PPF Extension
After the 15-year maturity, a PPF account can be extended in 5-year blocks either with continued contributions or without, allowing the corpus to keep earning tax-free interest.
Detailed Explanation
## Extending Your PPF After Maturity When your PPF completes 15 years, you don't have to close it. You can extend the account in 5-year blocks, and there's no limit on the number of extensions. ## Two Types of Extension **Extension With Contributions:** - You continue depositing up to Rs 1,50,000/year - Your balance keeps growing with new deposits and interest - You must submit Form H within 1 year of maturity to opt for this - Withdrawal limit: Up to 60% of the balance at the start of each 5-year block, one withdrawal per year **Extension Without Contributions:** - You stop depositing, but the existing balance earns interest at the prevailing rate - No paperwork needed; it happens automatically if you don't submit Form H - You can withdraw any amount at any time (much more flexible) ## Why Extension Is Powerful After 15 years of contributing Rs 1,50,000/year, your corpus is roughly Rs 40.7 lakh. At 7.1%, this earns about Rs 2.9 lakh/year in tax-free interest. Extending lets this large base keep compounding. With continued contributions for another 5 years, you could reach Rs 65+ lakh. For another 10 years, over Rs 1 crore. All tax-free. ## Key Decision Point If you're still working and have income to invest, extend with contributions. If you're retired or don't need the 80C deduction, extend without contributions and enjoy the flexibility of withdrawing whenever you need. Model your extension scenarios with our [PPF calculator](/) to see how different strategies affect your long-term corpus.