An enigma called “Tax Saving Mutual Funds” or “ELSS”
Mar 19, 2010
Death & Taxes are the only two things that are certain in this world. And yet we fear them both. While we do not have a solution for your fear of death, we can definitely help remove your fear of taxes. Read on---
We all know that Sec 80 C of The Income Tax Act allows us a deduction from total income up to a maximum of Rs. 1 lac if one has invested in a certain set of investment avenues during the financial year.
The Investment avenues &/or contributions allowed under Sec 80C can be broadly classified into following 4 categories:
- I. Contribution to Life Insurance
- II. Assured Return Schemes
- III. Market Linked Schemes
- IV. Other Contributions
| Particulars of Investments / Contributions allowed U/s 80C | Expected Rate of Return | Lock-in Period | Min. / Max. Investment | Premature Withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % per annum | Years | Rs. Per annum | Yes/No | |
| I. Life Insurance Contributions | ||||
| Life Insurance Premia (Term Plan, Money Back, Endow. Plans etc.) | Depends on the plan & the term (in single digits) | Depends on the plan & Term (Long Term -10+ years) | Depends on the plan & Insurance cover | Depends on the plan & term |
| II. Assured Return Investments | ||||
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | 8% pa | 15 Years | Min.-Rs. 700 pa Max - Rs. 70,000 pa | From 7th year onwards |
| National Savings Certificate (NSC) | 8% pa compounded Half yearly | 6 Years | Min. - Rs. 100 pa & Max - No limit | No |
| Post Office Time Deposits (POTD) | 1 Year- 6.25% pa 2 Year - 6.50% pa 3 Year - 7.25% pa 5 Year - 7.50% pa | 1 to 5 Years | Min. - Rs. 200 pa & Max - No limit | Yes |
| Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) | 9% pa (payable quarterly) | 5 Years | Min. - Rs. 1,000 pa & Max - Rs. 15 lacs | Yes |
| III. Market Linked Investments | ||||
| New Pension Scheme (NPS) | Market linked | Long Term | Rs. 6,000 pa minimum | Yes but only partially |
| Unit Linked Insurance Plans(ULIPs) | Market linked | 5 years | depends on the scheme chosen | Yes |
| Tax Saving Mutual Funds (ELSS) | Market linked | 3 Years | Deduction allowed for a Max. amount of Rs. 1 lacs | No |
| IV. Other Contributions | ||||
| Tuition fees paid for children’s education | It is an Expenditure | Maximum for 2 Children | NA | |
| Principal component of your Home Loan repayment | Max. Rs. 1 Lac allowed u/s 80C | |||
The right approach
Tax planning investments have to be planned in a way that it helps you create WEALTH and in the process help you reduce your tax liability as well. Further, your risk taking capacity & asset allocation should decide what tax planning instrument you choose. Last minute rush to buy insurance plans or investing in PPF disregarding your actual needs is not the right approach towards tax planning. A good financial advisor can help you decide on the right tax planning instruments for you based on your financial goals.
Steps to tax planning.
First step in your tax planning exercise, if you have a home loan, is to figure out the principal & interest component of your home loan because the amount of principal that you repay in a financial year qualifies for Sec 80C deduction (subject to Rs. 100,000 limit). Next step is to figure out your existing commitments towards Insurance, Pension plans or other tax saving instruments like ELSS, PPF, NSC, Infrastructure bonds etc. Tution fees of 2 of your children are also eligible for deduction u/s 80C.
Tax planning, your risk profile & asset allocation
Tax planning, your risk profile & asset allocation
The balance, if any, should be invested in a way that allows you to achieve your financial goals & suits your risk profile. If you are an investor not willing to take risks & happy with 7 to 8% returns, then assured return schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) & tax-saving fixed deposits are the ones for you. If you are aiming for higher returns & willing to take higher risks, then Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) is the best option for you. But remember that ELSS or tax saving mutual funds are market linked and you need to stay invested for at least 5+ years to get good returns (lock-in only for 3 years). Investment in ELSS done via Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) helps you distribute your tax burden over 12 months which is better than having to pay the entire amount in Jan-Mar.
ELSS: A wonderful tool for tax planning
If you have a investment horizon of 3 to 5 years & slight risk taking capacity, then Equity Linked Saving Schemes (ELSS) or Tax saving Mutual Funds (as it is commonly known) is your best bet amongst various investment avenues allowed u/s 80C, especially amongst the market linked ones.
| Investment Avenues Eligible u/s 80C | Category | Expected Rate of Return | Estimated Value of Rs. 1 lac investment after | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years | |||
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | Assured Return Scheme | 8% pa | 125,971 | 146,933 | 215,892 |
| National Savings Certificate (NSC) | 8% pa (compounded half yearly) | 126,532 | 148,024 | 219,112 | |
| 5 Year Post Office Time Deposits (POTD) | 7.5% pa | 124,230 | 143,563 | 206,103 | |
| Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) | 9% pa | 129,503 | 153,862 | 236,736 | |
| Unit Linked Insurance Plans(ULIPs) | Market linked Schemes | 15% pa* | 114,066 | 150,852 | 303,417 |
| ELSS or Tax Saving Mutual Funds | 15% pa* | 152,088 | 201,136 | 404,556 | |
- * We have assumed 15% pa average (CAGR) return in market linked instruments
- ** We have accounted for a 25% deduction of ULIP expenses. In real life it can be even more.
As is evident from the table above, a Rs. 1 lac investment in an ELSS or Tax Saving Mutual Fund shall net you Rs. 404,556 approximately after 10 years, a return of 4.05 times. No other investment avenue even comes close to this kind of return. Also, the lock-in period is just 3 years in an ELSS fund, a minimum lock-in period amongst all investment avenues.
| Top 10 Tax Saving Mutual Fund Schemes (ELSS) | Annual Returns* over various period | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Year | 3-Years | 5-Years | 7-Years | 10-Years | |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 128% | 17% | 25% | 41% | 26% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 93% | 18% | 25% | 38% | 20% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 105% | 17% | 21% | 34% | 19% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 147% | 16% | 21% | 40% | 19% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 85% | 12% | 15% | 27% | 16% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 92% | 4% | 16% | 30% | 15% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 129% | 13% | 22% | 32% | 15% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 107% | 12% | 18% | 30% | 15% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 93% | 9% | 18% | 35% | 14% |
| ELSS Scheme 1 | 100% | 12% | 26% | 48% | 12% |
- Returns over 1 year are CAGR returns
- *Data as on Mar 18, 2010.
To sum up
As is very evident from the table above, over a medium to long term (3 to 5 years & beyond), Tax Saving Mutual Funds or ELSS is your best bet u/s 80C and beats any other investment avenue by a wide margin. However, a word of caution here. There are more than 35 ELSS schemes in existence at the time of writing this article and the tribe is growing. Not all ELSS schemes have done well. Consult a Mutual Funds expert while choosing the right ELSS schemes for you.
To conclude, one of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they invest to save tax. The right approach is to invest for achieving your financial goals keeping your risk taking capacity and asset allocation in mind and at the same time save tax. So choose your tax savings investments wisely. HAPPY INVESTING!!!
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