Using the deductions available to you before March, rather than in a rush during the last week of it. Tax planning that fits the financial plan instead of fighting it.
What this actually does for you
March decisions are usually bad decisions
Products bought in the last fortnight of the financial year are chosen for the deduction alone, and often held for a decade afterwards.
The regime choice comes first
Old regime or new changes which deductions matter at all. Getting this wrong makes everything downstream irrelevant.
Tax saving and investing can be the same action
ELSS, NPS and health insurance premiums all serve a purpose beyond the deduction, if chosen deliberately.
Spread across the year, it costs less
Monthly instalments from April are easier on cash flow than a single large payment in March.
Honestly, who should and shouldn’t
✓ This is for you if
- You are a salaried taxpayer on the old regime using Section 80C
- You buy tax-saving products in March and would rather not
- You are unsure whether the old or new regime suits you
- You have not used deductions beyond 80C that may be available to you
- You are self-employed with less structured tax planning
✕ This isn’t for you if
- You want aggressive tax avoidance rather than legitimate planning
- You are on the new regime and most deductions no longer apply — in which case the honest advice is to stop buying products for tax reasons
- You want a tax return filed; we are not chartered accountants and do not file returns
- You want us to advise on business structuring or capital gains strategy, which needs a CA
When this matters most
First job, first 80C decisions. Getting the habit right early avoids a decade of March purchases.
Peak earning years, and often peak tax. Most deductions matter here.
Higher income and often a full 80C limit already. The focus shifts to what else is available.
Different rules apply after retirement, including higher thresholds in some cases.
5 steps
- 01Confirm the regime
Old or new. This single decision determines everything that follows.
- 02Map what already counts
EPF, home loan principal, insurance premiums and tuition fees may already fill much of the limit.
- 03Identify the genuine headroom
What remains, and whether filling it is actually worthwhile.
- 04Choose products that stand on their own
If it would not be worth holding without the deduction, it is probably the wrong product.
- 05Start in April
Spread the contribution across twelve months rather than one.
Read this before you commit
We help structure investments with tax in mind. We do not file returns and we do not give formal tax opinions. For anything complex, use a CA.
Limits, sections and regimes have all changed in recent years. Any figure must be checked against the current year’s position.
A twenty-year policy bought to save tax in one March is a costly way to save a modest amount once.
If you have moved to it, most of the traditional 80C planning simply does not apply. Verify before acting.
ELSS locks for three years, other 80C options for longer. That is the trade, and it should be a deliberate one.
Common questions
Old regime or new regime?
It depends on your income and how much you actually claim in deductions. The comparison has to be run on your numbers, and it can change year to year.
What counts toward Section 80C?
EPF contributions, life insurance premiums, ELSS, home loan principal, children’s tuition fees and several other specified items, up to an overall annual limit.
Can you file my tax return?
No. We are not chartered accountants. We help structure investments with tax consequences in mind, and we work alongside your CA rather than replacing them.
Is there anything beyond 80C?
Yes, several other sections cover health insurance premiums, NPS contributions and other items. Which apply depends on your regime and circumstances.
When should I start?
April. Planning in March is not planning, it is reacting.
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