Introduction to PPF
The Public Provident Fund (PPF) is a government-backed savings scheme that incentivises people to invest for the long term and, in turn, become financially secure.
Key characteristics include:
EEE Tax Status: It falls under the 'Exempt-Exempt-Exempt' category, meaning the principal invested, the interest accrued, and the maturity proceeds are all tax-free.
Lock-in Period: The account has a mandatory 15-year tenure, ensuring long-term wealth accumulation.
Extension Facility: Investors can extend the tenure indefinitely for blocks of five years after maturity.
Compounding: Interest is calculated on the lowest monthly balance and compounded annually.
What is a Public Provident Fund (PPF) Calculator?
A PPF Calculator is an online tool that provides an estimate of the expected maturity value of your contribution to a Public Provident Fund account.
The tool functions by:
Automating Calculations: It applies the current interest rate to your planned annual or monthly deposits to generate an instant maturity figure.
Visualising Growth: It distinguishes between the capital you deposit and the tax-free interest generated over time.
Scenario Planning: It helps investors decide whether to extend their account after 15 years by showing the potential growth of the corpus.
How PPF Calculator Works?
The PPF Calculator will give you a forecast of how your PPF savings will grow over time via compound interest. It basically has three inputs: investment amount, tenure, and interest rate.
The standard formula used for calculating PPF maturity is:
$$M = P \times \frac{(1 + i)^n - 1}{i}$$
Investment amount: You indicate how much you intend to invest every year (minimum ₹500, and maximum ₹1.5 lakh).
Tenure: You select how many years you plan to keep your account open — generally 15 years, which can be extended later.
Interest rate: You enter the actual or predicted annual rate, which the government revises every quarter.
Calculation: The calculator compounds the interest annually in the running balance.
Results: It shows the total investment made, the total interest accrued, and the estimated maturity amount.
Adjustments: You can modify any input to immediately see how varying the amounts or times affects your savings estimate.
Tax Benefits & Section 80C Deductions
Contributions made to a PPF account can be claimed for tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. You can deduct your annual investment from your taxes if it's within the limit.
Deduction limit: You can claim tax deductions on your investments in a PPF account, which is capped at ₹1.5 lakh annually under section 80C.
Interest exemption: The interest accrued in your PPF account is fully exempt from income tax.
Maturity proceeds: The final amount you receive when the account matures is also tax-free.
EEE status: PPF is classified under the Exempt-Exempt-Exempt (EEE) category, where your initial investment is tax-exempt, the returns are tax-free, and when the account matures, the proceeds are tax-free.
Flexibility to invest: You may make your contributions in either a single lump sum or as periodic deposits and still receive full tax benefits.
Benefits of Using a PPF Calculator
A PPF Calculator is a helpful tool for developing your understanding of how compounding affects the growth of savings while arranging the maturity and return values.
Quick and Simple: Calculates the maturity amount instantly with minimal input.
Plan Your Savings: To make a good plan, consider different investment amounts and time horizons.
Accurate Calculations: Gets rid of mistakes that occur when you calculate manually.
Free and Easy to Access: Anyone can access it online at any time.
How to Use Our PPF Calculator?
Using the PPF Calculator is easy and only needs a couple of inputs.
Access the calculator: Open the PPF Calculator webpage of your choice.
Enter annual investment: Enter the amount you plan to deposit each year.
Select tenure: Select the duration, which will consist of a minimum of 15 years.
Set interest rate: Enter the interest rate you are currently receiving or planning to receive on PPF.
Click calculate: The calculator will automatically calculate total contributions, interest accrued, and maturity amount.