Post Office Senior Citizen Savings Scheme

Eligibility to Open SCSS at the Post Office

The eligibility criteria to open SCSS at India Post are as follows:

• Resident individuals aged 60 years and above, with no upper age limit.

• Retired individuals aged 55 years or more but below 60 years who have retired on superannuation or otherwise can open an account within three months of receiving retirement benefits, subject to the applicable conditions.

• Retired personnel of the Defence Services, excluding civilian Defence employees, can open an account from age 50, subject to the specified conditions.

• The account can be held individually or jointly with a spouse. In a joint account, the age of the first account holder is considered for eligibility.

• Non-Resident Indians, HUFs, trusts and other non-individual entities are excluded. Only individuals can hold an SCSS account.

• An applicant aged 55 to below 60 who does not open the account within three months of receiving retirement benefits cannot use the early-retirement eligibility route and must meet the applicable eligibility requirements at age 60.

For a joint account, the age of the first account holder is considered for eligibility, and there is no age limit for the second applicant.

Documents Required to Open a Post Office SCSS Account

Some of the mandatory documents include:

• Duly filled account opening form for SCSS

• Aadhaar card

• PAN card

• Two passport size photographs

For identity and address proof, any one of:

• PAN card

• Passport

• Voter ID card

• Driving licence

• Aadhaar card

Additional documents by category:

How to Open a Post Office SCSS Account

A customer can open an account for Post Office SCSS at the branch office.

• Collect the Form: The SCSS account opening form is available at any post office offering the scheme or can be downloaded from the India Post website.

• Complete the Form: Fill in personal details, the deposit amount and nomination details.

• Attach Documents: Include identity proof, address proof, age proof and photographs. Applicants under 60 must also attach the employer certificate and proof of disbursal date.

• Submit at the Counter: Submit the completed form with supporting documents at the post office offering SCSS.

• Make the Deposit: Deposit an amount of at least ₹1,000 in multiples of ₹1,000, subject to the aggregate maximum of ₹30 lakh per depositor.

• Retain the Passbook: The post office issues a passbook for the SCSS account which records the account details and transactions.

Tax Implications of India Post SCSS

Eligible SCSS deposits can qualify for a deduction of up to ₹1.5 lakh under Section 123 read with Schedule XV of the Income Tax Act, 2025, subject to the applicable conditions and tax regime.

However the interest is fully taxable at the account holder's applicable slab rate. For Tax Year 2026-27, TDS on SCSS interest is generally applicable when the interest paid or credited by the post office exceeds ₹1 lakh during the tax year, subject to the applicable provisions.

For Tax Year 2026-27 the eligible resident senior citizens can furnish Form 121 to claim non-deduction of TDS, subject to the prescribed conditions.