After the end of each financial year, every person liable to file income tax looks at all the exemptions and deductions that he can claim. For a salaried individual, section 80C is a relief that allows a deduction of up to INR 1.5 lakhs from your total taxable income. Apart from the said section, there are other lesser-known sections available for deduction under the said Act:
1.Contributions made towards NPS Scheme- Sec 8CCD (1B)
An individual who is eligible for deduction under section 80CCD has made any contribution towards the national pension scheme (NPS). As per 80CCE, the cumulative contribution under 80C and 80CCD cannot exceed INR 1.5 Lakhs. However, an additional deduction of INR 50000 has been allowed towards contributions made under 80CCD (1B)
2.Contributions made towards health insurance- Sec 80D
Under Sec 80D, you can claim the payment of health care premium and medical expenses. An individual can claim a deduction of up to INR 25000 for health insurance premiums paid for himself, spouse and dependent children. However, if any of these are above the age of 60, this limit gets increased to INR 50000. For health premiums paid for parents, an additional deduction of INR 25000 is available. If the parents are of ages 60 or above, the available deduction is INR 50000. A rebate of INR 5000 is also made available for preventive health checkups.
3.Expenditure on medical treatment of dependents and specific diseases- Sec 80DDB
This section is concerned with any payment for the medical treatment or maintenance of a person with a disability. It includes all expenditure made for a dependent (spouse, children, parents, dependent siblings) suffering from specific diseases, as specified. This amount is subject to a deduction of up to INR 75000. This deduction is available for the resident individual/ HUF.
4.Payment towards interest on education loan- Sec 80E
If you have made any payment of interest towards the loan taken for the higher education of self, spouse, dependent children or any student to whom you’re a legal guardian. Section 80E allows the deduction of such interest paid. The payment must be to an approved institution. There is no upper limit on the amount of deduction. The deduction can be claimed for up to 8 years, beginning with the year you start repaying the interest.
5.Home loan interest payment for affordable housing- Sec 80EE
If you’re a first-time house owner, an additional deduction of INR 50000 is available, subject to fulfilment of certain conditions. This deduction is available in addition to the deduction under Sec 24. To avail of this deduction, the value of your property should not be more than INR 50 lakhs & the loan taken should be less than 35 Lakhs.
6.Payment towards rent for those not receiving HRA- Sec 80GG
This deduction is only applicable to those individuals who are self-employed or do not receive any HRA. Also, neither the individual nor should his spouse nor minor child should have a residential property at the place of his current residence. The amount of deduction is 25% of the total income (excluding long-term capital gains, short-term capital gains under section 111A, Income under Section 115A or 115D and deductions under 80C to 80U). The upper limit of such deduction is INR 5,000 per month.
Conclusion: While calculating tax liability for the financial year, you can consider the above deductions, if eligible. Also, we recommend all our taxpayers start planning for their tax liability at the start of the year. It gives them more flexibility in determining the tax liability for the year.
