PPF Calculator: Project 15-Year Tax-Free Growth

The Public Provident Fund remains India's favourite risk-free compounder: government-backed, EEE tax-free, and currently paying 7.1% per annum. Our PPF calculator models yearly deposits as an annuity with FV = P x ((1+r)^n - 1)/r x (1+r), defaulting to 7.1% and 15 years. You can adjust both to test extensions or rate changes.

PPF rules to remember

• Deposit limits: minimum Rs 500 and maximum Rs 1,50,000 per financial year.
• Lock-in: 15 years, extendable in 5-year blocks with or without fresh deposits.
• Tax status: deposits qualify under 80C, interest and maturity are fully exempt.
• Timing: deposits before the 5th of the month earn interest for that month.

How to get the most from PPF

Deposit the full Rs 1.5 lakh early in April to maximise that year's compounding, and never default two years in a row or the account goes dormant. Use this tool to compare Rs 50,000 vs Rs 1,00,000 vs Rs 1,50,000 yearly paths: the max route builds roughly Rs 40 lakh in 15 years at 7.1%, with about Rs 18 lakh as tax-free interest.

Who should use it

Salaried staff topping up 80C, parents building a 15-year education corpus, and conservative savers who want zero market risk with sovereign safety.