Best Income Tax Saving Mutual Funds

I compared ELSS (Equity Linked Saving Scheme) mutual funds on the basis of their AUM (assets under management) size and past performance in 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years.

Finally following funds were found to be good.

Canara Robeco Equity Tax Saver, Sundaram BNP Paribas Taxsaver, HDFC Taxsaver, SBI Magnum Tax Gain Scheme 93 – Dividend, Franklin India Taxshield – Growth, DSPBR Tax Saver, Fidelity Tax Advantage

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Pankaj Batra

Jack of multiple trades. A generalist! Founder of Sparse Labs. Find me at FB, Twitter or LinkedIn .

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  • Thanx.
    In the starting of this month i started a sip rs.3000 for next 6 month in reliance elss. Now i want to invest in sip of elss hdfc. Is it right

  • I want to invest in two ELSS Funds for Rs. 15,000 each.Suggest me two good funds except HDFC Tax Saver.

    • @Sudip
      You can choose among Canara Robeco Equity Tax Saver, Franklin India Taxshield – Growth, DSPBR Tax Saver and Fidelity Tax Advantage.

  • Hi I'm planning to invest 30K in tax saver mutual fund. I would like to put 10k each in 3 diffrent tax saver fund. Please suggest me that is well trusted in the market.

    • @Nagarajan
      Its better that you invest through SIP as markets are on high as of now and there might be a correction soon.
      You can choose among: Canara Robeco Equity Tax Saver, HDFC Taxsaver, Franklin India Taxshield – Growth, DSPBR Tax Saver and Fidelity Tax Advantage

      • hi i am prabhu i have made 1lac saving i want invest in infrastructure bond for tax saving can u pleas suggest which one is better.
        regards
        prabhu

  • Thanks Pankaj. We have seen the correction today in the market. My enquiry was purely based on tax saving for this financial year. I had already invested 20k in IDFC infra bond. After paying my LIC premium and taking account of my PF contribution I still need to put in 30k for the tax saving purpose for this year. I can think of doing the SIP way from next FY. Please suggest what I can do for tax saving this year? Also what are the risk factors in putting your money in DEBT markets? Is my CAPITAL guaranteed? Is it better than FDs? Thanks in advance!

    • @Nagarajan
      There are still 5 months in this financial year. You may start a SIP for 6 months (for 6000 per month), that should distribute the cost of buying.
      Issue with investing in lump-sum is that, its difficult to time the market.

      Debt funds are safe and there are positive returns on them. Its low risk and low gain. They are better than fixed deposit in tax-ability. Dividends earned are tax free. Short term gains (kept for less than one year) are added to income and taxed at same tax slab. And long term gains (kept for more than one year) are taxed at 10% without indexation and 20% with indexation.
      Whereas fixed deposit gains are always added to income and taxed at same rate.

  • Awesome Pankaj.... so which fund shud I put thru SIP for the next six months?(for 6000 per month) and how to put on DEBT funds..... how can I get these arranged? Regards

  • and since there could be further corrections, is it safe to go with DEBT funds for the current FY and think about the SIP from next FY onwards?Thanks in advance

    • @Nagarajan
      Investment in debt funds is not allowed for tax saving.
      For tax saving, Only ELSS Mutual funds (Equity linked) are allowed.

  • Thanks a TON Pankaj for patiently answering all my questions. I would certainly recommend all my friends to approach you for their clarifying their doubts and get expert advise. Regards

    • @Nagarajan
      Thanks for appreciation :)
      Spread the knowledge and awareness and it will be a completely different world.

  • Hi Panjak

    Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Well but I have one query. I started investing in ELSS through SIP from 25-Jan-2008 till 25-12-2008. So when I will get the amount back on my investment. Will it be each month or lumpsum and when. I'm confused on this.

    • @Yogesh
      Each unit of mutual fund purchased has 3 year lock-in.
      Lets say you bought 10 units on 25-Jan-2008 and 8 units on 25-Feb-2008, then you can only sell 10 units on or after 26-Jan-2011 and more 9 on or after 26-feb-2011.
      Moreover you won't any amount back automatically, you have to redeem units to get money back. You may also choose to stay invested for even later.

  • Hi Pankaj,
    I also want to save 30 k this finanacial year for tax saving.Im little confused whether to invest in ULIP plans or Tax saving mutual funds.Is it ok that i will invest through SIP Rs 6000 from Dec upto march2011,then reduce the amount by Rs 1000 per month from April .Is it possible ?

    • @Santosh
      Tax saving mutual funds are better than ULIP, but make sure you have a term insurance plan already.
      SIPs are for same amount for the tenure and minimum tenure is 6 months generally. You can start a 6 months SIP, starting Nov.

      • So which SIP should i go for.As ur suggesting funds name in above comments on various fund organisations,the NAV value for these funds are on higher side.Is it ok to invest now in these funds,or any other funds are there which have recently launched related to Tax saving.

        • And also i have LIC Jeevan Anand & Jeevan saral .Are these Term insurance plan?.Can u clarify on Term insurance.

        • @Santosh
          NAV is not the correct measure to determine if its right for investment or not.
          Rather compare the returns funds have generated in past. Its the percentage return that matters.

          Recently launched funds with low NAV have no history to prove themselves good or bad.

          Lets say a mutual fund has NAV 100 and you buy 10 units (total investment = 1000 Rs) and it gives 50% return after 3 year, then get profit of 500 Rs.
          Another mutual fund with NAV 10 with 100 units (investment=1000 Rs) with 50% return will also give you same 500 Rs.

  • Hi Pankaj,
    I am new in MF investment.
    I want to invest 10K... Can you suggest me one MF, who is consistently performing well.
    One more thing... what is more safe? SIP or Invest few thousands at a time.
    Thanks in advance

      • Pankaj,

        Can you pls suggest what are the bonds we have to buy to get tax benifit under 80CCF(20000 after 1,00,000).
        Thanks in advance.

        Mohith

        • @Mohith
          These are infrastructure bonds issued by IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Company), L&T Infra, IFCI (Industrial Finance Corporation of India), LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) and some other non-banking finance companies.
          So far IDFC, L&T and IFCI have issued these bonds and there will be more such issues open till March 2011.

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