Taxes can leave an unsettling feeling especially if you don’t have adequate information about saving them. This is the reason why there is chaos at the end of the financial year when we undertake an evaluation of the savings done to claim tax^* benefits on the relevant investment avenues.

Term insurance is amongst the most common tax-saving investment. The premium paid towards a term policy is eligible for tax deductions.

Owing to inadequate knowledge about investments in tax^*-saving instruments, several people are unaware of the fact that there are different types of life insurance plans that can cater to your personal financial requirements. The diverse term insurance plans in India enable choosing a cover based on the financial requirements of each individual.

Moreover, buying online term insurance can enable easier differentiation of different policies to choose a suitable cover. However, because insurance ensures the financial protection of your family and loved ones in your absence, it is important to not purchase insurance simply for saving tax.

Tax Deduction Under Section 80C

Term insurance deduction under income tax Section 80C states that the premiums paid towards term insurance plans in India are eligible for a tax^* deduction. The insurance policy could either be your own, for your spouse, or your child. There are no tax^* conditions for the child’s policy.

Regardless of their marital status, age, and working status, tax^* deduction can be claimed towards a child’s term insurance plan. An individual, as well as a Hindu joint family, are both eligible for deduction under Section 80C.

Several taxpayers are often unaware of whether this deduction is permissible to all term insurance policies.. It will ease their worries to know that the tax^* deduction applies to every term insurance plans in India. Even online term insurance purchases are eligible for tax deduction on premium payment.

However, there are certain conditions with the amount that is permitted for a deduction under the Section 80C of the Indian Income Tax Act:

• The maximum premium amount deduction is subject to cap limit of ₹1.5 Lakh in one financial year.
  
  

Sum assured is the amount that is payable by the insurance provider to the surviving beneficiaries in the unfortunate event of the policyholder’s death.

Tax Exemption Under Section 10 (10D)

The exemption under this section concerns the amount received on the maturity of the term policy, also called the maturity benefit. Here are the conditions associated with the term insurance tax benefit:

• The maturity benefit, as well as the  bonus², is fully exempted from taxes^* if the premium is not more than 10% of the sum assured for policies purchased after 1^st April 2012. For policies purchased before this time, the premium must not exceed 20% of the sum assured for tax^* exemption upon term policy maturity.
  
  
• Policies purchased after 1^st April 2013 for people with disability the condition for maturity exemption under Section 10(10D) is that their premium must not exceed 15% of the sum assured.
  
  

The maturity benefit from a life insurance policy where the premium amount exceeds 10% or 20% of the sum assured is taxable. 

TDS of Term Policy

Aside from the exemptions, it is also important to be aware of the TDS deductible from the term policy. Appended are the conditions for TDS deduction on the maturity amount of your life cover:-

• If the amount received from a term policy that is not covered under the exemption of Section 10(10D) exceeds ₹1 Lakh, then starting October 2014, 5% of TDS is deductible by the insurer before making the payment as per TDS Section 194DA. This will also apply to the bonus² payments. This 5% is calculated on the difference between the maturity amount and the total premiums paid.
  
  For instance, Mr Sharma received Rs 10,00,000 as maturity benefits (inclusive of all bonus payments) on his policy. He had paid a total of ₹2,00,000 as premiums over a course of 10 years. Here, the TDS would be applicable as the payable amount is over ₹1,00,000. The applicable TDS would be on ₹8,00,000 (10 Lakh – 2 Lakh). So, at 5% the TDS would be ₹40,000. So, Mr Sharma will be paid ₹7,60,000 after TDS deductions.
  
  
• If the maturity benefit is less than ₹1 Lakh, then no TDS will be deducted, but the amount is taxable by you, for which you can claim the TDS credit on your income tax return. 
    

Term Insurance Tax Benefit

In the current day and age, when medical costs have been accelerating, term insurance is a necessity. Fortunately, despite the tax^* conditions, most term insurance policies remain unaffected.

This is why one need not hesitate before saving in a term insurance cover. Here are the tax^* benefits that policyholders can avail themselves of on term insurance:

• Under Section 80C, a deduction of up to ₹1.5 Lakh is permissible towards term insurance premiums. However, the policy has to be held for at least two years.
  
  
• Under Section 80D, an additional deduction of ₹25,000 over the permissible ₹1.5 Lakh is allowed on premiums paid towards a health cover. Moreover, in the case of health-related policies for senior citizens, then the deductible tax is ₹50,000
  
  

Aside from the tax^* benefit, the Tata AIA term plan offers much more. It helps you plan and secure your tomorrow through a host of options catered to suit your financial requirements. It comes with unique rider^# options to further enhance your protection.

The online term insurance purchase promises a hassle-free buying experience that enables better control of your purchase.

To conclude

Term insurance is a long-term financial commitment. This is why it is important to carefully analyse your needs before hastening to make a tax-saving purchase that might later be regrettable. Financial literacy, especially concerning the taxation laws of a term policy, helps you make an informed decision.

However, tax^* alone should not be the criteria for making an insurance purchase as it can act as an income replacement for your family in your absence. To choose the right term policy cover, observe your lifestyle and financial requirements.  

L&C/Advt/2022/Sep/2244