The role of long-term capital gains tax in retirement planning

As odd as it may sound, retirement planning is one of the most crucial aspects of a working professional’s life. It is important for everyone to plan for life after retirement, even though self-employed individuals and business owners may have a different approach. But for the salaried class, retirement planning is non-negotiable.

Thankfully, investing in mutual funds can help you in this endeavour, whether you are looking for ways to build a nest egg or create a stream of income for post-retirement years.

Let us discuss the role of mutual funds and long-term capital gains in retirement planning

• Table of contents

1. Understanding capital gains taxes on mutual funds
2. 3 tips for successful retirement planning
3. 3 strategies to reduce capital gains taxes
4. FAQ

Understanding capital gains taxes on mutual funds

The profits you earn from mutual fund investments are called 'capital gains', which are divided into two categories: Short-term Capital Gains and Long-term Capital Gains. The taxes levied on STCG and LTCG are called STCG tax and LTCG tax, respectively.

Short-term capital gains (STCG) tax: Capital gains from equity and equity-oriented funds held for less than 12 months fall in the STCG category and are taxed at 15% (plus applicable cess and surcharges). Finance Act 2023 has made amendment to debt fund taxation rules, as per which investment in debt fund made on or after 01.04.2023 will be treated as short term capital gain and taxable as per applicable slab rate.

Long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax: Capital gains from equity and equity-oriented funds held for more than 12 months fall in the LTCG category and are exempt from tax up to Rs. 1 lakh and taxed at 10% (plus applicable cess and surcharges) thereafter. Since retirement planning typically falls in the category of long-term financial goals, long-term capital gains on mutual funds play an important role here.

3 tips for successful retirement planning

You can invest in mutual funds for the long haul to plan your retirement. Here are 3 tips to help you get started:

• Start with a clearly defined goal: Successful retirement planning requires a sound investment strategy devised to meet your goal. Start by defining a retirement corpus or stream of income you want to build to fund your desired post-retirement lifestyle. Then, analyze your current earnings and expenses, and the sum you can invest in different types of assets – including debt and equity funds – to live a carefree life in your golden years.
• Evaluate your risk tolerance: Consider carefully assessing your risk tolerance before investing in mutual funds for retirement planning. Your present financial obligations, age, investing horizon, and other factors must all be considered when assessing your risk tolerance. Given that mutual funds are available in a variety of risk profiles, knowing your level of risk tolerance can help you select the right ones.
• Consider diversifying your portfolio: One of the most popular methods for distributing the risk of your mutual fund investment is through portfolio diversification. As a result, if you have a low risk tolerance, you should think about diversifying your portfolio by investing in funds that hold investments in a variety of asset types, including stock, debt, real estate, etc. Diversifying your portfolio can assist increase your chances of making an investment in addition to reducing risk.

Watch your mutual fund portfolio: As you get closer to retirement, you need to keep an eye on your portfolio and make any necessary adjustments. To keep the proper asset allocation, you may want to think about rebalancing your mutual fund portfolio. You can also update your investment mix so that it reflects the evolving nature of your retirement aspirations. When deciding how to plan for your retirement, don't be afraid to ask a financial expert for advice.

3 strategies to reduce capital gains taxes

If you want to prevent taxes from eating up a considerable portion of the return on your mutual fund investments, you need to use one or more of these tax-efficient withdrawal strategies:

• Dispose of older assets first: Taxes levied on capital gains are quite important for retirement planning since they affect the return from your investments. The LTCG tax rate is lower than the STCG tax rate, which means that selling the older investment first may help you enjoy more favorable tax rates. This is why investors prefer to go for long-term capital gains in retirement planning.
• Sell expensive assets first: If you have acquired assets with multiple purchases at different prices, consider selling assets that came at a higher purchase price. This will help minimize your taxable gain after retirement and reduce your tax implication.
• Let go of loss-making assets: If you want to successfully offset capital gains taxes and potentially reduce your taxable income after retirement, you can sell investments that have incurred losses. This strategy is known as tax-loss harvesting.

In conclusion, you must always consider taxes levied on short-term and long-term capital gains in retirement planning. You have plenty of mutual fund schemes to choose from even if you are a conservative investor. You can use different strategies to reduce your tax implications and get potentially reasonable returns from your investment. The key is starting early to harvest the power of compounding and build a healthy retirement corpus. Consult with your financial advisor to get started as soon as possible.

FAQs:

What are capital gains in mutual funds?
There's a capital gain in a mutual fund scheme whenever the price of its units increases. Mutual fund capital gains are often subject to investor taxation.

Is it a good idea to invest in mutual funds when preparing for retirement?
Mutual fund investing may be recommended as a viable strategy for saving for retirement. Through a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), you can invest in mutual funds. With an SIP, you can invest in the mutual fund scheme of your choice based on your investment requirements and risk tolerance. To predict the future value of your investment, you can also utilise an online SIP calculator.

Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme-related documents carefully.
This document should not be treated as an endorsement of the views/opinions or as investment advice. This document should not be construed as a research report or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. This document is for information purpose only and should not be construed as a promise on minimum returns or safeguard of capital. This document alone is not sufficient and should not be used for the development or implementation of an investment strategy. The recipient should note and understand that the information provided above may not contain all the material aspects relevant for making an investment decision. Investors are advised to consult their own investment advisor before making any investment decision in light of their risk appetite, investment goals, and horizon. This information is subject to change without any prior notice.