1. The rules regarding Pension & PF of CG are different, and not governed by EPFO. Presently employees joining CG after 2004 are governed by NPS (which is contributory & non-GPF). In such case you would have no option, but to withdraw your balance from EPFO. (However, if you are going on deputation, then I am not really aware as to what rules would apply.)

2 & 3. Taxability is not related to withdrawal – it relates to period of service. If period of service is 5 yrs or more, then the withdrawal is not taxable. Plz read details in a previous comment thread: http://indiapoint.net/finance/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/comment-page-3/#comment-3889

4. Accounts under different Pension / PF systems are not inter-transferable. To be transferable, they need to be governed by the same Act.

Thank you.

You will find that it clearly mentions: Post Matriculate Study of Son / Daughter

And, that should also mean for self.

Loan / withdrawal for higher studies is provided by EPFO. The link clearly says: For education of : self, son, daughter

The rule is “Para 68 K”. reading the provisions, it seems that originally it was for marriage, but later on education has also been added to it. You will have to use Form 31 for it.

http://www.epfochennai.tn.nic.in/pdf/31.pdf

But why dont you try the easier education loan from bank like SBI? They provide for studies in India, maximum Rs. 10 lacs and for Studies abroad, maximum Rs. 20 lacs. Usually if its courses like engineering / medicine, these loans are easy to get.

Upto 4 lakh education loan, no security is needed. I would suggest browse the bank website: http://www.statebankofindia.com

Thanks for the prompt response,
I followed the link , there nothing is specifcally mentioned about loan or PF withdrawl for higher Education. But, on searching more, i found these two links mentioned below. on both these links, it is written taht PF can be withdrawn for Education/marriage of self/son/daughter. The second link is related to chennai or pondicherry,but i think it is applicable all over India.

http://www.epfdelhinorth.com/Advance.aspx
http://www.epfochennai.tn.nic.in/advances_withdrawls.html
Please help.

So for some reasons you can take loan, while for others you can withdraw part of your capital.

Where possible, its always better to take loan rather than reduce your EPF accumulation by part withdrawal

For exact details, I would suggest read the EPFO website:

http://epfindia.nic.in/members_benefit.htm

It is not your responsibility to pursue the matter with your previous employer. RPFC has penal powers if any company does not provide information / returns / challans. It is another matter – that they do not exercise it, and in India mostly there is a chalta hai attitude.

Your point should be only one – that why your EPF & EPS balances have not been transferred.

Regards,
Surjeet

http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/comment-page-3/#comment-3889

Plz read previous comment for the links: http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/comment-page-5/#comment-6213

http://epfindia.nic.in/epfo_directory.htm

If there is any grievance:

http://epfigms.gov.in/

indiapoint.net is a private personal independent website

Can you please confirm whether Scanned copy of Form 19 & Form 10-C be submitted at PF office for the purpose of PF Withdrawl or do we ned the Original forms only?

No other form is needed.

If you are transferring, then your balance wont enter your bank a/c.

As such for RTI:

List of PIO / CPIOs of EPFO: http://www.epfindia.com/rti_officers.html

Procedure: http://www.epfindia.com/RTI/RTI_1.pdf

Method of Seeking Information

13. A citizen who desires to obtain any information under the Act, should make an application to the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the concerned public authority in writing in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is made. The applicant can send the application by post or through electronic means or can deliver it personally in the office of the public authority. The application can also be sent through a Central Assistant Public Infonnation Officer appointed by the Department of Post at sub-divisional level or other sub-district level.

Fee for Seeking Information

14. The applicant, along with the application, should send a demand draft or a banker’s cheque or an Indian Postal Order of Rs.I0/-(Rupees ten), payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority as fee prescribed for seeking information. The payment of fee can also be made by way of cash to the Accounts Officer of the ,public authority or to the Central Assistant Public Information Officer against proper receipt.

Thanks,
Sujina

Thanks
Saurabh

But it is not the new employer that provides the number. The new employer intimates its RPFC that a new employee has joined and then the RPFC provides the new number

Transfer (on Form 13) has to be initiated after one has received the new EPF number. The new employer does not initiate transfer and the transfer does not happen automatically. It happens only when one applies for it as per procedure (which you have read in the article).

Your article is really very helpful.
I have a query.
IF employee has left the previous organisation and has joined with a new organisation then firstly current employer need to provide a new PF Account no. and submit it with RPFC and after that only it will fill & submit the form 13 and the funds of Old PF A/c will get transferred to new account.
Please confirm.

Suppose a company deposits EPF contributions by cheque monthly of amount Rs. 150,000, and files the monthly return that it has deposited so much amount into EPF a/c. So, in the full year it has deposited around Rs. 18,00,000

Now the point is that though this amount is deposited in time – how come EPFO will know that what amount belongs to which employee?

For this purpose annual returns are filed whereby the segregation of amount on per employee basis is provided on the return.

Based on this annual return, EPFO credits the respective amounts to Employee a/c and also credits interest – and thereafter issues the annual statement on form 23 to employees via the employer (these statements are the size slightly longer than one feet scale)

Now till the company has not filed the annual return, how will EPFO be able to segregate the amounts?

For more details, plz read a previous thread: http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/comment-page-2/#comment-2771

Now in your case, the previous company has not filed the annual returns for the period 1-4-10 to 31-3-11.

Though EPFO has certain time frame for such submissions – often enforcement is not proper leading to employers filing the annual return late.

Consequently your balance is showing only upto March 2010

And in such situation even if you fill the transfer form, EPFO will not initiate any transfer.

2. If balance is being shown in any a/c then that means that it has not been transferred.

3. When an a/c relating to the company you left in 03-09-2009 shows that it is updated upto 31-03-2011 it means that the interest has been credited upto that date

As you have multiple EPF accounts, I would suggest that initiate transfer to your existing EPF a/c only if you are sure of staying in the current company for at least two years. EPF transfers theoretically may take three to four months, but in reality it may take upto one year or more – depending on various factors like filing of returns by previous companies.

For making complaint, you can use:

1. http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-making-complaint

2. http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-update-new-grievance-redressal-facility-by-epfo

Your query is not clear as to the details – so very difficult to suggest any course of action

2. The form K (apart from PF balance) also shows the balance of pension a/c transferred. Pension Fund is not depicted on the annual PF statement issued by RPFC. As far as I know, this is because pension is subject of actuarial estimations – and therefore does not have direct link to the actual balance.

If your PF has been transferred, the Pension fund balance is also transferred automatically

3. What do you mean by changed? Is it just their premises / address changed or codes etc? I would suggest you check out http://www.epfindia.com/MembBal.html

To the other part, the procedure is: As now you are in B

1. Transfer of balance from A to B
2. Transfer of the two un-transfered to B

As you are now working in new company B, you wont be able to transfer the two un-transfered balances to A

1. Who issues form K after tranfer is effected -Previous employer or previous RPFC.
I’ve applied for PF transfer from my last four co’s to present employer-A in 2008 but of these only two transfer has been done(in Apr 2009) but the current employer has not provided any details.I only came to know about the transfer in my annual PF statement.It shows amount credited for self PF & co’s contribution.

2.How to know about the pension fund amount being transferred ?

3. About the other two transfer I came to know that concerned PF office in Delhi has been changed, so what would you suggest I’ll move the new request or follow up the old request as I ‘ve copy of old form submitted. Now I’ve joined (2011) new company-B ,Shall I put up a fresh transfer request for two pending co’s & cumulative transfer from my last compny-A or only do it for latter one. Please suggest?

1. EPFO Trust meets every year and decides on the rate of interest to be provided. That rate is applied to the balance by EPFO and Company Trusts for that year. So if the rate is 8.5% in Years 1, 2, 3 and 9.5% in Year 4 – that does not mean that you can claim the 1% difference for Yrs 1,2,3.

2. Interest is usually applied on yearly basis and not on prorata basis. Also see what your Form K says under the column – “Interest credited for current year”. Secondly, in EPFO, interest is usually applied by softwares/ computers. You cannot complain on verbal talks. I would suggest wait for the annual statement for the year to come and then make calculations whether as to for what period you have been given interest

3. As to your balance being shown zero – again, EPFO works on the system of annual returns. Eventhough, the contributions is deposited monthly. So basically EPFO does not know the segregation as to what contribution is being deposited by company for a particular employee. The balances would appear after the annual returns – and also usually the transfer amounts are also adjusted on an annual basis.

1)Now please guide me whether i am eligible for 1%difference (9.5-8.5%) of EPF interest for 2010-11 from my old company trust. please guide . i hv contacted my old company PF trust and they simply denied giving reasons that they always pay interest as applicable on the date of its issue of cheque. please send me some supporting documents also to claim the above difference of interest.

2) i left the old company on 15/11/2010 to join at new company in banglore on 16/11/2010. my old company PF trust paid me interest on my PF till 15122010 as per them , although they have prepared the cheque on 20/1/11 and sent it on 24/1/2011. so please guide me whether i should get the interest till 24/1/2011 ( or for full jan2011 also) from them beacause EPF office is not ready to pay interest for Jan2011.

3)when i contacted EPFO banglore in this 30/8/2011 about my PF transfer, i was shocked to learn that my balance was zero. Initially, EPFO told me that cheques were not received , but from post office i came to know that cheques were delivered on timeon 27/1/2011 ( posted on 24/1/2011 by old company). so on pursuing the matter with RPFC, he aasured to look in matter and on 15/9/11, i came to know that they have received the cheques in jan2011 from RPFC but he said that interest on my money will be given from 1/9/2011. please guide me how i can get this interest of about 9 months (27/1/11-30/8/11) and whom to contact. this is due to rthe fault of EPFO that they have not entered it against my EPF account and now denying interest. please guide me.

Thank you in advance for sparing so much time for me. thanks.

Please give me your number so trhat i can talk to you. please help me by guiding me.

Thanks.
A.sain

2. Plz read: http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/

3. If you have left an organisation – then in that previous EPF a/c interest would be credited for next three years (36 months) from the time you left it.

1. http://indiapoint.net/ca/2011/07/04/epfo-know-your-epf-provident-fund-balance/

2. http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-checking-epf-balance

Thanks
Arun Chipkar

The thing is that applications like Form 13 move from bottom up, while complaints move top to bottom. Ultimately both will reach the same concerned official. But complaints to be meaningful have to be properly timed. And as it concerns EPF – the issue is not just money, but more than that its rules and procedures. EPF people are not bankers – their training is not for transaction, but for compliance and verification, and therefore one has to keep patience in dealing with it.

Wait for two weeks, and try telephone again – if possible talk to some APFC or even ask for RPFC – and tell him, about the telephonic circus.

http://www.epfindia.com/epfo_directory_wbnejh.htm

How are you?

As told by you I ring up the Park Street PRO in the phone phone no. given in their website http://www.epfindia.com , and as it is expected every person in different phone no. picking up the call and telling another phone no. i.e. 033-22801244 and that no. nobody picking (tried 2 days believing to those person who given the no. but ALAS). When I call again to the previous nos. and the persons answering the phone telling that may be that concern person is taking tea ( for full 2 no.working day!)….and they are so busy that they can not help me anything regarding the matter… But they told one thing that I should hold my patience and ring that ‘ghost’ no. everyday..(how funny)
Nothing really I got by the phone call …Except a test result found correct… you told earlier that they are human like us.. they will not bite us… true …they dont bite…

So now I lodged a query in epfigms…lets see…
If there is any time frame within which epfigms give reply to my query?

Rgds,
Biplab Bardhan.

Thank you so much.
DGP i.e shortcut of Durgapur (my native).

Rgds,
Biplab

Your steps should be:

1) Get to know date of delivery

2) After about 2 weeks of delivery ring up the PRO – and ask him for the status of your Transfer Application on Form 13. Depending on the reply you can do this every week for two – three weeks. Do also ask whether they would send it for signature verification (and whether you would be sent a copy of the letter)

3) because then it would be better if you also meet the concerned official (not the PRO) of your current EPFO to which transfer is being made – needless to say get the phone number of this official – so that you can ring him up two / three times so that the case is well registered in his memory as well.

4) Depending on the reply on phone, you may as well prefer something in writing by lodging a query at http://epfigms.gov.in/ (this is a relatively new facility) regarding the status of your Form 13.

2. No. Previous employer has nothing to do with this.

3. The Transfering PF Office – because they had sent your application to your current EPF office – and your current EPF office replied back to them that the authorised signature is not valid (for whatever reason)

4. No – the application lapse – you can say – invalid application

Its for your current EPF office that has a final say as to whether signature is valid. Plz go to the EPFO office and talk with the personnel manning the section of your Company – ask them about the deficiency & what kind of rectification would satisfy them – and then re-initiate the transfer by filling a fresh form. Even those working in the EPFO are humans like us – they will not bite you !

1. So the problem seems to be with the signature of authorized person of my current employer. Please confirm.
2. I also hear that my previous employer attests my signature. I hope that is not the problem.
3. If the application got rejected, who will have the application? The current PF office or the transfer PF office?
4. If the application was rejected, should it not return back to my current employer?

I had a talk with my current employer and they say they will pursue it in the current EPF office (Andhra) but I am not sure if they should also check from the transfering EPF office (UP).

Thanks
Rohit s.

I would suggest that you go to your current EPFO office – and meet the concerned section that deals with your company – and ask them what is the problem with signature.

Depending on what reply they give (the deficiency in signature they noticed) – rectify that and then again initiate the transfer procedure.

Practices differ – but ask your current EPFO section whether they would forward the transfer application. In that case, re-initiate the Form 13 process – get it duly forwarded by your current company – and submit it to your current EPF office (against acknowledgement) – for forwarding it to the RPFC of the transferring EPFO office

The problem is that EPFO is a pucca sarkari department where everybody tries to play safe without any concern to the common people. Even we faced this problem – but in our case as soon as we came to know about this thing we approached the current EPF office – http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-problems-in-epf-transfer

I took your help a few months back for filling EPF transfer forms. I submitted them about 4 months back. When I called the PRO today, they told me that my application have been rejected since “authorized officer’s signature not tally”. Can you please enlighten me on this? Why this happened and whom should I contact to correct this. If I need to to fill a transfer request again then what step should I take to make sure it does not happen again. Your help will be quintessential.

Thanks
Rohit

Thank you so much.
I think this is the best idea and I’m going to follow it.
I will disturb you time to time to stating you the status of this matter. haha…
Hope you don’t mind.

Thanking you,
With best regards,
Biplab Bradhan

To the main issue – B & C I guess is not a problem for you.

Now for A – if you were not transfered to any new unit / location of the company – and the company shifted the PF deposit location of all employees – then that means there was correction of jurisdiction – most probably at the instance of EPFO itself.

Now there are two things. You have WB/CAL 3A statement for one year – whereas you worked in A for two + years. So, definitely your accumulation is more than what is mentioned in that 3A statement of one year.

Secondly, you have mentioned in your previous comment that as per Company document your A/c is WB/ PRB . So which is this document – some sort of relieving letter / last pay certificate or what?

In my opinion, you have to send the Form 13 to the Park Street EPFO office and mention the full duration from 2004 to Feb 2007. Do not mention anything regarding WB/CAL – all that would unnecessarily confuse the EPF people. And my experience of Kolkata is that when there is confusion – instead of trying to solve it, people prefer not to do anything. So, do not add any document or any note relating to WB/CAL. On this issue of A Proceed step by step – first see what amount is transferred by Park Street.

Company A based in Kolkata , Company B based in Kolkata, Company C based in Mumbai, Company D based in Mumbai and I changed my job four time.

1.No. But my company changed pf deposit location of all emplyee to saltlake to parkstreet.
2. No.
3. No.

Presently I’m in Mumbai, and it is next to impossible to submit the Form 13 at Kolkata.
Waiting for your advice….

Rgds,
Biplab

1) Whether you were transferred from one location to another? Or came under jurisdiction of some other unit of the same company?
2) Assuming you dont have any annual statement issued by EPFO, do you have any breakup of the amount deposited in WB/CAl and WB/PRB?
3) Do you know break up of exact months when the EPF deposits were being made to WB/CAL and WB/PRB?

As such, Form 13 does not require attaching of any document

To a previous question you asked, if you are still working in Kolkata, you can directly deposit the Form 13 to the EPFO office on covering letter and get acknowledgement of that

http://indiapoint.net/contact/

You should send it to the RPFC of the city under which you were governed.

eg. if it was Durgapur (which is SRO under Kolkata RO), the Form 13 has to be sent to Durgapur, not to Kolkata

http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-epf-transfer-form

NOTE: (1) To be submitted by the member to the present employer for onward transmission to the Commissioner, EPF by whom the transfer is to be effected.

(2) In case the P.F. transfer is due from the P.F. Trust of an exempted establishment, the application should be sent direct by the employer to the P. F. Trust of the exempted establishment. with a copy to the RPFC concerned for details of the Family Pension membership.

So, basically the TO (addressee) and Column 5 would be same

As for (6), its a pre 1995 thing. If you have any such number then mention that else write Not Applicable. (FPF means Family Pension Fund. Now a days the EPS (Pension)& EPF (Provident Fund) are identified by same number. And tranfer of EPF balance automatically includes transfer of EPS balance.

5. By whom the PF account of the Previous estt is kept. Regional PF Commissioner ……
Name of the P.F. Trust……
6. FPF Account Number with the previous
employer (if allotted a separate one) ……………………………………………….

Thanks,
Surjeet

You have to submit the form to your current organisation for attestation (they will only be attesting your current EPFO A/c number) and then onward transmit it to the Mumbai.

Do keep documentation properly(photocopies, postal receipts/ number etc), so that in case of any problems, you can file complaint and pursue the matter later on.

(Language of every govt form is confusing)

As we are a part of apparently new organization in India wherein we are trying to go ahead with the PF transfer from our previous organization to the current one.

Query:
It may seem to be quite a negilgible/unwanted query but it holds the key towards our PF transfers.
In Form 13, their is a first column, wherein we need to mention the address of Commissioner as in the following:
To,
The Commissioner,
Employees’ Provident Fund
………………………………………

In the above section of form, do we need to address the form to our ‘current organization’s PF’ comissioner or to the PF comissioner of our previous employer?
Example: My previous PF account is with RPFC, EPFO, Bandra Mumbai and my current organization has opened my new PF account with Noida, EPFO. Now in the above mentioned section of the form, should I address to
RPFC, EPFO, Bandra Mumbai (Previous PF account holder)
or to
RPFC, EPFO, Noida, UP (Current PF account holder)

The language in the form seemed to have confused us, please suggest at the earliest.

Thanking you in anticipation
Regards
Vinay Chugh

The procedure of sending form to previous employer is basically spoken as because the employees dont know the procedures etc – and often they dont even know their own EPF number. So some suggest that the EPF transfer form be sent to previous employer so that they fill the detail and submit such form in good faith. At times this may work in case where the company is an exempted enterprise with its own EPF trust.

However where the organisation is unexempted, and the monies are managed directly by EPFO, the form 13 should after attestation by the current employer should be directly submitted to the RPFC of previous employer.

Basically as an EPFO subscriber, you dont have to worry about any backend procedure or who is saying what. The point is that you want your money and thats it.

Now the point is – on what basis you complain? You simply have no proof (and that is apart from the faulty procedure).

So, fill a fresh form 13 (downloaded directly from the EPFO link) – fill it – that takes barely 10 minutes. If you have salary slips mentioning EPF number from your previous employer then attach that. If you have any annual EPF statement then attach that as well. Get the page 2 forwarded by your current employer – and deposit it (under acknowledgement) to RPFC of previous employer.

And after this if nothing happens in two / three months, then put in complaint.

If you have not already read the article, I would say plz READ
http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/

I will followp the guidance privided by you… Question here is Cheque has been sent to the RPFC by my my previous employer, if i resubmit form 13 to RPFC after getting it attested from my present employer, would RPFC be able to locate cheque and link it to my current pf account. no doubt i will let them know cheque details and confirmation from previous employer

Depending how the RPFC office is organised at Delhi, it may so happen that the RPFC of previous and current employer is the same. In such case it would be easier for you to pursue your case.

http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/

Form 13 has to be sent directly to the RPFC of previous employer and NOT to the previous employer. The page 2 of the form 13 has to be attested by the current employer (they only attest the current EPF number)

I have been facing big time problem in getting my Provident Fund transfered from my previous organization to my current organization. I completed all the formalities, submitted Form 13 and sent to my previous employer. My X-Employer confirmed they have sent cheque to RPFC office to transfer the fund into new Provident Fund account. I have been approaching Provident Fund office and they say neither they received cheque nor any transfer form. I have confirmation email from X-employer that it has been sent.

Old Provident Fund A/C Number ( Transfer From ) : DL/19092/2879
Current Provident Fund A/C Number ( Transfer To ) : DL/31956/ 597.

Can any one help me in getting the right direction of resolving my issue.

http://indiapoint.net/download/epf_form_19.pdf

http://indiapoint.net/download/epf_form_10c.pdf

To the income tax part – all of the amount would be taxable and your income for those years would be recomputed for incometax purpose as if you did not make such contribution. If the withdrawal is after 5 years of service in that organisation, then such withdrawal is not taxable.

waiting for your reply

1) Usually it takes upto six months for the EPF number to be alloted. The bad part is that EPFO provides the number to the employER and not the employee. So if the employER is not careful, then the employEE is the sufferer.

2) EPF transfers are usually effected after the annual returns for the year is received by the EPFO. So if the financial year ends on 31st march of a year – the procedure may require time upto December of that year.

(Though legally, the EPFO should ask for the returns relating to the particular employee from the previous employer as soon as EPFO receives the transfer Form 13 from the employee even if its middle of the year)

Read: http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-do-we-need-any-other-form

3) The EPF Act sadly does not provide any time frame for transfer ! Though one can apply for transfer as soon as one has got the new EPF A/c Number, the transfer is effected only after the previous organisation has filed the annual returns (which i referred in point 2 above)

4) To your other question that the previous employer (well known and big!) have never provided EPF a/c details to any of its employees and that it has never provided any annual statements is a serious issue. In this matter, I would suggest:

A) Write representation (with signatures of at least 5 to 10 employees) to the address mentioned at: http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-making-complaint

B) The points of the letter should be (i) No EPF A/c number provided to anyone (ii) No EPF annual statement provided to anyone

C) Also attach few salary slips that mentions deduction of EPF contribution. Give full details of the company, address of its office etc in the representation.

5) To your other question of EPF withdrawal of balance, it can be done anytime by simply filling a form 19 http://www.epfindia.com/forms/FORMS_Latest/Form19.PDF . However this is not really recommended. As you are currently in employment and have EPF number, its better to transfer your previous balance to the current EPF a/c. Its the savings in the early years that grow exponentially!

i have an unique problem regarding my EPF a/c. last feb’11 i have joind a new organization, they have opened a new PF a/c for me where i want to transfer my PF from the prev comp. but the prob is that though my prev employer (a big & well known organization where i worked for 11 months) had deducted a certain amt from my salary every month mentioning as EPF they haven’t mentioned the PF a/c detail ever in any of its employee’s salary slip till date. as a result till today no one hae been able to retrieve their PF from this comp. but my ques is there must be some way to resolve this issue. hence its a req from all the employee’s of this comp. as well as mine also to help me out with the solution of this prob as soon as possible. if there’s any dept/ committee who can help me out in this regard plz provide me with the address or ph no of that dept also.
also let me know how soon can a employee apply for a EPF transfer & EPF withdrawal process from his/her last resignation date?

Thanks

If the previous and current RPFC is same, then there is no issue at all.

You have to send the Form 13 after attestation to RPFC of previous employer

If your previous and current RPFC is same, then it would be the same EPF office.

If the RPFC is different, then the form after attestation has to be forwarded to the previous RPFC.

To your queries:

1) There is no restriction

2) Yes interest is credited on accumulated balance. However as per recent changes – this crediting of interest would exist only for 36 months on idle or inoperative account. The moment your son left the previous employee, the EPF account became inoperative

3) No form or application is required. The process is automatic

4) Interest earned on acccumulated balance is not taxable (ie. the interest is exempt like PPF interest). Also as your son has completed 5 years of service, whenever the amount is withdrawn, that wont be taxable.

If your son has started his own contract work, I would suggest formalise that thing in some form of firm or company. And register that with RPFC. So your son can continue to have EPF account and also transfer the previous accumulation into such new account. This will also give him social security.

My current company was asking me to send Form 13 to my previous employer. They did not send it to EPF office.

My previous company is completely closed. It is not taken by anyone. Now I will send Form 13 to EPF office of my current employer.

Thanks for all your help Anup. You are great

Actually my son resigned from service. Since there is no immediate requirement of money, we propose not to withdraw. For this purpose, I want to know procedural formalities and tax aspects

You should have sent the Form 13 directly (after attestation by your current employer) to the EPF office of the previous employer.

When you say that the company is closed – has it been bought by some other entity but still in operation or it has under gone liquidation procedures?

The previous EPFO will not transfer till it realises your dues from the defunct organisation in full !

To the link that you provided, that relates to “claim” (ie. settlement or withdrawal). It does not relate to transfer of EPF balance.

Unless you have some sort of acknowledgement, its very difficult to do anything else in such matters.

I would suggest that as you have the previous EPF number follow the procedure provided in the article http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/ and resubmit the Form 13 directly as per procedure (do keep the Postal / Speed Post number or if you are in the same city, then after attestation from the current employer, submit the form under a covering letter and take acknowledgement from the EPF office).

Please advise–

(1)whether there are any restrictions in continuing the accumulated balance with the RPF Commissioner

(2) whether interest is credited on accumulated balance continuing with the RPF Commissioner

(3) whether any Form is required to be submitted to the RPF Commissioner for crediting interest

(4) whether interest earned on accumulated balance is taxable

Pls help me to solve my problem.

I worked for 2 years and 5 months in my previous company. I had PF account there. I have PF number with me but I had never received PF statement from PF department there. Let us refer this company as Company A. I left company A 2 year back.

I got new PF account number from my new company which I joined 2 years back.

6 months back, I came to know that Company A is closed. I spoke to ex. Accountant in Company A for my PF details. Accountant asked me to send form 13 to her residential address since company A is closed now and she is autorized signatory for PF and she mentioned that she will fill a form on behalf of Company A and sumbit these two forms to PF department. She handed over these forms to Agent who submitted to PF department but she did not get any acknoledgement.

These formalities are done almost 6 months back but I don’t see any progress in my transfer. I spoken with Accoutant of company A and she mentioned that PF department will come to her to verify some document so they could process the transfer but PF department has not turned back to her till now.

I tried to track my PF transfer status – http://www.epfindia.com/indiaepf/loginnew.aspx

I get message “Your Claim Not Received by this Office!”.

Kindly suggest what do I do now?

I am really in need of your help.

Thanks

http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-do-we-need-any-other-form

2) Check whether you have filled the Form 13 properly – have you retained a copy of the application?

3) Do you have Annual Statement of your previous EPF account? and also other proof like salary slip that mentions your EPF number clearly?

4) Do you have any proof of your current EPF account number – like annual statement?

If you have all these with you then make two / three photocopies of each, and attach these photocopies along with covering letter clearly stating your grievance.

(Your grievance is that your EPF balance has not been transferred. Your grievance is NOT what they have written or not intimated – these are only delaying tactics. Clearly write that you have followed the procedure, and yet your EPF balance is not transferred). Send such complaint letter separately to the addresses at:

http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-making-complaint

If you have proof – you have nothing to worry. Always remember that in these cases, the documentation should be perfect.

And you have to wait for the two – three months, and you will start getting positive replies

Under current rules EPFO will not give interest to idle accounts of 3 years or more from 1-4-2011.

1) Yes
2) No
3) Not Applicable as (2) is No
4) Yes. Actually, the procedure is that your current employER “C” after attestation forwards these forms to the RPFC office (where A and B deposited) through registered or speed post.

To the other parts – the consultants are confused. Plz re-read the article

1) http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-initial-works

2) http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/#toc-do-we-need-any-other-form

and also previous comment

http://indiapoint.net/ca/2009/11/05/transfer-epf-provident-fund/comment-page-2/#comment-2774

and other comments also if possible.

Actually I am asking these, because one of the consultant told me that I have to fill up the Form13(R) get it signed from present company C , and I also have to get Form 3A, 5 and 10 from my previous employer B and C and then submit all these forms in RPFC where my old company B and C have deposited my fund. Another consultant told me that I have to only fill the form 13(R) and Form 5 and then submit in the RPFC office where my present company C have deposited the PF.

Sorry for troubling you with such a long list of query. Thanks for your help.
Regards
Debashish

It takes time to get the PF number. Primarily its the duty of your employER to get it from EPF office – because the EPF office will not give you the EPF Number directly.

As its six months only, first pursue the matter with your organisation. Only if you dont get satisfactory response from the organisation, then pursue the matter with your trade union – if they can get it for you.If there are no trade union, then make complaint to RPFC (but please remember, such direct complaints may put you on the wrong side of your organisation!)

The certification from present company is required in both the cases. You would have to fill two separate forms for transfer ie. from A to C and B to C respectively.

Also I have not transfered the EPF of my last to last company (say I am in Company C, before that I was in B and before that in A, I am mentioning about of Company A). In form 13 there is a field “Date of joining the present employer” . here I should mention the joining date in my present conmpany (C) or I should mention the joining date of my last company (i.e. B).
Thanks for your help
Regards
Debashish

If the employee has left an organisation, the particular EPF account becomes ‘idle’ – as no contribution is deposited to it. Earlier such idle accounts would be given interest without any limitation. However under the new rules, if an account is idle for more than 36 months, it would be classified as ‘inoperative’. All inoperative accounts will NOT receive any interest from April 2011.

Now, if your husband is working in an organisation where he has EPF account, then you can get the balance of old EPF account transferred to the current EPF account.

If your husband does not currently have any EPF account, then you can withdraw the balance from the old idle account – and invest the money in other investment channels of your choice.

Thanks for all your help!!!

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/60-pf-accounts-idle-to-fetch-no-interest/408361/

Unless you have an account with the current employers – how can you transfer? Your EPF balance amount can be transferred from previous account to current account.

Is your current employers covered under EPF Act? If not, then you cannot get the amount transferred, because you dont have any current EPF account.

For transfer, there needs to be two accounts. One FROM which the amount is to be transferred, the other one TO which the amount is to be transferred.

If your current employers are covered under EPF Act, then you must get the EPF account number from them – as they must have filed the Form 5 when you joined them 1.5 yrs back. If there is such account, then there must be EPF deduction being done with your salary. It does not really matter whether the employee is permanent or not. Even temporary employees are ‘employee’ under the EPF Act.

(there needs to be 20 employees for an establishment to covered under the Act – at any point of time in any year of its existence! Organisations can also voluntarily join EPFO scheme even if the number of employees is less than 20)

The work of the old organisation is finished. They have no role in this any more. Its your money and EPFO.

Again thanks for prompt reply. You made me understand the procedure quiet well.

My story is that I do not have an EPF in the current organization and planning to open and get it started. Now one of the driving force for me is the viability of getting old one transferred. If it is not a very laborious procedure, then it motivates me to open an EPF with current company and apply for transfer from the previous one. I left the previous org 4 years back and joined this 1.5 years back, FYI.

Now, as my conversation goes with previous org (I will call it OldOrg for ease), the concerned person says they have transferred my PF with regional office and stops giving me any further information as of now, thought a mail is expected from him.

The PF office says – the PF statement has been sent to OldOrg and they should give it to me! So it is a vicious circle for me as they send me to each other for information.

In the above impasse, what do you suggest I should do?

I am planning to apply for a transfer from OldOrg to Neworg through form 13 and then follow up with the Noida PF office guy.

I would again put the things for you. Say you were working in Org “A” where you had an EPF account. Now you leave that organisation and join “B”. Now the Organisation “B” has opened an EPF account for you. Now you have to get the amount transferred from A EPF account to B EPF account

Now Form 5 and Form 10 are monthly returns that are filed by the employER. Usually these returns are nil returns unless a new employee joins or leaves. Form 5 contains details of new employee joining the establishment. Form 10 contains details of employees leaving the organisation.

When a new employer sends the name of new employee in Form 5, then the EPFO provides the employee with an EPF account number – to which the monthly contributions are deposited.

Now these Form 5 and 10 are sent by employer along with another form 12A which is the monthly return containing details of all amount that has been deposited by the employer through the challans.

Now Form 3A, is an annual return that is filed by the employER. You can say it is a summarised detail of annual contribution per employee during the year. This Form 3A along with another annual return Form 6A are filed by the employER annually. These form 3A and 6A should reconcile with the twelve monthly returns sent in Form 12A and the challans.

Now its funny that your accounts dept ask you to send Forms 5 and 10 and 3A alongwith your transfer Form 13 !

The moment you left your previous employer A, it is duty bound to put your name in Form 10 and submit it in the very month you left it. Then your new employer B is duty bound to send your name in Form 5 the month you joined them – only then you got your EPF A/c with B. And both the employers have to file your details and amounts through Form 3A annually with the EPFO.

I hope you have understood the procedure. You only need one copy of Form 13 (Revised) that is found at EPF site http://epfindia.gov.in/forms/13revised.PDF

The reason why it has to be routed through the present employer is that your employer in a way authenticates that the employee is working at their establishment (old archaic rules!)

You tell your accounts dept that it is your money, and the liability of procedure is yours not theirs. If the procedure is faulty, it is your loss not theirs. They are only authenticating Page 2 of the Form 13 – which is a factual statement. They are not authenticating Page 1 of Form 13.

As to your other question, it really depends on the nature of computerisation and willingness of PRO to provide with the information. If suppose the EPF office is computerised (and I guess it should be at a place like Noida), then if form 3A and 6A has not been filed by the employer, then the updated details are not there at EPFO computers.

Also, after these Form 3A and 6A are filed by the employer – they are scrutinised by the EPFO for their correctness, and thereafter the “annual EPF statement” is issued by EPFO to the employee through the employer. Have you not received your EPF statements from your previous and current employERs ?

As such you should ask your employer to provide Annual EPF statement provided by EPFO for the employee. If you are not receiving the Annual EPF statement, then put in written complaint with the local RPFC or at http://epfigms.gov.in/ with full details.

1) Contact the EPFO RPFC under whom the Ooty area comes. They should be able to tell you whether your transfer form has been forwarded to them, and if that is under process

2) If the form has not been forwarded, then you have to pursue the matter with your previous employer. In case, there is problem at school end, then take up the matter with the School management, and if that does not solve, make complaint to the EPFO – both the concerned RPFC and Central PFC with full details (I hope you have been getting salary slips with details of deduction or having some sort of evidence relating to EPF deduction like Annual EPF statement etc)

3) In case the matter has already been processed at the EPFO RPFC in charge of Ooty, then in such case you have to pursue matter with the current EPFO office where the money has been transferred.

All links relating to phone number and addresses for making complaint are written in the article. In case your previous employer operates the EPF trust and problem is at the school end you can still adopt (2)

I have sent form 13 to my previous employer(Good Shepherd International School, Ooty) on 3 August but till now transfer of EPF has not been taken place.We have not received anything from my previous employer and I suspect they are holding my application. I would appreciate if you give me a helpful suggestion. Thank you.

You are the best. Excellent information you have given here. Thanks a lot for sharing such wonderful information.

Reply by Anup: Plz read the article.

However, you can try the online grievance mechanism to know the EPF balance, if you have not got the statement. http://epfigms.gov.in/

1) check that your application was filled properly in the prescribed Form 13 (Revised). (I hope you have retained a photocopy)
2) That the office of your employer has forwarded your application to the relevant EPFO office. (you can take the date / proof of registry etc from office of your previous employer)

If the above two is in proper order, then contact, the EPFO office from where transfer is to be effected. If you get some satisfactory reply, you can wait a month.

If the reply is not satisfactory then put your complaint in writing to the two addresses mentioned in the article.

In most cases, you can talk to the PRO (even on telephone) of the particular RPFC, and they would tell you your balance. You can get details from : http://epfindia.nic.in/epfo_directory.htm

Some EPFO Offices / SROs / RPFCs’ have online balance query available: eg:
Pune: http://www.epfopune.gov.in/balance.aspx

Kerala: http://www.epfkerala.in/balance.php

(There may be other EPFO offices also for which online balance enquiry is possible – you would have to do google search for it)

And in case of problems – you can always write to the two addresses mentioned in the article.