Under the Old Tax Regime, Section 80C remains the most popular tax-saving gateway in India, letting individuals deduct up to ₹1.5 Lakh from their annual taxable income through selective financial investments.
Standard Section 80C Allocation Slabs
Section 80C encompasses a wide array of investment channels, allowing individuals to balance wealth creation with tax savings:
- Public Provident Fund (PPF): Government-backed 15-year account with tax-free interest and maturity.
- Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS): Diversified mutual funds with standard lock-in period of 3 years.
- Employees' Provident Fund (EPF): Auto-deducted salary share contributing to retirement corpuses.
- National Pension Scheme (NPS): Pension savings which provide additional Section 80CCD(1B) benefits.
Additional NPS Deduction (Section 80CCD(1B))
Beyond the basic Section 80C limit, you can claim an additional deduction of up to **₹50,000** for investments in the National Pension System (NPS), bringing the total possible investment deduction under these sections to ₹2 Lakh.