eligibility criteria for claiming the tuition fees deduction under Section 80C

The following are the eligibility criteria for claiming the tuition fees deduction under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961:

• The taxpayer must be an individual.
• The taxpayer must be a resident of India.
• The taxpayer must have paid tuition fees for full-time education of his/her children.
• The tuition fees must have been paid to an educational institution in India.
• The tuition fees must have been paid in cash or by cheque/DD.
• The tuition fees must not have been reimbursed by any other means.

The maximum deduction that can be claimed under Section 80C for tuition fees is Rs. 1.5 lakh per child per year. This means that for two children, the maximum deduction that can be claimed is Rs. 3 lakh.

The tuition fees deduction is available under Section 80C along with other deductions such as investments in ELSS, PPF, NSC, and LIC policies. The total deduction that can be claimed under Section 80C is capped at Rs. 1.5 lakh per year.

To claim the tuition fees deduction, the taxpayer must keep the following documents:

• Proof of payment of tuition fees, such as receipts or bank statements.
• Proof of the child's age, such as a birth certificate or school admission letter.
• Proof of the child's enrollment in a full-time educational institution in India.

The taxpayer can claim the tuition fees deduction when he/she files his/her income tax return. The taxpayer will need to fill out Form 12B and attach the required documents. The deduction will reduce the taxpayer's taxable income, which will lower the amount of tax that he/she owes.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when claiming the tuition fees deduction:

• The deduction is available for the financial year in which the fees are paid. For example, if you pay tuition fees in April 2023 for the academic year 2022-23, you can claim the deduction in your 2022-23 income tax return.
• If both parents are taxpayers, they can each claim the deduction for the same child. This means that you can claim a deduction of up to Rs. 3 lakh for two children.
• The deduction is not available for children who are studying abroad.
• The deduction is not available for fees paid for vocational or professional courses.

I hope this helps!