Archive · 5 Sep 2026
NSC, Five-Year Post Office TD Offer Tax Benefits Without Limits
Some government savings schemes help people save money and reduce taxable income.
The National Savings Certificate, or NSC, allows investors to deposit any amount.
It lasts for five years and starts with a ₹1,000 minimum investment.
The five-year Post Office Time Deposit also has no maximum investment limit.
Both schemes can qualify for a Section 80C deduction.
However, the total deduction under Section 80C is limited to ₹1.5 lakh.
Kisan Vikas Patra has no investment limit but does not provide this deduction.
PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi offer tax benefits but limit yearly investments to ₹1.5 lakh.
The National Savings Certificate and five-year Post Office Time Deposit have no maximum investment limit.
Both schemes qualify for Section 80C deductions, subject to the overall ₹1.5 lakh limit.
NSC offers a five-year maturity and requires a minimum investment of ₹1,000.
Only the five-year Post Office Time Deposit qualifies for the stated Section 80C benefit.
KVP has no investment ceiling but no Section 80C deduction, while PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi cap annual investments at ₹1.5 lakh.
- Who
- Investors considering government-backed small savings schemes.
- What
- A comparison identifies the National Savings Certificate and five-year Post Office Time Deposit as schemes combining no maximum investment limit with Section 80C tax eligibility.
- When
- The comparison is stated as of 5 September 2026.
- Where
- The schemes are offered through India Post and the small-savings system.
- Why
- Investors seeking both tax benefits and the flexibility to invest more than ₹1.5 lakh may consider these two schemes.
- National Savings Certificate interest rate
- 7.7%
- Five-year Post Office Time Deposit interest rate
- 7.5%
- NSC tenure and minimum investment
- Five years; minimum investment of ₹1,000
- Investment ceiling for NSC and five-year TD
- No maximum investment limit
- Section 80C limit
- Eligible deductions are subject to the overall ₹1.5 lakh limit
- Kisan Vikas Patra
- No maximum investment limit, but no Section 80C deduction
- PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi
- Both allow up to ₹1.5 lakh per year and provide Section 80C benefits; their stated tenures are 15 and 21 years, respectively