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Reduce your taxable income using 80(c) deductions

As a taxpayer, you are always exploring options to reduce your taxable income so that you can reduce your tax liability. Section 80C of the Indian Income Tax Act provides several avenues for deductions from your taxable income. Financial planning can help you take maximum advantage of these deductions. As per section 80C, you are entitled to deductions for the whole of amounts paid or deposited in the current financial year in the following schemes, subject to a limit of Rs.1,00,000:

1. Insurance Premiums: Payment of insurance premium to effect or to keep in force an insurance on the life of the individual, the spouse or any child of the individual.
2. Deferred Annuity Payments: Any payment made to effect or to keep in force a contract for a deferred annuity, not being an annuity plan as is referred to in item (7) herein below on the life of the individual, the spouse or any child of the individual, provided that such contract does not contain a provision for the exercise by the insured of an option to receive a cash payment in lieu of the payment of the annuity
3. Deferred Annuity Deductions from Pay: Any sum deducted from the salary payable by, or, on behalf of the Government to any individual, being a sum deducted in accordance with the conditions of his service for the purpose of securing to him a deferred annuity or making provision for his spouse or children, in so far as the sum deducted does not exceed 1/5th of the salary.
4. Provident Fund (PF) or Public Provident Fund (PPF) Contributions: Any contribution made:
   • by an individual to any Provident Fund to which the Provident Fund Act, 1925 applies;
   • to any provident fund set up by the Central Government, and notified by it in this behalf in the Official Gazette, where such contribution is to an account standing in the name of an individual, or spouse or children [The Central Government has since notified Public Provident Fund vide Notification S.O. No. 1559(E) dated 3.11.05.]
   • by an employee to a Recognized Provident Fund;
   • by an employee to an approved superannuation fund; It may be noted that “contribution” to any Fund shall not include any sums in repayment of loan;
5. National Savings Certificates: Any subscription :-
   • to any such security of the Central Government or any such deposit scheme as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.
   • to any such saving certificates as defined under section 2(c) of the Government Saving Certificate Act, 1959 as the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf. [The Central Government has since notified National Saving Certificate (VIIIth Issue) vide Notification S.O. No. 1560(E) dated 3.11.05.]
6. ULIP Plan contributions: Any sum paid as contribution in the case of an individual, for himself, spouse or any child,
   • for participation in the Unit Linked Insurance Plan, 1971 of the Unit Trust of India
   • for participation in any unit-linked insurance plan of the LIC Mutual Fund referred to in clause (23D) of section 10 and as notified by the Central Government. [The Central Government has since notified Unit Linked Insurance Plan (formerly known as Dhanraksha, 1989) of LIC Mutual Fund vide Notification S.O. No. 1561(E) dated 3.11.05.]
7. New Jeevan Dhara, New Jeevan Dhara-I, New Jeevan Akshay, New Jeevan Akshay-I, New Jeevan Akshay-II, Jeevan Akshay-III: Any subscription made to effect or keep in force a contract for such annuity plan of the Life Insurance Corporation or any other insurer as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify; [The Central Government has since notified New Jeevan Dhara, New Jeevan Dhara-I, New Jeevan Akshay, New Jeevan Akshay-I and New Jeevan Akshay-II vide Notification S.O. No. 1562(E) dated 3.11.05 and Jeevan Akshay-III vide Notification S.O. No. 847(E) dated 1.6.2006 ]
8. Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS): Any subscription made to any units of any Mutual Fund, referred to in clause(23D) of section 10, or from the Administrator or the specified company referred to in Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking & Repeal) Act, 2002 under any plan formulated in accordance with any scheme as the Central Government, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf; [The Central Government has since notified the Equity Linked Saving Scheme, 2005 for this purpose vide Notification S.O. No. 1563(E) dated 3.11.2005]. The investments made after 1.4.2006 in plans formulated in accordance with Equity Linked Saving Scheme, 1992 or Equity Linked Saving Scheme, 1998 shall also qualify for deduction under section 80C.
9. UTI Retirement Benefit Pension Fund: Any contribution made by an individual to any pension fund set up by any Mutual Fund referred to in clause (23D) of section 10, or, by the Administrator or the specified company referred to in Unit Trust of India (Transfer of Undertaking & Repeal) Act, 2002, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf. [The Central Government has since notified UTI-Retirement Benefit Pension Fund vide Notification S.O. No. 1564(E) dated 3.11.05.]
10. National Housing Bank deposits or pension funds: Any subscription made to any such deposit scheme of, or, any contribution made to any such pension fund set up by, the National Housing Bank, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.
11. HUDCO Fixed Deposit Scheme: Any subscription made to any such deposit scheme, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify for the purpose of being floated by (a) public sector companies engaged in providing long-term finance for construction or purchase of houses in India for residential purposes, or, (b) any authority constituted in India by, or, under any law, enacted either for the purpose of dealing with and satisfying the need for housing accommodation or for the purpose of planning, development or improvement of cities, towns and villages, or for both. [The Central Government has since notified the Public Deposit Scheme of HUDCO vide Notification S.O. No.37(E), dated 11.01.2007, for the purposes of Section 80C(2)(xvi)(a)].
12. Home Loan Payments: Any sums paid by an assessee for the purpose of purchase or construction of a residential house property, the income from which is chargeable to tax under the head “Income from house property” (or which would, if it has not been used for assessee’s own residence, have been chargeable to tax under that head) where such payments are made towards or by way of any instalment or part payment of the amount due under any self financing or other scheme of any Development Authority, Housing Board etc. The deduction will also be allowable in respect of repayment of loans borrowed by an assessee from the Government, or any bank or Life Insurance Corporation, or National Housing Bank, or certain other categories of institutions engaged in the business of providing long term finance for construction or purchase of houses in India. Any repayment of loan borrowed from the employer will also be covered, if the employer happens to be a public company, or a public sector company, or a university established by law, or a college affiliated to such university, or a local authority, or a cooperative society, or an authority, or a board, or a corporation, or any other body established under a Central or State Act. The stamp duty, registration fee and other expenses incurred for the purpose of transfer shall also be covered. Payment towards the cost of house property, however, will not include, admission fee or cost of share or initial deposit or the cost of any addition or alteration to, or, renovation or repair of the house property which is carried out after the issue of the completion certificate by competent authority, or after the occupation of the house by the assessee or after it has been let out. Payments towards any expenditure in respect of which the deduction is allowable under the provisions of section 24 of the Income-tax Act will also not be included in payments towards the cost of purchase or construction of a house property. Where the house property in respect of which deduction has been allowed under these provisions is transferred by the tax-payer at any time before the expiry of five years from the end of the financial year in which possession of such property is obtained by him or he receives back, by way of refund or otherwise, any sum specified in section 80C(2)(xviii), no deduction under these provisions shall be allowed in respect of such sums paid in such previous year in which the transfer is made and the aggregate amount of deductions of income so allowed in the earlier years shall be added to the total income of the assessee of such previous year and shall be liable to tax accordingly.
13. Tuition Fees for education: Tuition fees, whether at the time of admission or thereafter, paid to any university, college, school or other educational institution situated in India, for the purpose of full-time education of any two children of the employee. Full-time education includes any educational course offered by any university, college, school or other educational institution to a student who is enrolled full-time for the said course. It is also clarified that full-time education includes play-school activities, pre-nursery and nursery classes. It is clarified that the amount allowable as tuition fees shall include any payment of fee to any university, college, school or other educational institution in India except the amount representing payment in the nature of development fees or donation or capitation fees or payment of similar nature.
14. Subscription to equity shares or debentures: Subscription to equity shares or debentures forming part of any eligible issue of capital made by a public company, which is approved by the Board or by any public finance institution.
15. Subscription to mutual funds: Subscription to any units of any mutual fund referred to in clause (23D) of Section 10 and approved by the Board, if the amount of subscription to such units is subscribed only in eligible issue of capital of any company.
16. 80C eligible Term deposits: Investment as a term deposit for a fixed period of not less than five years with a scheduled bank, which is in accordance with a scheme framed and notified by the Central Government, in the Official Gazette for these purposes. [The Central Government has since notified the Bank Term Deposit Scheme, 2006 for this purpose vide Notification S.O. No. 1220(E) dated 28.7.2006]
17. Subscription to NABARD bonds: Subscription to such bonds issued by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, as the Central Government may, by such notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.
18. Senior Citizens Savings Scheme: Any investment in an account under the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme Rules, 2004.
19. Post Office Time Deposits of 5 years duration: Any investment as five year time deposit in an account under the Post Office Time Deposit Rules, 1981.

It may be clarified that the amount of premium or other payment made on an insurance policy [other than a contract for deferred annuity mentioned in (2)] shall be eligible for deduction only to the extent of 20 percent of the actual capital sum assured. In calculating any such actual capital sum, the following shall not be taken into account: i) the value of any premiums agreed to be returned, or ii) any benefit by way of bonus or otherwise over and above the sum actually assured which may be received under the policy.

Source: CIRCULAR NO. 9 /2008 [F.No.275/192/2008-IT(B)], Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finace, Government of India.

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