PPF Extension Rules After 15 Years: 5-Year Block Extension & Withdrawal Limits

Key Takeaways

• Upon 15-year maturity, you can extend your PPF account indefinitely in blocks of 5 financial years.
• Extension WITH Contribution requires submitting Form 16H within 1 year of maturity date.
• Extension WITHOUT Contribution becomes automatic if no form is submitted within 1 year.
• Under Extension with contribution, you can withdraw up to 60% of the corpus available at the start of each 5-year block.

Extension Option 1: Extension WITH Fresh Contribution (Form 16H)

If you want to continue depositing money and claiming Section 80C tax deductions:

• Form Submission: Must submit Form H / Form 16H to your bank or post office within 1 year of maturity.
• Annual Limits: Can deposit between ₹500 and ₹1,500,000 per financial year.
• Partial Withdrawal Rule: You can make one withdrawal per financial year, capped at 60% of the balance at the start of the 5-year extension block.

Extension Option 2: Extension WITHOUT Contribution (Default)

If you do not submit any form within 1 year of maturity, your account is automatically extended without contribution:

• Tax-Free Interest: The entire accumulated balance continues earning compound tax-free interest annually.
• Withdrawal Flexibility: You can make one withdrawal per financial year of ANY amount up to the full remaining balance!

Frequently Asked Questions