What is the difference between absolute return and CAGR in a mutual fund?

Absolute return tells you the total percentage gain on your investment, ignoring time. CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) tells you the equivalent yearly growth rate. For example, a 60% absolute gain over 4 years equals a CAGR of about 12.9% per year. Use absolute return for holdings under 1 year; use CAGR for anything longer.

Is the maturity value or mutual fund return taxable?

Yes, capital gains on mutual funds are taxable. For equity funds held over 1 year, gains above ₹1.25 lakh per year attract LTCG tax at 12.5% (FY 2025-26). For holdings under 1 year, STCG tax is 20%. Debt fund gains are taxed at your income slab rate. This calculator shows pre-tax returns — please factor in your tax liability before redeeming.

Can I use this calculator for SIP investments?

This tool is best for a single lump-sum investment. If you invest a fixed amount every month through a SIP, your cost is spread across multiple purchase prices. For that, the SIP Calculator — Estimate Your Mutual Fund Returns gives you a more accurate result.

How do I find the current value of my mutual fund?

Open your fund app (Zerodha Coin, Groww, MF Central, etc.) and check your current portfolio value. Alternatively, go to the AMFI website (amfiindia.com), look up today's NAV for your fund, and multiply it by the number of units you hold.

Is my data saved or uploaded anywhere when I use this calculator?

No. All calculations happen entirely inside your browser. The numbers you enter never leave your device — nothing is uploaded to any server. You can even use it offline once the page has loaded.

What is a good CAGR for a mutual fund in India?

Historically, diversified equity mutual funds in India have delivered CAGRs of around 10%–15% over long periods (10+ years). Large-cap index funds have roughly tracked the Nifty 50's long-run CAGR of about 12%–13%. However, past performance does not guarantee future results, and returns vary by fund category and market conditions.

Does this calculator account for the expense ratio?

Yes — indirectly. The Current Value you get from your fund app or statement already reflects the expense ratio (the fund's annual management fee) because it is deducted from NAV daily. So when you enter that current value here, the expense ratio impact is already included.

Is this mutual fund return calculator free to use?

Completely free. There is no sign-up, no login, and no hidden charges. Use it as many times as you like, for any fund or scenario you want to check.

Mutual Fund Return Calculator – CAGR & Absolute Return

See Exactly What Your Mutual Fund Investment Has Earned

Enter your investment amount, current value, and time period — this mutual fund return calculator instantly shows you both your absolute return (total profit in rupees and percentage) and your CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate, or how much your money grew per year on average). No spreadsheet needed.

Quick answer (snippet): Two ways to measure mutual fund returns:
Absolute Return = ((Current Value − Amount Invested) ÷ Amount Invested) × 100
CAGR = ((Current Value ÷ Amount Invested) ^ (1 ÷ Years)) − 1) × 100
Use absolute return for investments held under 1 year; use CAGR for anything held 1 year or longer — it accounts for compounding and gives a fair year-on-year comparison.

How to Use This Calculator

Amount Invested (₹): Enter the total money you put in — the purchase value or cost.
Current Value (₹): Enter today's market value of your mutual fund units (check your fund app or statement).
Investment Duration: Enter how many years (or months) you have held the fund.
Hit Calculate — you will see your absolute return (₹ profit + %), CAGR (%), and a visual chart of how your money grew.

All results appear instantly on screen. Nothing is sent to any server — every calculation runs right inside your browser, so your numbers stay completely private.

Worked Example — Real Numbers

Say you invested ₹2,00,000 (₹2 lakh) in a large-cap equity fund 5 years ago. Today, your portfolio shows a value of ₹3,60,000 (₹3.6 lakh).

Metric	Formula Used	Result
Profit (₹)	₹3,60,000 − ₹2,00,000	₹1,60,000
Absolute Return	(1,60,000 ÷ 2,00,000) × 100	80%
CAGR	(3,60,000 ÷ 2,00,000)^(1÷5) − 1	12.47% per year

An 80% absolute return sounds impressive — but the CAGR of 12.47% per year tells you what actually happened each year, making it easy to compare against a benchmark (like the Nifty 50 or another fund).

How It Is Calculated — The Formulas Explained

Absolute Return simply measures total gain as a percentage of your original investment. It does not care about time.

Absolute Return (%) = ((Current Value − Amount Invested) ÷ Amount Invested) × 100

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) smooths your total return into an equivalent yearly rate. It is the standard way to compare funds over different holding periods.

CAGR (%) = ((Current Value ÷ Amount Invested) ^ (1 ÷ Number of Years) − 1) × 100

The ^ symbol means "to the power of". So for 5 years, you take the 5th root of the growth multiple. This approach shows how fast your money compounded each year — stripping out the effect of time so you can make fair comparisons.

When to Use Which Metric

Situation	Best Metric	Why
Held less than 1 year	Absolute Return	CAGR can mislead on short periods
Held 1 year or more	CAGR	Accounts for compounding; fair comparison
Comparing two funds	CAGR (same period)	Removes the distortion of different time frames

Tax Rules You Should Know (FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27)

This calculator shows pre-tax returns. Actual money in hand depends on how long you held the fund and what type it is. These are the current rules — always verify on the Income Tax Department website for the latest rates.

Equity funds (held ≤ 12 months): Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG) taxed at 20% flat (effective from Budget 2024, applicable FY 2025-26).
Equity funds (held > 12 months): Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) above ₹1.25 lakh in a year are taxed at 12.5% (no indexation).
Debt funds (purchased on or after 1 April 2023): All gains taxed as per your income tax slab (STCG = LTCG = slab rate), regardless of holding period.
Debt funds (purchased before 1 April 2023): If held over 3 years, LTCG at 20% with indexation (older units only).
Surcharge and cess: Health & Education Cess of 4% applies on top of the base tax — this calculator does not include surcharge or cess.

SEBI categorises mutual funds into equity, debt, hybrid, and solution-oriented schemes. For fund category details, refer to AMFI India (amfiindia.com), the official mutual fund industry body in India.

Practical Tips — Get More Out of This Tool

Use NAV (Net Asset Value) data: Your fund app or the AMFI website shows current and historical NAV. Multiply NAV by number of units to get Current Value accurately.
Check annualised returns, not just absolute: A fund that returned 60% in 4 years (CAGR ~12.5%) may be better than one that returned 70% in 6 years (CAGR ~9.3%).
Don't ignore exit loads: Many funds charge a 1% exit load if redeemed within 1 year. Your actual maturity value may be slightly lower than the calculator shows.
Lump sum vs. SIP: This calculator is designed for a one-time (lump sum) investment. If you invest via monthly SIP, use the SIP Calculator — Estimate Your Mutual Fund Returns for a more accurate picture of your SIP portfolio value.
Returns are indicative: Past returns shown by this tool do not guarantee future performance. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risk.
Include all costs: Expense ratio (the annual fee deducted by the fund house) already reduces NAV — so the Current Value you see in your app is after expense ratio deductions.

Running the numbers takes about 10 seconds. Plug in your fund values above and see your real annualised return — then decide your next move with confidence.

Mutual Fund Return Calculator - CAGR & Absolute Return

Your investment

How it is calculated