The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a retirement savings scheme instituted by the government for salaried employees in India. It is a key benefit offered by employers, wherein a fixed interest is paid regularly on the accumulated savings. Under this scheme, both the employer and employee contribute a portion of the employee’s salary towards the EPF, fostering a financial safety net for the employee post-retirement.
EPF registration is compulsory for organizations with 20 or more employees. Employers must register for EPF to ensure compliance with the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. Failure to register or misrepresentation of facts can result in a penalty of INR 5,000.
PF Number Format
A PF number follows the format: MH/BAN/0001011/000/0000110
. This comprises:
- MH: Regional Office Code (e.g., Maharashtra)
- BAN: Sub-Regional Office Code (e.g., Bandra, Mumbai)
- 0001011: EPF Employer Registration Code
- 000: Extension assigned to the employer (if blank, indicated by ‘000’)
- 0000110: Specific EPF account number of the employee.
UAN Number
The Universal Account Number (UAN) is a unique 12-digit identifier assigned to employees, tracking their EPF contributions and related information throughout their employment. The UAN is generated by the employer and remains unchanged even if the employee changes jobs.
PF Return Filing Procedure
All establishments with EPF registration must file monthly returns by the 25th of each month and an annual return by April 25th.
Payment Due Date
Employers must make PF payments by the 15th of each month.
Penalty for Delay in PF Payment
The penalty for late PF payments varies based on the delay duration:
- Upto 2 months: 5% p.a.
- 2 – 4 months: 10% p.a.
- 4 – 6 months: 15% p.a.
- Beyond 6 months: 25% p.a.
Registration Process
- Document Upload: Upload necessary documents and information on our portal.
- Choose Package: Select a registration package and make the payment.
- Application Assignment: Your application will be assigned to a dedicated professional.
- Form Preparation: The professional prepares the required PF registration form.
- Submission: Upon verification, the form is submitted to the PF department.
- Certificate Generation: The PF registration certificate will be emailed to you.