ELSS Calculator

Three years is the shortest mandatory lock-in among all Section 80C tax-saving instruments — PPF locks in for 15 years, and many tax-saving fixed deposits for 5 years. This makes ELSS the most liquid 80C option, though your money is still fully locked in and cannot be withdrawn early even in an emergency.

ELSS and PPF share the same ₹1,50,000 Section 80C deduction limit, but they sit at opposite ends of the risk-liquidity spectrum. PPF offers a government-backed, fixed return with a long 15-year lock-in and no market risk. ELSS offers a much shorter 3-year lock-in and higher long-term growth potential, but since it's equity-based, your returns and even your principal can fluctuate with the market.

Because the 3-year lock-in always exceeds the 1-year threshold for long-term capital gains on equity, ELSS gains are taxed as LTCG. Gains up to ₹1,25,000 in a financial year are exempt, and anything above that is taxed at 12.5%. This calculator's LTCG estimate assumes a single full withdrawal at maturity — withdrawing in stages across different years can change the actual tax you end up paying.