TaxSaral

Section 129 · was Section 80E in the 1961 Act

Education Loan Interest

Full deduction of interest paid on education loan for higher education in India or abroad. Available for 8 years (year repayment starts + 7 following years). No cap on amount — only interest qualifies, not principal.

Who it applies to: The individual who took the education loan — either the student themselves or a parent/spouse who borrowed for the student's education.

Key points

  • No upper limit on the deduction — 100% of interest paid is deductible.
  • Time-limited: only for 8 consecutive years starting from the year you begin repayment.
  • Applies to courses in India and abroad — graduation, post-graduation, vocational courses.
  • The loan must be from a bank, financial institution, or approved charitable institution — not from family or friends.

Worked example

MBA abroad with high interest deduction

Anand took a ₹30L education loan for his MBA in the UK. Repayment started in TY 2025-26. In TY 2026-27 (year 2 of repayment), he paid ₹2,80,000 in interest and ₹1,20,000 in principal.

Interest component: ₹2,80,000 → Fully deductible under Section 129
Principal component: ₹1,20,000 → NOT deductible

Deduction in TY 2026-27: ₹2,80,000

Tax saved at 30% slab:
  ₹2,80,000 × 30% = ₹84,000
  Plus cess: ₹84,000 × 1.04 ≈ ₹87,360

Result: Anand saves ₹87,360 in tax purely from his education loan interest — with no cap. He can continue claiming this deduction for 6 more years (TY 2027-28 through 2032-33).

Related sections

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Section references are based on the Income Tax Act 2025 (Tax Year 2026-27). Examples are illustrative; verify with a Chartered Accountant before filing.