PPF Calculator

What is a PPF Calculator?

A PPF calculator estimates the maturity value of a Public Provident Fund account. You enter a yearly deposit, the interest rate and the number of years, and it projects the total deposited, the interest earned and the final balance. PPF is a government-backed small savings scheme governed by the Public Provident Fund Scheme, 2019, so the main inputs are set by rules rather than markets: the deposit is capped, the tenure is fixed at 15 years with optional extensions, and the rate is notified by the government.

PPF Formula Used by This Calculator

The calculator compounds interest once a year. With the default "contribute at start of year" setting, each deposit earns interest for the full year it is made in:

FV = Σ C × (1 + r)N − y + 1, for y = 1 … N

• FV = maturity value
• C = yearly deposit (same every year)
• r = annual interest rate ÷ 100
• N = tenure in years; y = year of the deposit

If you switch the toggle off, deposits are assumed to arrive at the end of each year and earn nothing in that year, so the exponent becomes N − y. Total deposited is C × N and interest is FV − C × N. Variables and sources are listed on the PPF methodology page.

Worked Example

Take a deposit of ₹1,50,000 every year for 15 years at 7.1%, deposited at the start of each year:

• Year 1: ₹1,50,000 × 7.1% = ₹10,650 interest, closing balance ₹1,60,650
• Year 2: (₹1,60,650 + ₹1,50,000) × 1.071 = closing balance ₹3,32,706
• After year 15: maturity ≈ ₹40,68,209

Of this, ₹22,50,000 is your own money and ₹18,18,209 is interest. With end-of-year deposits the same inputs give ₹37,98,515, which is ₹2,69,694 less. Deposit timing matters even when the amount and rate are identical.

PPF maturity table at 7.1%

Maturity values for common yearly deposits over the 15-year tenure and two 5-year extensions with deposits continuing, using the same formula (start-of-year deposits, constant 7.1% rate):

Figures are illustrative. The PPF rate is reviewed every quarter, so actual maturity values will differ if the rate changes during the tenure.

What the Calculator Assumes vs Actual PPF Rules

The scheme rules calculate interest monthly, on the lowest balance between the close of the 5th day and the end of each month, and credit it to the account once, at the end of each financial year. The calculator simplifies this to one annual calculation:

• "Start of year" matches a deposit made on or before 5 April, which counts in all 12 monthly balances.
• "End of year" matches a deposit that earns no interest in its first year, such as one made after 5 March.
• Deposits made mid-year or in instalments fall between the two results and are not modelled exactly.
• The rate is held constant for the whole tenure.

Key PPF Rules

• Deposit limits: minimum ₹500 and maximum ₹1,50,000 per financial year, in multiples of ₹50, as a lump sum or in instalments. The cap includes deposits in a minor's account where you are the guardian. Joint accounts are not allowed.
• Tenure: the account matures after 15 years from the end of the financial year in which it was opened.
• Extension: after maturity the account can be extended in 5-year blocks with deposits (Form-4, filed within one year of maturity) or kept without deposits, where the balance keeps earning interest.
• Partial withdrawal: one per financial year after five years from the end of the opening year (that is, from the 7th financial year), up to 50% of the lower of the balance at the end of the 4th preceding year or the preceding year.
• Loan: available from the 3rd to the 6th financial year, up to 25% of the balance at the end of the second preceding year, at 1% p.a. if repaid within 36 months (6% p.a. otherwise).
• Premature closure: only after five years, for life-threatening illness, higher education or a change in residency status, with interest reduced by 1 percentage point.

PPF Tax Treatment

PPF is described as EEE (exempt-exempt-exempt): interest and maturity proceeds are exempt from income tax, and deposits up to ₹1.5 lakh a year qualify for a deduction. That deduction is Section 80C of the Income-tax Act, 1961 up to FY 2025-26, and Section 123 read with Schedule XV of the Income-tax Act, 2025 from tax year 2026-27. It is available only under the old tax regime; under the new (default) regime the deposit gives no deduction, though the interest and maturity amount remain tax-free.

Current PPF Interest Rate

As of October–December 2026 (Q3 FY 2026-27), the PPF rate is 7.1% per annum. The Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) reviews small savings rates every quarter, so the rate applied to your balance can change over a 15-year tenure.

What the Calculator Does NOT Model

• Quarterly rate changes over the tenure.
• Varying deposits from year to year, or stopping deposits during an extension block.
• Partial withdrawals, loans or premature closure.
• Inflation: maturity is shown in nominal rupees, not today's purchasing power.

Related Calculators

• SIP Calculator - project monthly mutual fund investments at an expected return.
• Step-up SIP Calculator - model a SIP that rises by a fixed percentage every year.
• FD Calculator - estimate fixed deposit maturity with quarterly compounding.
• Lumpsum Calculator - see how a one-time investment grows over the same horizon.