| Saving Scheme | Sec. under which Tax Benefit available | Return | Tax benefits for earnings (i.e. interest received / dividend received) | Lock in Period and other Remarks |
| National Saving Certificates - ( NSC scheme ) | Section 80C | 8.50% for VIII Series 5 Year NSCs; and 8.80% for 10 year NSCs for FY 2013-14 |
Taxable
| 5 years (reduced wef Dec 2011 from 6 years to 5 years for new investments). The yield on these NSCs will now be revised every year and will be 25 bps above the 5 year government bond yields |
| Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) | Section 80C | Varies from year to year (Market linked) | Dividend is tax free | 3 years |
| Life Insurance Policies | Section 80C | Varies from year to year | Varies from scheme to scheme | Varies from scheme to scheme |
| Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) | Section 80C | Varies from year to year | Varies from scheme to scheme | Varies from scheme to scheme (15 to 20 years) |
| Infrastructure Bonds | Section 80C | Varies from issue to issue.These were around 8%+ in Dec 2011. These have lost their charm as Additional Tax rebate of Rs 20,000 is NOT given now from FY 2012-13 onwards. | Taxable | 3 to 5 years |
| Contribution to EPF / GPF / Voluntary PF | Section 80C | 8.50% | Interest earned is tax free | Till retirement (loans are permitted only after 5 years) |
| Insurance Policies | Section 80C | 6 to 7% only | Earnings are tax free in most of the cases | Locked till maturity |
| ULIPS | Section 80C | Market linked | Earnngs are tax free | Partiail withdrawal allowed |
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | Section 80C | Decreased to 8.70% for FY 2013--14 | Interest earned is tax free | 15 years and extendable. Withdrawals allowed after 7 years. Yield on PPF will vary and will be fixed at 25 basis point above the 10 year government bonds. |
| NPS | Section 80C | Market Linked | Interest earned is tax free | Withdrawal not permitted before maturity |
| Tuition Fees including admission fees or college fees paid for full time education of any two children of the assessee. | Section 80C | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Repayment of Housing Loan (Principal) | Section 80C | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Bank Fixed Deposits - 5 Years | Section 80C | Varies from bank to bank (around 8.00% - 9.00%) | Nil | 5 Years |
| Senior Citizens Savings Scheme 2004 (from financial year 2007-08) | Section 80C | 9.20% for FY 2013-14 | Taxable | As per the guidelines issued in December 2011, there will be spread of 100 basis points above the 5 year bonds yields for this scheme. |
| Post Office Time Deposit Account (from financial 2007-08) | Section 80C |
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