returns without capital loss.
Though this option is available only to those who have a girl child, it is a good tax-saving instrument that fetches the highest rate of interest (7.6% per annum) and also creates corpus in the long run which enables the taxpayer to achieve their financial goals like girl child marriage or for her study purpose.
A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any time after the birth of a girl child till she turns 10, where you will have to deposit a minimum of Rs.250/- and a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs can be deposited during the financial year. The account remains operational for 21 years from the time it is opened or until the girl in whose name it is opened gets married, after she turns 18 years.
It comes with exempt-exempt-exempt (EEE) status as its annual deposit qualifies for Sec 80 C benefit and maturity proceeds are also non- taxable. The Interest received is also exempt from Tax.
- National Pension Scheme
As the name suggests National Pension Scheme is dedicated solely to retirement planning. It is a pension cum investment scheme launched by the Government of India for the age from 18 to 65 years. NPS is also a good option for wealth creation as your money gets invested across asset classes like equity, Government/corporate bonds, etc.
Here one can have the choice to select our asset allocation which follows an age-based asset allocation model depending on our risk appetite.
It has the dual benefit of investing for retirement and also the best tax saving instrument as it qualifies for EEE status.
Hence the National Pension Scheme can be a good option for those who are not comfortable making investment decisions on their own then such a tailor-made solution can be the best choice and will also build a corpus for their retirement.
- Fixed Deposit Scheme
Fixed Deposits are one of the safest investment options, especially when one compares them with stocks or other market-linked instruments. As the volatility is low the corpus that one set aside in Fixed Deposits serves as a great way to ensure that your capital is safe.
For the investor who is just starting with different investment options, then investing the same amount as your capital is an easy way to arbitrage your risks and receive an assured amount at maturity.
One can also start saving at an early age and multiply wealth with the power of compounding.
- United Linked Insurance Plan
United Linked Insurance Plan is a combination of savings and protection. Along with providing Life Insurance it also helps to channelize one’s savings into various market-linked assets for meeting long term goals.
A Minimum lock-in of 5 years is long term, which ensures investors generating good market-linked returns.
It is good to stay invested in these schemes for a long-term period of say about 10 years or more. Over the long term, ULIP is expected to generate returns ranging from 10% to 12%. The returns from the best ULIP are better than other market instruments like FD’s, NSC’s, PPF, etc. Best ULIP can also beat inflation in the long term.
One can also get a brisk return by exercising the option of fund switching in ULIP’s due to long term investment.
The amount received on maturity is exempt from taxation u/s 10 D of Income Tax Act, 1961. Along with this tax relief, one can also avail of tax benefits on premiums paid up to a maximum of Rs.1.5 lakhs u/s 80 C of Income Tax Act, 1961.
Thus, the objective of wealth creation over an investment horizon of 10 years can be fulfilled by investing in the best ULIP.
Conclusion
It is wise to think of investing beyond the traditional ways of saving tax like, investing in Fixed income tax saving instruments like FD, PPF, or endowment life insurance plans etc. Plan for other options like ELSS, ULIP, etc based on the risk appetite and other relevant factors as discussed above of an individual.
With many options available when investing for wealth creation and saving tax at the same time can be easily achieved by making the right choice at the right time and getting started with it at the earliest.
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