There are numerous clever strategies to reduce taxes and get the most savings. Tax preparation, however, is often a let’s do it later activity for most people. A better strategy is to start investing in the first quarter of the fiscal year to give one time to make wise plans and to take advantage of the best returns from various tax-saving investments.
It is crucial to take safety, returns, and liquidity into account when picking the best tax-saving investing programs. Additionally, it’s critical to have a thorough awareness of the tax implications of the returns. The potential to accumulate wealth over the long term is limited if investment returns are taxed.
Top Methods To Save Taxes
We’ve made an effort to make things simpler for taxpayers by providing information on the best tax-saving strategies as they scramble to finish their tax planning for the fiscal year (FY) ending March 31, 2022. Eight important criteria—returns, security, flexibility, liquidity, expenses, transparency, ease of investing, and taxability of income—have been used to evaluate the following 10 tax-saving tools, with equal weight given to each.
National Pension Scheme (NPS)
The National Pension Scheme (NPS), one of the greatest investment plans for reducing taxes, assists in offering tax exemptions under the three areas listed below.
Section 80C of the IT Act allows for the tax exemption of contributions up to a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakh. One may receive an extra deduction of up to Rs. 50,000 under Section 80CCD (1b). The money is not taxed if the employer contributes 10% of the employee’s base pay to the National Pension Scheme.
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ELSS Mutual funds
ELSS funds perform well across the board. They have the ability to provide large returns, are transparent about their investment decisions, and have extremely minimal costs. Investors also benefit from a relatively brief lock-in period and the freedom to stop at any time. Due to the volatility of the stock market, ELSS funds can be hazardous, which benefits long-term investors who use the SIP method. But for taxpayers who must in a few days provide evidence of Sec 80C tax-saving investments, the SIP window has already closed. So, instead of investing a significant sum in ELSS funds all at once, our recommendation is to spread out the purchases into a few tranches before the deadline of March 31.
Unit-Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP)
ULIPs are also another tax-saving investment that not only exempts investors from paying taxes but also enables them to earn substantial returns on their capital over an extended period of time. The latest generation ULIPs that the insurance firms have introduced come with no premium allocation fees and no administration fees, which improves returns for investors.
Additionally, by combining the advantages of insurance and investing, one can benefit from the exemption from income taxation provided by section 80C of the Income Tax Act for the premium paid for the policy.
PPF
PPF earns a modest interest rate of 7.1 percent while having strong ratings for safety, flexibility, and taxability. Even if bond yields are expected to increase, rates for modest savings plans may not increase as a result. According to experts, the interest rates given on modest savings plans are too high and should differ by at least 30 to 50 basis points. The PPF is preferable to fixed deposits since it is tax-free. The duration of the plan is 15 years from the date of the initial investment, and after maturity, it may be extended in blocks of 5 years.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is yet another option for investments that save on taxes. It is a modest deposit program that is especially geared toward young girls. As part of the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” program, the strategy is being introduced. The Plan now gives a 7.6% interest rate and the benefit of tax exemption. The tax benefits provided by SSY are among the finest investments for reducing taxes and include:
- Under section 80C of the IT Act, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana investments are subject to tax exemption up to a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakh.
- Tax exemption is also available for interest that is compounded annually against the SSY account.
- The revenues at maturity and the withdrawal amount are both tax-free.
Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme
The Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme SCSS is the finest investment choice for individuals over 60, especially now that interest earned up to Rs 50,000 is tax-exempt. The program offers higher interest rates than PPF. SCSS is superior to even 5-year tax-saving FDs, which offer better returns than standard FDs. The eligibility is only open to senior citizens, though. The total investment cap is set at Rs. 15 lakh per person. The minimum age is often lowered to 58 years if the investor chose voluntary retirement and did not accept another work. Defense personnel is not restricted by age either.
The Bank Fixed Deposit Program
Security deposits, like other guaranteed return investment choices, are what bank FDs are. The sole distinction is that bank FDs have an investment term of five years. The bank FD provides tax-free income as an investing strategy that saves on taxes.
For those who choose low risk and wish to preserve money over the long term, this plan is best suited. Individuals who invest in bank FDs receive a guaranteed return on their money, as well as investment security because their money is locked in for the duration of the term.
Tax-savings fixed deposits
Tax on interest significantly reduces the already low-interest rates on tax-saving FDs. The post-tax rate for investors in the 30% tax band is less than 5% because interest is completely taxed. Endowment insurance policies provide something similar. People who have put off their tax preparation and are looking for last-minute investment solutions might consider tax-saving FDs. The investor may open this FD via Net banking with ease, even if his bank has shut down for the day or he must travel.
Life insurance Policies
One of the main components of a financial plan is life insurance since it safeguards an individual’s objectives even after his death. However, a pure protection term plan serves this goal the best. Because term plans don’t include an investment component, their full premium is used to cover mortality costs. Additionally, they are far less expensive than conventional endowment policies or money-back plans. The assured returns and tax-free maturity corpus are the only benefits of life insurance policies. Low returns and the instrument’s rigidity, however, considerably exceed both of these.