Close

Buy a Life Insurance Plan in a few clicks

Now you can buy life insurance plan online.

Kotak e-Invest

Insurance and Investment in one plan.

Kotak e-Term

Protect your family's financial future.

Kotak Guaranteed Fortune Builder

A plan that offers guaranteed income for your future goals.

Kotak T.U.L.I.P

A plan that works like a term plan, and Earns like ULIP Plan.

Kotak Assured Savings Plan

A plan that offer guaranteed returns and financial protection for your family.

Kotak Assured Pension

A plan that offers immediate or deferred stream of income

Kotak Lifetime Income Plan

Retirement years are the golden years of life.

Kotak Guaranteed Savings Plan

A plan that offers long term savings and life cover.

Close

Get a Call

Enter your contact details below and we will get in touch with you at the earliest.

  • Select your Query

Thank you

Our representative will get in touch with you at the earliest.

Tax Saving for Self Employed in India

The best way to save tax is to make solid investments and join in trustworthy schemes. Here are some ways through which you can save tax in India.

  • 5,642 Views | Updated on: Aug 22, 2024

Self-employment in India stands at a solid 76.01% as per a cumulative indicator report by the World Bank. It includes a wide range of employees - from freelancers and casual labourers to designers and authors. Self-employed people may have unpredictable payment structures which require them to invest in tax saving options.

It is no news that paying taxes is critical to maintaining a thriving economy, and yet, self-employed people sometimes struggle with irregular payment arrangements and a lack of formal accounting processes. Because of these factors, it is necessary to understand how to save tax in India using some dependable income tax saving schemes.

Incorporating Your Own Company

When you think of being self-employed, one of the first questions that pop into your head is whether you need a company to initiate a business. No law makes it mandatory to have a company if you are the sole proprietor and the business functions smoothly. However, if your business grows and you plan to hire a workforce, you will require a company with its bank account and PAN to file taxes easily.

How To Save Income Tax in India

The best way to save tax is an important matter that everyone should consider looking into. Mentioned below is a compiled list of some of the tax saving plans in India available.

  • Save Tax with Life Insurance
  • Life insurance is an excellent method to protect your loved ones and is one of the most popular tax saving investments. Besides security, it also has several other advantages. For example, it also provides the benefit of tax deductions under section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

  • National Pension Scheme
  • National Pension Scheme is one of the most popular options when people ask - how to save tax in India. It allows self-employed persons to put money aside for their future retirement plans. You can make a regular payment to the schemes at your convenience. All Indian citizens from the age of 18 to 60 can be a part of this plan. Section 80C and Section 80CCD (1B) allow you to deduct your NPS investment.

  • Public Provident Fund
  • The Public Provident Fund is another vital part of income tax saving schemes in India. It is a government-regulated micro-savings program and is one of the least risky fixed-income investments. You can contribute to your PPF and get a tax deduction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh each year under Section 80C of the IT Act. Furthermore, the maturity profits and interests are tax-free.

  • Equity Linked Saving Scheme
  • Self-employed individuals could explore ELSS as a viable alternative for capital growth and tax saving plans. ELSS is a mixed equity mutual fund with a three-year mandatory investment lock-in term. The acquisition and withdrawal of funds were formerly tax-free. However, starting 2018, profits of more than Rs 1 lakh per year are subject to a 10% capital gains tax .

  • Unit-Linked Insurance Plans
  • ULIPs are a hybrid of investment and insurance that can help self-employed people by being one of the most reliable tax saving options in India. When saving, you should think about the return on capital, liquidity, and taxes. Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, payments to a unit-linked plan are tax-deductible.

  • Bank Fixed Deposits
  • It is a sound investment that safeguards your money and provides a guaranteed rate of return for a specific duration of time. In addition, your investment in a tax-saving FD also qualifies you for a tax deduction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh each fiscal year.

Filing Income Tax Returns

To file your income tax returns, you can fill an ITR-4 or ITR-4S form, where the former is for those earning from a profession or proprietary business, and the latter is for those with a presumptive business income. Another effective means for freelancers to save taxes is by claiming business-related expenses and other tax rebates under Section 80C of the IT Act.

To summarise, the best way to save tax in India is to make solid investments and join in trustworthy schemes. One can make their self-employment journey smooth sailing by assessing the pros and cons of credible tax saving plans to enjoy multiple tax benefits for the self-employed in India.

- A Consumer Education Initiative series by Kotak Life

Amit Raje
Written By :
Amit Raje

Amit Raje is an experienced marketer who has worked in various Fintechs and leading Financial companies in India. With focused experience in Digital, Amit has pioneered multiple digital commerce in India. Now, close to two decades later, he is the vice president and head of the D2C business department. He masters the skill of strategic management, also being certified in it from IIMA. He has challenged his challenges and contributed his efforts in this journey of digital transformation.

Amit Raje
Reviewed By :
Prasad Pimple

Prasad Pimple has a decade-long experience in the Life insurance sector and as EVP, Kotak Life heads Digital Business. He is responsible for developing user friendly product journeys, creating consumer awareness and helping consumers in identifying need for life insurance solutions. He has 20+ years of experience in creating and building business verticals across Insurance, Telecom and Banking sectors

Kotak Guaranteed Fortune Builder

Download Brochure

Pay 10,000/month for 10 years, Get 1,65,805/Year* for next 15 years.

  • Guaranteed@ Income Benefit for upto 25 years
  • Flexibility to choose income period
  • Premium break for females on child birth or any listed specific illnesses
  • Life cover for the premium payment period
  • Enhance your life cover with rider offerings

ARN. No. KLI/23-24/E-BB/1201

T&C

Download Brochure

Features

  • Increasing Life Cover*
  • Guaranteed^ Maturity Benefits
  • Enhanced Protection Through Riders
  • Tax Benefits
  • Dual Benefits: Guaranteed^Maturity + Death benefits

Ref. No. KLI/22-23/E-BB/999

T&C