# ELSS Calculator: Returns, 80C Tax Saving and Lock-in > ELSS calculator: estimate ELSS value, 80C tax saved in the old regime, LTCG tax on exit and the 3-year lock-in on each SIP instalment, for FY 2026-27. Source: https://trykosh.com/tools/elss-calculator Free tool - Investing # ELSS calculator Work out what an ELSS investment could save you in tax and grow to. It tracks the 3-year lock-in on every instalment and the tax when you sell. Rules checked 25 October 2026Free - no sign-upRuns in your browser Estimated value after 8 years INR 14,75,236 INR 13,97,206 after LTCG tax, plus INR 2,34,000 saved under 80C 80C tax saved**INR 2,34,000** LTCG tax on exit**INR 78,031** Total benefit (after-tax gain + tax saved)**INR 8,81,206** Invested **INR 7,50,000**Gains after tax **INR 6,47,206**80C tax saved **INR 2,34,000** Total invested INR 7,50,000 80C deduction (5 years) INR 7,50,000 Tax saved at 30% + cess INR 2,34,000 Value at redemption INR 14,75,236 Long-term gain INR 7,25,236 LTCG tax (12.5% above INR 1.25 lakh) + cess INR 78,031 In hand after tax INR 13,97,206 Each instalment is locked in for 3 years from its own date. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Past returns don't guarantee future ones; the rate here is an assumption. ## Upload your statement and Kosh does this for you. Upload your statements and Kosh tracks every SIP, FD and deposit in one place, and shows how far you are from each goal. [Start free](/signup?via=tool-elss-calculator) ## How the ELSS calculator works An equity-linked savings scheme (ELSS) is an equity mutual fund whose investments qualify for the 80C deduction (section 123 under the Income-tax Act, 2025) in the old tax regime. The overall 80C limit is INR 1.5 lakh a year, shared with EPF, PPF, life insurance premium and the rest, so the calculator asks how much of it you've already used. Tax saved is the deductible amount times your old-regime slab rate plus 4% cess. For a SIP, it's counted for every year you invest, capped at the room left under 80C. The new regime has no 80C, so pick that option to see the fund on its own merits. Every purchase is locked in for three years from its own date. For a SIP, the calculator checks which instalments are still locked on your chosen redemption date and warns you if any money can't be withdrawn yet. Because every unit is held at least three years, all gains are long-term: 12.5% plus cess on gains above INR 1.25 lakh in the year you redeem. The total benefit adds the after-tax gain and the 80C tax saved. The return is an assumption. Tax saved = min(investment, 80C room) x slab x 1.04; LTCG tax = 12.5% x (gain − INR 1.25 lakh) x 1.04 80C room INR 1.5 lakh minus 80C already used slab your old-regime marginal rate ## Worked example: Pooja fills her 80C gap Pooja, 31, in Gurugram, stays in the old regime because of her HRA and home loan. Her EPF already uses INR 72,000 of 80C, so she runs a INR 6,500 ELSS SIP for three years to fill the remaining INR 78,000 a year. At 30% plus cess that saves INR 73,008 in tax. Redeeming after six years at an assumed 12%, the fund could be worth INR 4.05 lakh; LTCG tax is just INR 5,931, leaving INR 3.99 lakh. Her total benefit is INR 2,37,698. Estimated value after 6 years INR 4,04,621 INR 3,98,690 after LTCG tax, plus INR 73,008 saved under 80C 80C tax saved**INR 73,008** LTCG tax on exit**INR 5,931** Total benefit (after-tax gain + tax saved)**INR 2,37,698** Invested **INR 2,34,000**Gains after tax **INR 1,64,690**80C tax saved **INR 73,008** Total invested INR 2,34,000 80C deduction (3 years) INR 2,34,000 Tax saved at 30% + cess INR 73,008 Value at redemption INR 4,04,621 Long-term gain INR 1,70,621 LTCG tax (12.5% above INR 1.25 lakh) + cess INR 5,931 In hand after tax INR 3,98,690 Each instalment is locked in for 3 years from its own date. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Past returns don't guarantee future ones; the rate here is an assumption. [Load this example into the calculator ->](?monthly=6500&sipYears=3&hold=6&other80c=72000#calculator) ## Good to know - ELSS has the shortest lock-in among 80C options: 3 years, against 5 years for a tax-saver FD and NSC and 15 years for PPF. - For a SIP, each instalment unlocks three years after it was made. A SIP started in April 2026 is fully free only three years after the last instalment. - 80C counts only in the old regime. If you've moved to the new regime, ELSS is just an equity fund with a lock-in; there's no tax reason to choose it. - Invest early in the year. A lump sum in March for that year's 80C buys at one market level and squeezes your cash flow. ## Frequently asked questions How much tax can I save with ELSS? Up to INR 46,800 a year if you're in the 30% slab of the old regime and ELSS fills your whole INR 1.5 lakh 80C limit (INR 1.5 lakh x 30% x 1.04). In the 20% slab it's INR 31,200. In the new regime, nothing. What is the lock-in period of ELSS? Three years from the date of each purchase. For a SIP, every instalment has its own three-year lock-in, so the last instalment is the last to unlock. Is ELSS better than PPF? They suit different needs. PPF pays a government-set rate, 7.1% for October to December 2026, tax-free, with a 15-year term. ELSS is market-linked with no guaranteed return, a 3-year lock-in and gains taxed above INR 1.25 lakh. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Is ELSS useful in the new tax regime? Not for tax. The new regime doesn't allow the 80C deduction, so an ELSS fund there is simply an equity fund with a three-year lock-in. Are ELSS returns taxable? Yes, as long-term capital gains when you redeem. Gains above INR 1.25 lakh in a financial year are taxed at 12.5% plus cess. Dividends, if you choose that option, are added to your income and taxed at your slab. ## Sources and assumptions - [Income Tax Department](https://www.incometax.gov.in/) - [SEBI investor education](https://investor.sebi.gov.in/) Rules and rates last checked on 25 October 2026. Results are estimates for planning and education, not tax, legal or investment advice. Kosh is an educational financial planning tool by Primedepth Labs. It is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and does not offer personalised investment advice, hold your money or execute trades. Markets carry risk; read scheme documents carefully and consult a registered adviser before acting.