Tax Deduction Offered by the Government under Section 80C in India

• Public Provident Funds (PPF): Tax exemption of Rupees 1.5 Lakhs can be claimed on the PPF deposits every Financial Year. The current interest on PPF is 8.75% and this rate of interest is decided by Finance Minister every year. These funds cannot be withdrawn before 15 years; however, one can obtain a loan against the total contribution saved in the PPF account.
• Fixed Deposit (FD): Fixed Deposit or FD is a tax-saving deposit, under which one can claim tax returns as per Section 80C. These funds mature after 5 years. Because FD comes under the ambit of banks, different banks have different rates of interest which can range between 7-9%. Though FD guarantees returns and capital protection, interest is levied upon the taxable amount.
• National Pension System (NPS) :This is a pension scheme started by the government which allows working professionals and unorganized societies to gain a pension after retiring from their jobs. This is an investment that can procure tax deduction of Rupees 1.5 Lakhs under Section 80C. In addition to this, Rupees 50,000 can be deposited to gain more tax relaxation as per Section 80CCD (1B) under this system. NPS offers a variety of plans for subscribers to choose from. The majority of NPS are taxable after maturity and there is no guarantee of returns.
• National Saving Certificates (NSC): NSC is another investment that fits the criteria for tax deduction under Section 80C. These certificates can be bought from designated post offices and come with a lock-in period of 5-10 years. The current interest on NSC is 8.1% which is compounded annually and is taxable afterward.
• Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIP): UNLIP is a combination of investment and insurance. One part of the funds is invested in stock markets and the other provides insurance. This investment can also claim tax deduction but it does not guarantee a return and does not disclose where the funds were invested or the deduction of commissions and expenses.
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna: This was introduced by the Government in 2015 and is opened by the child’s guardian for a girl child. The investments made here are eligible for tax deduction and even gains tax exemption after maturity as per Section 80C. Currently, this account has been set at a rate of 9.1%. The tax is compounded annually until the account matures at 21 years, while 50% of this fund can be withdrawn when the girl turns 18. The account is usually open for two children but can be extended to three in the case of twins.
• Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS): It is an investment scheme for citizens above the age of 60 or for 55 years who have taken early retirement. It compounds an interest of 8.6% quarterly instead of a yearly basis.
• Life Insurance Premium: Section 80C also covers tax deduction on life insurance policies. The deduction is not valid if the premium is more than 10% of the sum assured and is paid by you and not your relatives. You can claim tax benefits under this even when the policy covers additional family members.
• Stamp Duty and Registration Charges for House: Stamp duty and registration charges are few of the expenses you will acquire when you buy a house. The amount payable because of these taxes is also eligible for tax deduction under section 80C.
• Home Loans: The EMI of the Home loan has two parts; interest and principal. Under Section 80C the interest of the EMI is eligible for tax benefits. Additional tax deduction can also be obtained under Section 24.
• Health Insurance: Whether the health insurance is taken individually or includes family members, the premium paid for the policy is qualified for tax benefits.
• Infrastructure Bonds: Infrastructure Development Finance Company and India Infrastructure Finance Company offer bonds to public investment. They provide interest on the investments which are eligible for tax deduction.
• Education Expenses: Schools charge high tuition fees, making education a costly affair. Under Section 80C you can claim tax benefits on the amount paid to the school. However, this benefit is only available for two children.
• 5-Year Post Office Time Deposit (POTD) Scheme: POTDs are like bank fixed deposits. Although only 5 years post-office time deposit (POTD) qualifies for tax saving under section 80C, POTDs are also available for durations of one year, two years, three years and five years. Though the interest is compounded quarterly, it is paid annually at 8.50 % rate interest.
• NRI Claims: In India, date of filing Income Tax Returns for a person is determined by his/her source of income. This date remains the same irrespective of the person filing the returns.

  Income Tax must be filed against income that is earned from the following:

  • Professions and businesses that are established in India and their accounts are audited in India.
  • If the taxpayer is a partner in a firm whose account is audited in India.

Tax Deduction on Taxes as Mentioned under the Subsection of Section 80

There is an extensive list of eligible investments for tax deduction under Section 80C. Due to this, the Section has been divided into various sub-sections.

Tax deduction schemes provided under these sub-sections are as follows:

• Section 80 CCC: Under this section the tax deduction on investments in a pension plan is detailed. As per section 80 CCC of Income Tax Act, deduction of a maximum Rupees 1.5 Lakhs can be obtained on pension schemes.
• Section 80 CCD: This Section provides incentives on savings and investments, encouraging people to invest in various schemes provided by Central Government (especially in pension schemes). Contribution by both individuals and their employers are considered for a tax deduction, provided that less than 10% of the salary is subjected to the deduction. Only individual taxpayers are qualified for this tax benefit.
• Section 80 CCF: Both Hindu Undivided Families (HUF) and individuals can avail tax deduction of up to Rupees 20,000 on the long-term investments made in Infrastructure Bonds as notified by the Central Government.
• Section 80 CCG: Up to Rupees 25,000 can be claimed from the taxes for a list of specific individuals who are eligible under Section 80 CCG of the Income Tax Act. 50% of the amount invested in equity saving, as provided by Central Government, is also eligible for tax deduction.
• Section 80CCG: Rajiv Gandhi Equity Saving Scheme (RGESS): The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Saving Scheme (RGESS) was launched after the 2012 Budget. Only investors with gross total income of less than Rupees 12 Lakhs can invest in this scheme. Because Rajiv Gandhi Equity Scheme has been put to end starting from April 1, 2017, no deduction under section 80CCG will be allowed from AY 2018-19. You can obtain deduction under Section 80CCG until AY 2019-20 if you have already invested in the RGESS scheme in FY 2016-17 (AY 2017-18).

Tax Deduction Provided under Section 80D

Subdivisions of Section 80D:

Section D is further divided into two parts that contain detailed information for taxpayers to better understand the tax deduction schemes offered.

• Section 80 DD: Section 80DD allows deduction of Rupees 75,000 and Rupees 1.25 Lakhs for disability.

  This deduction can be claimed depending upon the following expenditures:

  • The amount paid for the treatment of people with disability.
  • Payments made on the premiums to either purchase or maintain the insurance policy of dependent individuals.

Deduction of Rupees 75,000 is made for minor disability and Rupees 1.25 Lakh for severely disabled people. This deduction is open for both individuals and HUFs if the dependent party is the spouse, parents, siblings or children.

• Section 80 DDB: This section provides a deduction on payments made by families towards medical bills in case of treatment of certain diseases. The amount available for deduction is Rupees 40,000 which can be increased to Rupees 60,000 for senior citizens.

Tax Deduction under Section 80E

Section 80E of Income Tax Act has provision to ensure that education does not become an additional tax burden. Under this Section, a taxpayer can claim a deduction on the repayment of interest on education loan taken to pursue higher education. This deduction can be utilized by a taxpayer to either sponsor his/her child or ward’s education or for himself/herself. Only those individuals who have taken a loan from approved charitable organizations and financial institutions which are permitted for tax benefits, are eligible for this tax deduction.

Sub-Sections of Section 80E: Only those individual taxpayers who pay interest on the loan taken by them to buy a residential property are eligible for tax deduction under Section 80 EE. A sum of Rupees 3 Lakhs is the maximum amount permitted for deduction under this section.

Tax Deduction under Section 80G

Under Section 80G tax deduction is provided by Government on monetary donations. It is done to encourage people to make donations towards funds and charitable institutions. Every taxpayer qualifies for this tax deduction provision if they have a proof of payment made.

The limit of deduction on taxes under this section is based on the following factors:

• 100% deduction with no limits: 100% deduction can be claimed by any assessee if he/she donates money to funds like National Defense Fund, Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, and National Illness Assistance Fund etc.
• 100% deduction with certain limits: Assessees who are willing to donate to the local authorities, institutions or associations dedicated to family planning and development of sports are eligible for 100% tax deduction under certain qualifying limits.
• 50% deduction without any limits: 50% tax deduction can be availed by any assessee who donates to funds like PMs Drought Relief Fund, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation etc.
• 50% deduction with qualifying limits: Donations made by an assessee to religious institutions organization, local authorities for purposes other than family planning or sports development, can qualify for 50% tax deduction under certain qualifying restrictions.

Subdivisions of Section 80G

Section 80G is further divided into four sections to simplify the terms.

• Section 80 GG: All the taxpayers are eligible for tax deduction under this section if they do not receive rent allowance on the amount of rent paid by them (subjected that the maximum deduction is equal to 25% of their total income or Rupees 2000 per month. The lesser value of the two amounts can receive a deduction.
• Section 80 GGA: Any assessee who does not receive his/her income through profit or gain from a business or profession is eligible to claim a tax deduction on the taxable income under this Section. Any donation made by taxpayers can be considered for tax deduction under Section 80 GGA if the donation is made towards National Urban Poverty Eradication Fund.
• Section 80 GGB: Only Indian Companies are eligible to avail tax deduction under this section if monetary donations are made by them to a political party or electoral trust.
• Section GGC: Under Section 80 GGB any monetary donations or contributions made by an assessee to an electoral trust or political party are qualified for a tax deduction. This Section does not include donations made by an individual to local authorities and artificial judicial person.

Tax Deductions under Section 80 IA

Under Section 80 IA there are provisions for all taxpayers to utilize and claim tax deduction on the gains or profits generated via industrial activities. These industrial enterprises may include various fields like telecommunication, power generation, industrial parks, SEZ s (Special Economic Zone) etc.

The following are subsections of Section 80-IA:

• Section 80-IA: Section 80-IA offers provisions which can be utilized by SEZ (Special Economic Zone) developers to claim for tax deduction on their profits through development of SEZs. For eligible tax deduction, the Government should be notified about these SEZ on or before 1st April every year.
• Section 80-IB: A taxpayer can claim tax deduction under Section 80-IB, if he/she earns profits from hotels, ships, housing projects, cold storage plants, a multiplex theater, scientific research & development, convention centers, etc.
• Section 80-IC: All the taxpayers who earn profits from the states that are under the category of ‘special state’ can use the provisions for tax deduction under Section 80-IB. These states include Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
• Section 80-ID: Under Section 80-ID, any assessee who earns profits or gains from hotels and convention centers are qualified for deduction of tax, provided that their establishments are in specified areas.
• Section 80-IE: Assessees who have businesses or holdings in North-Eastern parts of India are eligible for deduction under this Section, subjected to certain qualifying conditions.

Tax Deductions under Section 80J

Section 80J of the Income Tax Act was amended to further include two subsections -80JJA and 80 JJAA

• Section 80 JJA: Section 80 JJA deals with tax deduction issued on profits and gains on businesses related to processing, treating or collecting biodegradable waste to produce products like fertilizers, bio-pesticides, biogas, etc. All the assessees who are involved in this business are eligible for tax deduction under this Section and they can claim 100% tax benefits on the profit made for 5 consecutive assessment years from the time their business was established.
• Section 80 JJAA: Tax deduction can be claimed by Indian Companies under Section 80 JJAA on the profits earned from the manufacture of goods in factories. Equivalent to 30% of deduction on the salary of a new full-time employee for a period of 3 assessment years. The accounts of such companies should be audited by a charted accountant who will then submit a report showing the returns. Those employees who are employed on contractual basis for a period that is less than 300 days in the previous year or those who work in administrative or managerial posts do not qualify for this deduction.

Tax Deduction under Section 80LA

Banks which have offshore banking units in Special Economic Zones, entities of International Financial Services Centres and banks which have been established outside India can avail tax deduction under Section 80 LA, in accordance with the laws of a foreign nation. As per the rules of the country, the assessees are eligible for 100% equivalent deduction on the income for the first five consecutive years and 50% deduction after five years, on the income generated through these transactions.Permission must be granted to such entities under the SEBI Act (Security and Exchange Board of India Act), Banking Regulation Act or entities should be registered under any such relevant law.

Tax Deduction under Section 80P

Section 80P is for the cooperative societies, under which as per certain qualifying condition, 100% tax deduction is permitted on the income earned by them. Cooperative societies that earn income through fishing, banking, cottage industries, milk supplied by members and sale of agricultural harvest grown by members qualify for this benefit.

Cooperative societies that are involved in other forms of business can qualify for tax deduction between Rupees 50,000 to Rupees 1 Lakh (depending on the type of work they are involved in).

Listed below are the deductions which can be claimed by all cooperative societies:

• On the income made by renting out warehouses.
• Income obtained via interest on money borrowed by other societies.
• Income from interest on securities or property income.

Tax Deduction under Section 80QQB

The tax deduction can be claimed on the royalty earned from the sale of books under Section 80 QQB. A maximum limit of Rupees 3 Lakhs can be claimed for deduction only by resident, Indian authors. Royalties from textbooks, journals, diaries etc. do not qualify for tax benefits, the royalties on literary, artistic and scientific books are tax deductible. In case the author earned royalties on his literature from a foreign country, the earning must be brought into the country within a specified time to avail tax benefits.

Tax Deduction under Section 80RRB

Section 80RRB caters to patent holders, offering them tax incentive. Under this Section, tax benefits are provided to resident individuals who earn income by means of royalty on their patents. Royalty of up to Rupees 3 Lakhs can be claimed under the condition that the patent is registered after 31st March 2003. If taxpayers receive royalties from abroad, then the money should be brought in the country within a specified period to qualify for tax deduction.

Tax Deduction under Section 80TTA

Tax benefits as per Section 80TTA is available for Hindu United Families and individual taxpayers. The tax benefit of up to Rupees 10,000 can be obtained on the interest earned from the money invested in a savings account in banks within India.

Tax Deduction under Section 80U

Individual taxpayers in India with disabilities can claim tax deduction under this section. Individuals who are certified as ‘Person with Disability’ by a qualified medical professional can obtain a deduction of maximum Rupees 75,000 per year. In the case of people with severe disabilities, a maximum sum of Rupees 1.25 Lakhs can be claimed on the medical bills, providing they fill certain criteria. Some of the disabilities which are eligible for tax deduction are autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy etc.