Post Office Monthly Income Scheme: Interest Rate & Features

The Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS) is a Government of India backed small savings scheme that allows the investor(s) to set aside (save) a specific amount every month. Subsequently, interest is added to this investment at the applicable rate and paid out to the depositor(s) on a monthly basis.

Eligibility

Following individuals are eligible to avail the scheme-

• A resident of India. NRIs are not eligible to invest in this scheme
• Individual above the age of 10 years

Aadhaar and PAN Now Mandatory for POMIS

• As per a recent notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, it is now mandatory to provide your Aadhaar number and PAN to open a new POMIS account. If you have not been assigned an Aadhaar yet, you need to provide proof of application of enrollment for Aadhaar card or enrollment ID at the time of account opening and furnish the Aadhaar number to the accounts office within 6 months from the date of opening the account.
• If you already have an existing Post Office Monthly Income Scheme account and have not submitted your Aadhaar number, you need to do so within a period of 6 months with effect from 1st April 2023. Moreover, in case you have not submitted your PAN at the time of opening the account, you need to submit the same within a period of 2 months from the date of happening of any of the following events, whichever is earliest, namely:

– The balance at any given time in the account exceeds Rs. 50,000

–  The aggregate of all credits in the account in any financial year is more than Rs. 1 lakh

–  The aggregate of all withdrawals and transfers in a month from the account is more than Rs. 10,000

• If you fail to submit Aadhaar within the specified period of 6 months and PAN within the specified period of 2 months your account will become inoperational till the time Aadhaar number and/or PAN is submitted to the accounts office

Note: We have taken this information from The Gazette of India. To read more, visit https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2023/244822.pdf

Who Should Invest?

• Post Office Monthly Income Scheme is suitable for investors who are seeking fixed monthly income but are unwilling to take any risks in their investments. Thereby, it is more favourable for retired individuals or senior citizens who have landed into the no-more-paycheck zone
• It is suitable for the investors seeking a one-time investment to serve the purpose of getting regular income to maintain the lifestyle
• Investors willing to make long-term investments

Maximum Investment Amount in Post Office MIS

Though there is no limit on the number of accounts held by individuals, there are limits on the maximum amount that can be cumulatively invested across all POMIS accounts.

• In case of sole operated account, maximum investment allowed in POMIS is Rs. 9 lakh
• In case of joint holders (up to 3 joint holders), maximum of Rs. 15 lakh can be invested in POMIS

Current Interest Rates on Post Office Monthly Income Scheme

The Rate of interest is fixed and resettled by the Central Government and Finance Ministry every quarter depending on the returns yielded by Govt. bonds of the same tenure. The Post Office Monthly Income Scheme interest rate 2024 (October-December 2024) is 7.4%. The following are the historical Post Office MIS Interest Rates* :

Period	Interest Rate on Post Office MIS (annual)
1st July 2024 – 30th September 2024	7.4%
1st April 2024 – 30th June 2024	7.4%
1st January 2024 – 31st March 2024	7.4%
1st October 2023 – 31st December 2023	7.4%
1st July 2023 – 30th September 2023	7.4%
1st April 2023 – 30th June 2023	7.4%
1st January 2023 – 31st March 2023	7.1%
1st October 2022 – 31st December 2022	6.7%
1st July 2022 – 30th September 2022	6.6%
1st April 2022 – 30th June 2022	6.6%
1st April 2021 – 31st December 2021	6.6%
1st April 2018 – 30th June 2018	7.3%
1st January 2018 – 31st March 2018	7.3%
1st October 2017 – 31st December 2017	7.5%
1st July 2017 – 30th September 2017	7.5%
1st April 2017 – 30th June 2017	7.6%

*Rates subject to change as per government notification. Interest payout on POMIS occurs monthly.

Read More About Post Office Investment: Saving Schemes & Interest Rates

Key Features of Post Office Monthly Income Scheme

Following are the key features of Post Office MIS plan:

1. Maturity Period – Effective 1st December 2011, the maturity period of the scheme is 5 years (60 months) from the account opening date

2. Number of Account Holders – POMIS accounts can be held individually or jointly (maximum three adult holders)

3. Minimum and Maximum amount of deposit – The minimum limit for the amount of deposit in Post Office MIS plan is Rs. 1,000 (and thereafter in multiples of 1,000)

The maximum limit for the amount of deposit in Post Office MIS plan is as follows:

Type of Account	Maximum Limit
Single Account	Rs. 9 Lakh
Joint Account	Rs. 15 Lakh
Minor Account	Rs. 3 Lakh

4. Nomination Facility – Nominee facility available and can be updated later after opening an account by a beneficiary (i.e. a family member). However, the beneficiary can only claim the benefits after the demise of the account holder.

5. Transfer Facility – POMIS accounts can be freely transferred from one Post Office to another.

6. Post Office Monthly Income Scheme Bonus – No bonus available on accounts opened on or after 1st December 2011. Accounts opened earlier were eligible for a 5% bonus on deposit amount.

7. Taxability – This scheme doesn’t come under the  Section 80C of the Income Tax and it is subject to taxation. Moreover, it has no TDS either.

Other Benefits of Post Office Monthly Income Scheme

• On the use of cheque for account opening, date of cheque realization will be account opening date
• In case of joint account, each account holder will hold equal share
• No limit on the number of POMIS accounts held singly/jointly. Subject to max. cumulative balance criteria
• A minor aged 10 years or above can avail the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme Account. On turning 18 years, he or she will be asked to convert his/her minor account to an adult account
• The Post office credits proceeds directly to the investor’s post office savings account on a monthly basis by ECS/CBS
• Post Office Monthly Income Scheme accounts can continue to earn interest for up to 2 years after account maturity if proceeds are not withdrawn by the investor. The applicable rate will be the same as that of a standard Post Office savings account

Documentation Required

• Identity Proof: Copy of government issued ID such as Passport / Voter ID card / Driving License/Aadhaar, etc.
• Address Proof: Government issued ID or recent utility bills.
• Photographs: Passport size photographs

How to Open a POMIS Account?

To open an account under Post Office Monthly Income Scheme, follow the steps given below-

1. First, you must have a Post Office savings account. Open the same account if you do not have one
2. Get an application form from your Post Office or Click here to download POMIS Account application form
3. Fill and submit the form along with the self-attested copies of all the required documents at the post office. Note: You must carry the original documents for verification
4. Mention the Name, DOB and Mobile no. of the nominees (if any)
5. Proceed to make initial deposits (Minimum Rs.1000/-) via cash or cheque

How Does it Work- POMIS Calculation

• After opening the account, the investors need to make the suitable investments. For single account, Rs. 1,000 is the minimum amount of investment and Rs. 9,00,000 is maximum amount of investment
• For a joint account, Rs.1,000 is the minimum amount of investment and Rs.15,00,000 is the maximum amount of investment

For an example:-

You make an investment of Rs.1,00,000 with a maturity period of 5 years. The annual interest rate being  6.60% gives a fixed monthly income of Rs. 550. And, at the end of the scheme tenure, you will get your deposited money back.

Post office MIS Vs Bank FD Vs NSC

Post Office MIS	Bank Fixed Deposit	National Savings Certificate
Fixed rate of interest at 7.4%	Rate of interest is fixed at 5.75% to 8.75% (Varies from bank to bank)	Fixed rate of interest at 7.7%
Guaranteed Returns	Assured returns	Assured returns
No TDS applicable	TDS is applicable	`No TDS applicable
There is an investment limit	There is no investment limit	No maximum investment limit
No to low risk	No risk at all	Low risk profile
Premature withdrawals are possible with penalty	Premature withdrawals are possible but penalty will be applied	Premature withdrawal available in special cases only
No tax rebate	Deposits are eligible for tax exemption under Section 80C	Deposits qualify for tax rebate under 80C
Maturity period of 5 years	Maturity varies from 7 days to 10 years	Two fixed maturity periods- 5 years and 10 years
Lock in period of 1 year	Lock in period is 5 years	Lock in period is 5 years

How is it Different from Other Monthly Income Schemes?

There are different investment options which offer monthly incomes such as Mutual Funds Monthly Income Plan and Insurance Monthly Income Plan. Here is a tabular representation of the differences which you will find in these plans-

POMIS	Mutual Funds Monthly Income Plan	Insurance Monthly Income Plan
Fixed Monthly income scheme with 7.4% interest	A debt-oriented mutual fund with investments made into debt & equity in a 20:80 ratio	A retirement plan in which the investor receives annuities in form of monthly income
Guaranteed monthly income	No guarantee of monthly income as the returns are associated with the market performance of the fund	Fixed and guaranteed monthly income
TDS is not applicable and interest earned is taxable	TDS is not applicable	Monthly annuity is taxable
Suitable for risk-averse investors wanting to earn monthly income and not seeking equity investments	Suitable for investors with moderate risk tolerance, seeking investments into debt & equity	Suitable for investors willing to enjoy dual benefits of insurance as well as investments
Maximum limit of investment is Rs. 9 lakh for single account and Rs. 15 lakh on joint account	No limit on investment amount	Investment amount is not limited
Fixed returns at 7.4%	No fixed returns	Focuses on securing the capital rather than accumulating returns

Premature Withdrawal of the Scheme

Premature withdrawal /closure of POMIS account before maturity period (5 years) is allowed subject to following terms and conditions:

• In case of premature withdrawal between 1 to 3 years of account opening, a 2% `deduction on deposit is applicable
• In case of premature withdrawal between 3 to 5 years of account opening, 1% deduction on deposit is applicable

FAQs

Q: How can I withdraw money from my POMIS account after the tenure?

Ans. You can withdraw the deposited amount from the account either from the post office or you can also get it credited in your savings account through ECS. You can follow the usual way and withdraw the amount monthly. However, the investor is allowed to let some amount accumulate and withdraw it all together after a few months.

Q: Can I transfer POMIS account?

Ans: Yes, your account can be transferred from one post office to another for absolutely free.

Q: Can I reinvest my accumulated amount in POMIS?

Ans: This is one of the best features of this scheme. It allows the investors to reinvest their accumulated money at the end of the tenure.

Q: Is there any Tax deduction at source?

Ans: No, there is no TDS (Tax Deduction at Source). But, the interests earned are taxable.

Q: Is there any nomination facility available in POMIS?

Ans: Yes, the scheme allows you to select and appoint a nominee against the account who will get the accumulated amount in case of unfortunate demise.

Q: Does the scheme offer tax rebate?

Ans: No, POMIS does not offer any tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Q: Can a senior citizen also invest in POMIS?

Ans: Yes, infact POMIS is most suitable for senior citizens and retired persons.

Q: From where can I get the withdrawal form of POMIS?

Ans: You can get the withdrawal form directly from the post office or download it from the India Post website.

Q: What happens when the investor does not withdraw the funds after 5 years?

Ans: After the maturity of 5 years, if the investor does not withdraw the amount, then he will continue to earn a simple interest for up to 2 years (as per the post office savings account interest rate).

Q: Is Premature Withdrawal of the POMIS allowed?

Ans. Yes, the premature withdrawal facility is allowed after 1 year. However, if you withdraw before 3 years a deduction of 2% on deposit and after 3 years a deduction of 1% on deposit is applicable.