PPF & EPF Calculators
PPF and EPF are India's most tax-efficient long-term savings instruments. Both are EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt): contributions, growth, and withdrawals are all tax-free within limits.
PPF Projection
PPF compounds annually. The formula:
Balance_year = (Balance_year-1 + Annual_contribution) × (1 + rate)
Current PPF rate: 7.1% (set quarterly by the government; historically 7–8%).
Maximum contribution: ₹1.5 lakh per year. Minimum: ₹500.
Lock-in: 15 years with partial withdrawal allowed from year 7.
The calculator runs year-by-year to match how the account actually works.
PPF Required Contribution
Reverse-computes the annual contribution needed to reach a target balance:
Annual = Target / [(((1+r)^n - 1) / r) × (1 + r)]
Important: If the result exceeds ₹1.5L, PPF alone can't meet your target. You'll need to supplement with other instruments.
PPF Timing Optimizer
PPF pays interest on the minimum balance between the 5th and last day of each month. If you deposit before the 5th, you earn interest for that month. If you deposit after the 5th, you lose a month's interest.
For annual deposits: depositing on April 1 (first day of the financial year) earns interest for all 12 months. Depositing in March earns interest for only the last month.
Over 15 years at ₹1.5L/year, early deposits can earn ~₹3–6L more than late deposits. The Timing Optimizer shows you exactly how much.
EPF Projection
EPF compounds annually at 8.15% (declared by EPFO each year).
Employee contribution: 12% of basic salary Employer contribution: 12% of basic salary (3.67% to EPF, 8.33% to EPS — the calculator simplifies to 12% total for corpus projection purposes)
The calculator also models annual salary increments because the EPF corpus grows faster than a fixed-salary model suggests.
VPF (Voluntary Provident Fund): Any contribution above 12% is VPF. It earns the same 8.15% rate and is fully EEE. The VPF Planner calculator lets you plan additional VPF to hit a target.
EPF Withdrawal Impact
This calculator demonstrates the long-term cost of early EPF withdrawal. Because of 8.15% compounding over decades, even a ₹1L withdrawal at 35 can cost ₹10-15L in lost corpus by retirement.
The calculator shows:
- Final corpus without withdrawal
- Final corpus with withdrawal
- Long-term loss (the true opportunity cost)
Rule of thumb: Never withdraw EPF unless you are changing jobs and the amount will stay invested in the new employer's EPF account. Treat EPF as untouchable until retirement.