PPF Calculator
Public Provident Fund — India's safest long-term tax-free investment with 15-year lock-in.
PPF interest rate 2025
The current PPF rate is 7.1% per annum, compounded annually, unchanged since April 2020. The rate is reviewed quarterly by the Finance Ministry. To maximise interest, always deposit before the 5th of each month — PPF interest is calculated on the minimum balance between the 5th and last day of the month.
PPF tax benefits — EEE status
PPF is one of very few EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt) instruments: contributions up to ₹1.5 lakh get Section 80C deduction, interest earned is completely tax-free, and maturity is tax-free. For a person in the 30% tax bracket, the effective pre-tax equivalent yield of PPF is approximately 10.14% — far more attractive than the stated 7.1%.
PPF extension after 15 years
After the 15-year lock-in, you can extend in 5-year blocks with or without contributions. Extending with contributions is usually the best choice — your entire corpus continues earning 7.1% tax-free. Many financial planners use PPF as the debt portion of a portfolio alongside equity SIPs, effectively getting guaranteed tax-free bonds.