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Tax on NPS — National Pension System Tax Benefits & Withdrawal

Updated: 3 June 2026  |  Income-tax Act 2025  |  Section 80CCD

NPS tax benefits: 80CCD(1B) extra ₹50,000 deduction above ₹1.5L limit (old regime). 80CCD(2) employer contribution deductible in both regimes. NPS maturity at 60: 60% lump sum tax-free. 40% annuity is taxable when received. Partial withdrawal up to 25%: tax-free.
₹50,000
Section 80CCD(1B) — extra NPS deduction over and above the ₹1.5L Section 80C limit.
Only old regime. New regime: only employer 80CCD(2) contribution is deductible (up to 14% salary for govt, 10% for private).

NPS Tax Benefits by Section and Regime

SectionWho ContributesLimitOld RegimeNew Regime
80CCD(1)Employee/Self-employed10% salary / 20% gross incomeYes (within ₹1.5L)No
80CCD(1B)Employee/Self-employed₹50,000 extraYes (over ₹1.5L)No
80CCD(2)Employer14% salary (Govt) / 10% (others)YesYes ✓

NPS Withdrawal Tax Treatment

Withdrawal TypeAmountTax Status
Superannuation (age 60) — lump sumUp to 60% of corpusTax-FREE (Section 10(12A))
Superannuation — annuity purchaseMinimum 40% of corpusTax-free at purchase; annuity income taxable
Partial withdrawal (specific purposes)Up to 25% of own contributionsTax-FREE
Premature exit (before 60) — lump sumUp to 20%Taxable as income
Premature exit — annuity purchaseMinimum 80%Tax-free at purchase; annuity taxable
Death of subscriberEntire corpus to nomineeTax-FREE

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the NPS tax benefits under Sections 80CCD?
NPS tax deductions: Section 80CCD(1): Employee/self-employed contribution — up to 10% of salary (salaried) or 20% of gross total income (self-employed) deductible, within the overall ₹1.5L limit of Section 80CCE (combined with 80C, 80CCC). Section 80CCD(1B): Additional ₹50,000 deduction OVER and ABOVE the ₹1.5L limit — exclusive to NPS/APY contributions. Maximum total benefit: ₹1.5L (80C + 80CCD(1)) + ₹50,000 (80CCD(1B)) = ₹2L total. Section 80CCD(2): Employer contribution — up to 14% of salary (Central Govt) or 10% of salary (others) — deductible in BOTH old and new regimes.
Is NPS benefit available in the new tax regime?
New regime NPS availability: Section 80CCD(1): NOT available in new regime (personal contribution deduction gone). Section 80CCD(1B): NOT available in new regime (₹50K additional deduction gone). Section 80CCD(2) — employer contribution: AVAILABLE in new regime — this is the ONLY NPS deduction retained. Implication: if your employer contributes to your NPS (up to 14% of salary for govt, 10% for private), you get tax deduction even in new regime. For self-employed in new regime: no NPS deduction available. This makes employer NPS contribution one of the most attractive benefits in the new regime.
How is NPS withdrawal taxed?
NPS maturity/withdrawal taxation: On reaching age 60 (superannuation): 60% of corpus withdrawn as lump sum: TAX-FREE under Section 10(12A). 40% mandatorily used to buy annuity: corpus transfer to annuity is tax-free, but annuity received monthly/annually is TAXABLE as income. Partial withdrawal (before 60): Up to 25% of own contributions for specified purposes (house, illness, education): TAX-FREE. Beyond 25% partial withdrawal: taxable. Premature exit (before age 60): 80% must go to annuity (only 20% can be withdrawn as lump sum): taxable as income. Death of subscriber: entire corpus to nominee/legal heir: TAX-FREE.
What is Section 80CCD(1B) — the extra ₹50,000 NPS deduction?
Section 80CCD(1B): allows an ADDITIONAL ₹50,000 deduction for contributions to NPS (Tier 1 account) or APY (Atal Pension Yojana). This is OVER and ABOVE the ₹1.5L Section 80C limit — so it's truly "additional" tax saving. Example: Income ₹15L, old regime. Section 80C investments (PPF, ELSS): ₹1.5L. Additional NPS (80CCD(1B)): ₹50,000. Total deduction: ₹2L. Tax saving: ₹50,000 × 30% = ₹15,000 saved. Minimum contribution: ₹1,000/year to Tier 1 for 80CCD(1B). Maximum: ₹50,000 for deduction (can invest more but no extra deduction beyond ₹50K). Only Tier 1 (locked-in pension account) qualifies — not Tier 2.
NPS Tier 1 vs Tier 2 — which gives tax benefit?
NPS Tier 1: Mandatory locked-in pension account. Withdrawals restricted until age 60 (25% allowed after 3 years for specific purposes). All tax benefits (80CCD(1), 80CCD(1B), 80CCD(2)) available. Mandatory: open Tier 1 to open Tier 2. NPS Tier 2: Optional voluntary savings account — can withdraw anytime. NO tax deduction on contributions (except: Central Government employees Tier 2 contributions with lock-in: 80C benefit available). Tier 2 is essentially like a mutual fund without tax benefits but with lower expense ratio. Strategy: maximize Tier 1 for tax saving; Tier 2 for parking surplus savings at low cost.

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