Hi there! welcome to Gift-Nifty, where you can explore the best Tax Saving Mutual funds. Tax Saving Funds are a type of mutual fund that investors can properly use to save tax money. It is possible to save up to 1.5 Lakhs in taxes by putting money into mutual funds like this one.
Read on to learn about the best tax-saving mutual funds in 2024. First, let’s talk about what tax savings mutual funds are.
Tax Savings Mutual Funds
Tax saving funds are a type of mutual fund that gives owners a way to lower their tax bills under Section 80C. At least 80% of the money in these funds is put into stocks.
Legally, tax-saving mutual funds are called ELSS Funds, but investors use both terms to refer to the same thing. ELSS stands for Equity Linked Savings Scheme, by the way.
Investors can get a tax break of up to ₹1.5 Lakhs by putting the same amount of money into ELSS Funds, according to Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
Even though these funds offer tax breaks, they must be locked in for 3 years.
This means that investors won’t be able to get their money back for at least three years. During that time, they will earn money based on how well the fund’s stocks do.
Best Tax Savings Mutual Funds
Here are some of the best tax-saving schemes for you:
Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct-Growth
The plan started on January 7, 2013, and its goal is to increase the value of investments by buying a wide range of stock shares. Ankit Pande and Vasav Sahgal are in charge of it right now.
- NAV: ₹406.86
- Fund Size: ₹8,341.96 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 0.77%
- 3-Year Return: 28.65%
- 5-Year Return: 34.75%
Bank of India Tax Advantage Fund Direct-Growth
About 87.15% of the fund’s investments are in domestic stocks, and 6.94% are in debt assets. There are some great stocks in the portfolio, like State Bank of India, Reliance Industries Ltd., Larsen and Turbo Ltd., and more.
- NAV: ₹179.17
- Fund size: ₹1,210.15 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 1.19%
- 3-year return: 25.04%
- 5-year Return: 27.61%
SBI Long-Term Equity Fund Direct-Growth
The plan is based on the S&P BSE 500 TRI index. At the moment, fund manager Dinesh Balachandran is in charge of it. Some of the best stocks, like Bharti Airtel, Torrent Power, ICICI Bank Ltd, and GAIL India Ltd., were bought by the plan.
- NAV: ₹412.24
- Fund size: ₹21,976.30 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 0.96%
- 3-Year return: 28.17%
- 5-Year Return: 23.33%
HDFC ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct-Growth
About 91.62% of the fund’s total investment is in stocks in the United States. The plan is based on the Nifty 500 TRI index. There are some great stocks in the portfolio, like HCL Technologies, Cipla Ltd., Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and more. The plan is being run by Roshi Jain, who is a fund manager.
- NAV: ₹1,272.89
- Fund size: ₹13,990.30 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 1.14%
- 3-Year return: 26.93%
- 5-Year Return: 19.11%
Also Read: How To Invest in Mutual Funds
Bandhan ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct-Growth
The plan started on January 2, 2013. The scheme’s fund manager right now is Daylynn Pinto. The fund is based on the S&P BSE 500 TRI index.
As a whole, 94.7% of the scheme’s investments are in local stocks. Some of the best companies that fund managers have put money into are Tata Motors, Infosys, Reliance Industries, and TCS.
- NAV: ₹157.81
- Fund size: ₹6,252.84 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 0.53%
- 3-Year return: 22.27%
- 5-Year Return: 21.98%
DSP ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct-Growth
The plan is based on the Nifty 500 TRI index. About 95.14% of all the money that was put into the plan was put into domestic stocks.
Power Finance Corporation, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, HCL Technologies, and other top stocks are part of the plan.
- NAV: ₹129.61
- Fund size: ₹14,075.60 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 0.79%
- 3-Year Return: 21.34%
- 5-year Return: 21.38%
Franklin India Taxshield Direct – Growth
About 97.75% of the fund’s money is invested in stocks in the United States. It has put money into companies like Infosys, United Spirits, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and many more. Rajasa Kakulavarapu and R. Janakiraman have been hired as fund managers to run the plan.
- NAV: ₹1,431.56
- Fund size: ₹6,179.88 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 1.13%
- 3-Year Return: 23.04%
- 5-Year Return: 19.51%
Motilal Oswal ELSS Tax Saver Fund Direct-Growth
The plan began on January 21, 2015, so it’s not very old. Niket Shah and Rakesh Shetty are the fund owners at the moment. There are about 99.15% of the fund’s investments in local stocks, with 23.33% of those being large-cap stocks.
- NAV: ₹49.10
- Fund size: ₹3,205.13 Cr
- Expense Ratio: 0.67%
- 3-Year Return: 26.58%
- 5-year Return: 23.02%
Benefits of Tax Savings Mutual Funds
Some of the benefits of Tax savings mutual funds are as under.-
- Under Section 80C, you can deduct up to ₹1.50 lakhs in taxes from purchases you make in Tax savings mutual funds.
- Not all 80C investments have lock-in periods as short as this one does.
- Tax-saving mutual funds can be bought in two ways: all at once, or over time.
- There are higher chances of higher gains in the long run because most of the money invested here is in stocks.
Conclusion
Tax-saving mutual funds, especially ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) funds, are a smart way to lower your Section 80C tax bill while also giving you the chance to make a lot of money. There is a minimum lock-in period of three years for these funds. During that time, your investment can grow based on how well the stocks in the fund do. Some of the best funds for 2024 are the Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund, the SBI Long-Term Equity Fund, and the HDFC ELSS Tax Saver Fund. These funds have a range of features, such as different return rates and cost ratios. You can put these funds in a lump sum or over time. They can help you save on taxes and give you a chance for higher long-term gains, making them a smart choice for an investment.
FAQs
What are tax-saving mutual funds?
Tax-saving mutual funds, also known as ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) funds, are mutual funds that help investors reduce their tax liability under Section 80C. They invest at least 80% of their portfolio in equities.
How much tax can I save by investing in ELSS funds?
You can save up to ₹1.5 lakhs in taxes by investing an equivalent amount in ELSS funds, according to Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
What is the lock-in period for ELSS funds?
ELSS funds have a mandatory lock-in period of three years, during which you cannot redeem your investment.
Can I earn returns during the lock-in period?
Yes, your investment can grow based on the performance of the stocks in the fund during the three-year lock-in period.
What are some of the best tax-saving mutual funds for 2024?
Some of the best tax-saving mutual funds for 2024 include Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund, SBI Long-Term Equity Fund, HDFC ELSS Tax Saver Fund, and several others listed in the article.