Since July last year, the government has given an extra Rs 50,000 to people to invest in tax saving instruments under section 80cc of the Income Tax Act, taking the total limit to Rs 1.5 lakh. And in the coming Budget, chances are the finance minister may again increase this limit.

As of now, there are several options through which people can save on their total tax outgo. These include equity-linked savings schemes (ELSSs), PPF, NSCs, life insurance, post office time deposits, etc -all of which come with some lock-in period. Of these, ELSSs floated by various fund houses have the shortest lock-in of three years.

Financial planners and advisers say that, while investing to save on taxes, people often forget the returns part and only look at the tax-saving part. A better approach should be to look at the potential future returns, risks associated with tax-saving instruments and then decide where to invest. They also say that investing to save on taxes should not be a one-time exercise. It should be a year-round process and part of the long-term financial plan.

They also caution that in order to invest to save taxes in a hurry -especially during the last three months of the financial year -people often make the mistake of investing in wrong products with a long term negative impact.

Action Plan:

 Invest round the year to save on taxes and not only during the last three months of the financial year

 Do not invest only to save taxes -investing should be part of your overall financial planning h Seek financial help if you do not have the expertise

1.ICICI Prudential Tax Plan

2.Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund

3.HDFC TaxSaver

4.DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund

5.Religare Tax Plan

6.Franklin India TaxShield

7.Canara Robeco Equity Tax Saver

8.IDFC Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund

9.Axis Tax Saver Fund

10.BNP Paribas Long Term Equity Fund

You can invest Rs 1,50,000 and Save Tax under Section 80C by investing in Mutual Funds

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For further information contact Prajna Capital on 94 8300 8300 by leaving a missed call

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