We keep hearing a lot on how to save tax in a financial year and how to find ways to pay less taxes. And with that we often hear the word Section 80C.What is this Section 80C of the Income Tax Act that we read every other day?
Section 80c of the Income Tax Act allows tax exemptions in certain expenditures and investments. The total limit under this section is Rs. 100,000. And another Rs. 20,000 has been exempted for investing in Infrastructure bonds according to the Budget 2010-11.So how do these ELSS Schemes fit into all this?
ELSS or Equity Linked Savings Schemes are diversified equity funds with tax benefits. Compared to the other options in Section 80C like NSC, PF, PPF it has some advantages over the others. So how do these ELSS schemes work? ELSS Schemes are like other mutual funds schemes apart from the fact that they have a lockin period and they offer tax benefits. Other Mutual Funds are open ended (You can enter anytime in the scheme and takeout your money anytime).But here you have a lock-in period of 3 years which means you cannot take your money out of the scheme before 3 years. It might seem odd to have a lock-in of 3 years for a mutual fund, but compare it with other tax saving investment avenues - the lowest lock-in is 5 years for bank fixed deposit (FD), and it can go all the way up to 15 years for Public Provident Fund (PPF). And this lock-in period helps.
Usually, fund managers keep a portion of the mutual fund corpus, around 7-10%, as cash, so that they can meet all redemptions. This cash is invested in very short term investments, generating meager returns. This impacts the overall returns of the MF. Since the fund manager of an ELSS knows that you would not withdraw your funds for 3 years, he can invest all your funds, and thus, no part of your investment would be sitting idle as cash. Thus, you get superior returns through ELSS.
And while you invest in them you get tax exemptions upto 1 lac. Earlier one could invest only upto Rs 10000 in ELSS Schemes but after 2006 the limit was removed. So a person who earns Rs 5 lacs per annum can get gross deduction of upto Rs 1 lac from the amount on which income tax is payable by investing in ELSS schemes; so he will have to pay taxes applicable only on Rs 4 lacs. There is no upper limit on investments that can be made in ELSS. However investments upto Rs 1 lac made in ELSS in a financial year qualify for deduction from taxable income under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
Apart from this other tax benefits include:-
1) Long term capital gains earned on investments from ELSS are tax free.
2) Also dividends earned from ELSS plan are tax free in the hands of the investor.
1) Since it is an equity linked scheme earning potential is very high.
2) Investor can opt for dividend option and get some gains during the lock-in period
3) Some ELSS schemes also offer personal accident death cover insurance
4) Provides on an average 20 to 30% returns compared to 8% in NSC and PPF.
Also one big advantage is there is no upper limit on the amount that an investor invests but the lower limit is Rs 500.So if they offer such great advantages why not all people invest in them? It is due to some disadvantages they offer:-
1) Risk factor is high compared to NSC and PPF as it is linked to equity which is always risky.
2) Premature withdrawal is not allowed but it is allowed in other instruments in some specific conditions.
And the only disadvantage it has over other mutual fund scheme is that they have the lock-in period of 3 years which no other mutual fund scheme has.
ELSS offers the benefit of both wealth generation as well as tax savings. It imparts a financial discipline among the investors who have long term investment plans. The returns in the past have always been good for these schemes, for the simple reason that they have healthy corpus and are diversified among the stocks which give an opportunity to tap the benefit of their fundamental growth. It is also an attractive avenue for investments because the net yield for the investor is higher comparatively because of the tax advantages. So Investors start investing in these schemes, they will make you guys rich; If not by generating wealth then by reducing your tax burden.
Ankit.