Equity investors are usually a lot more cautious about losing money in the market. Smart investors, on the other hand, are cautious about saving money and investing with a longer term perspective. Equity linked saving scheme (ELSS) is ideal for the investors who wish to save tax. ELSS is precisely, a kind of mutual fund scheme that invests majority of its corpus in equity or equity related products. It’s February already! You might be looking forward to learn or know more about ELSS. Let’s learn 5 key reasons to choose an ELSS funds.

One of the primary reasons to invest in ELSS is to save tax. Investments in ELSS qualify for tax deduction under section 80C of the income tax act of 1961. But any dividend or long term capital gain earned by the investor is exempted from income tax. Simply, your returns from ELSS become tax free. Government of India also provides tax rebate for equity linked saving schemes (ELSS) u/s 80C of Income Tax Act 1961. You can invest into ELSS and deduct upto Rs. 1,50,000/- from your taxable income to effectively reduce your tax liability.

Pertaining to the performance of the mutual funds, good mutual fund portfolios are constructed for long term investments, however, they are not bound with the lock in periods. But in case of ELSS, the funds are locked in for at least 3 years. Which means, in ELSS fund you are obligated to stay invested for 3 years or more to exempt from taxes applicable on returns. This forcefully embeds a good habit to stay invested for a longer period.

Although, the lock in period for ELSS is 3 years, you can allow the continuous growth of your fund for longer or redeem after 3 years. Inherently, equity investments are subject to market risk. But since these funds invest your money in equity, you possess chances of higher returns with tax exemption.

ELSS schemes allow you to invest systematically with as low as Rs. 500 per month. Your savings turn into your investments. This nurtures a habit of continuous investing. Since there’s a lock in period of 3 years, if you start an SIP in Equity Linked Saving Schemes, the returns for your SIP amounts will be generated every month after 3 years of the first investment. Besides, the returns will be exempted from your taxes.

ELSS also allows you the benefits of equity mutual fund schemes to ride the growth cycle of stocks in your ELSS portfolio. Where savings can give about 8% of returns, investing in equity may produce higher returns in favorable situations in the stock market. In the rising economy like India, a good portfolio with quality stocks may reap higher returns.