Lesson 17 of 28 · PPF: tax-free and guaranteed · 3 min read · Reviewed 15 Oct 2026
PPF pays a government-set rate, 7.1% a year at the last review, and the interest and maturity amount are tax-free. Putting in the maximum ₹1.5 lakh at the start of each year for 15 years grows to about ₹40.7 lakh, from ₹22.5 lakh put in.
The Public Provident Fund runs for 15 years. You can put in between ₹500 and ₹1.5 lakh each financial year.
The government sets the rate every quarter. Interest is added once a year and isn’t taxed, and neither is the maturity amount.
Key idea: Deposit before 5 April to earn interest for the whole year. Interest is worked out on the lowest balance between the 5th and the month end.
Try the calculator and the one-question quiz on this page to check your own numbers.
Yes, in blocks of five years, with or without new deposits.
Partial withdrawals are allowed from the seventh financial year, and loans from the third. Full early closure is allowed only for set reasons.
The deposit is deductible under 80C only in the old regime. The interest and maturity are tax-free in both.
For learning only, not investment advice. Designed and built by people who have worked at India’s leading wealth management firms.