Mutual Fund
What is mutual fund?
Mutual funds are investment vehicles that pool money from multiple investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of securities such as stocks, bonds, or other assets. Here are the key characteristics and aspects of mutual funds:
Investment Pooling: Investors contribute money to a mutual fund, which is managed by a professional portfolio manager or team. The pooled funds are invested in a diversified portfolio of securities according to the fund's investment objectives.
Diversification: Mutual funds spread investments across a wide range of assets, which helps reduce risk compared to investing in individual stocks or bonds. This diversification can include different sectors, industries, and geographic regions.
Professional Management: Mutual funds are managed by experienced professionals who make investment decisions based on thorough research and analysis. The goal is to achieve the fund's investment objectives, such as growth, income, or a combination of both.
Types of Mutual Funds
There are various types of mutual funds tailored to different investor needs and goals:
Equity funds:invest primarily in stocks or equities.
Bond funds:invest in fixed-income securities like government or corporate bonds.
Balanced or asset allocation funds:invest in a mix of stocks and bonds to achieve a balanced portfolio.
Index Funds:Aim to replicate the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500.
Specialty Funds:Focus on specific sectors or themes, such as technology, healthcare, or socially responsible investing.
Liquidity:Mutual fund shares can typically be bought or sold at the fund's current net asset value (NAV) per share, calculated at the end of each trading day. This provides liquidity compared to other investments like real estate or certain bonds.
Regulation and oversight:Mutual funds are regulated by government authorities to protect investors' interests. They must adhere to specific rules and guidelines regarding disclosure, operations, and reporting.
Fees and Expenses:Mutual funds charge fees and expenses, including management fees, operating expenses, and sales charges (if applicable). These costs can vary depending on the fund's structure and management style.
Taxation of mutual funds
Mutual funds, whose average equity allocation (i.e. where underlying assets are equity and equity related securities) is 65% or more, are treated as equity funds from tax perspective. These include all equity funds and also several hybrid fund categories. Short term capital gains (investment holding period of less than 12 months) in equity funds are taxed at 20%. Long term capital gains (investment holding period of more than 12 months) in equity funds are tax free up to Rs 125,000 in a financial year and taxed at 12.5% thereafter.
With regards to Debt funds, short term capital gains (investment holding period of less than 36 months) in non-equity funds are taxed as per the income tax rate of the investor. Long term capital gains (investment holding period of more than 36 months) in non-equity funds are taxed at 20% after allowing for indexation for investments made prior to 1st April 2023. However, following the Amendment to Finance Bill 2023, the indexation benefit on debt mutual funds has been withdrawn. Debt funds will now be taxed at investor's tax slab rate. These changes bring taxation of debt and debt oriented mutual funds at par with fixed deposits for investments made from 1st April 2023 onward.
Other mutual funds including schemes with equity allocation between 35 - 65% and schemes of asset classes other then equity and debt, e.g. commodities, international etc have long term capital gains taxation holding period of 2 years. Short term capital gains are taxed at investor's tax slab rate, while long term capital gains are taxed at 12.5% (no indexation).
Investments in mutual fund Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) up to Rs 150,000 in a financial year qualify for deductions under Section 80C of The Income Tax Act 1961.