Section 80TTA vs 80TTB
SECTION 80TTA
Section 80TTA offers taxpayers a deduction on the interest income earned from savings accounts.
APPLICABILITY
Individuals: This section is available for all individual taxpayers, regardless of age.
Hindu Undivided Family (HUF): This section also applies to HUFs, except for senior citizens, who are covered under Section 80TTB.
Section 80TTA does not apply to senior citizens who are eligible for Section 80TTB. This section is applicable for individuals below the age of 60 or those who do not qualify as senior citizens.
LIMIT UNDER SECTION 80TTA
The maximum deduction that can be claimed under Section 80TTA is ₹10,000. This is the upper limit for the total interest earned from savings accounts across all banks, financial institutions, and post offices.
Exclusion of Other Deposits: This section applies only to savings accounts. Interest earned on fixed deposits, recurring deposits, or other time deposits does not qualify for the deduction under Section 80TTA.
Example: If an individual earns ₹7,000 as interest from a savings account in a given financial year, they can claim the full ₹7,000 as a deduction. However, if the interest earned is ₹12,000, the maximum deduction allowed is capped at ₹10,000.
SECTION 80TTB
Section 80TTB provides a higher deduction for senior citizens on interest earned from a variety of deposits. This section was introduced to help senior citizens benefit more from their savings and to reduce their tax liability in their post-retirement years.
APPLICABILITY
Senior Citizens: This deduction is only available to resident senior citizens.
Definition of Senior Citizen: A senior citizen is an individual who is 60 years of age or older at any point during the relevant financial year. This section applies only to resident senior citizens.
LIMIT UNDER SECTION 80TTB
The maximum deduction allowed under Section 80TTB is ₹50,000. This allows senior citizens to claim larger deductions on their interest income.
Eligible Interest: The deduction applies to interest income from:
o Savings accounts (like Section 80TTA),
o Fixed deposits,
o Recurring deposits, and
o Post office deposits.
Example: If a senior citizen earns ₹45,000 from savings accounts, ₹10,000 from fixed deposits, and ₹5,000 from post office deposits in a financial year, they can claim a deduction of ₹50,000 (the maximum permissible under Section 80TTB).
COMPARISON: SECTION 80TTA VS SECTION 80TTB
Criteria Section 80TTA Section 80TTB
Applicability Available to individuals and HUFs (except for senior citizens) Available only to senior citizens (aged 60 years or more)
Eligible Interest Interest from savings accounts only Interest from all types of deposits: savings, fixed, recurring, and post office deposits
Maximum Deduction ₹10,000 ₹50,000
Types of Deposits Eligible Savings accounts only Savings accounts, fixed deposits, recurring deposits, and post office deposits