Latest news with #Form13
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
EPF changes in 2025: New form to transfer EPF account, instant UAN activation, other announcements made by EPFO that you need to know
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation ( EPFO ) has recently announced several important updates aimed at making Provident Fund (PF) operations more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly. These measures focus on streamlining account transfers, enhancing Universal Account Number (UAN) management, simplifying claim processes, and improving digital services for both employees and employers. This includes revamped forms and bulk UAN generation without Aadhaar, face authentication on mobile apps, and relaxed documentation norms. Let's take a look at a few of these significant updates: Revamped version of Form 13 In a major step towards improving convenience for EPF members and minimising procedural delays, EPFO has rolled out an updated version of Form 13 , which further simplifies the process of transferring PF accounts when employees change jobs. The updated Form 13 (Transfer-out) enhances the features of the previously improved Form 19 and adds several new functionalities to streamline the transfer process. "With a view to further simplify the transfer claim process, the Form 13 (Transfer-out) functionality has since been revamped duly incorporating the bifurcation of taxable and non-taxable components of PF accumulations as stipulated," the EPFO said in a circular on April 25, 2025. Taxable and non-taxable EPF interest clarification The improved functionality of Form 13 on its official portal now clearly distinguishes between taxable and non-taxable components of Provident Fund (PF) accumulations. This enhancement facilitates the precise calculation of Tax Deducted at Source ( TDS ) on taxable PF interest, thereby promoting smoother tax compliance for both EPFO and its members. The update also improves transparency, providing members with greater insight into the details of their PF interest breakdown. Changes in EPF website: EPFO updates Form 13 to ease PF account transfer process, to show taxable PF Bulk UAN generation without Aadhaar For specific cases, EPFO has launched a facility that allows employers to generate Universal Account Numbers (UANs) in bulk, even without linking Aadhaar. This change is particularly relevant for members associated with Exempted Provident Fund Trusts that have surrendered or had exemptions cancelled. It is also applicable in scenarios involving recovery or quasi-judicial proceedings. Employers can now generate UANs using the existing Member IDs and other available data, ensuring that past contributions are credited to the correct accounts without delays. Live Events "With a view to ensure proper accounting of the past accumulations that had been remitted to EPFO by the Exempted PF Trusts consequent to the surrender/cancellation of exemption and also in other cases involving remittance of past period contributions consequent to quasi-judicial/recovery proceedings, it has been decided to relax the requirement of Aadhaar for generation of UAN/credit of Past Accumulations for such members and also provide a facility for bulk generation of UANs based on the Member Id & other member information available on record as to enable prompt crediting of funds in the accounts of such members," the EPF said in its April 25, 2025, circular. Now generate, activate UAN instantly with Face ID on UMANG App EPFO has recently streamlined the process of allotting and activating the Universal Account Number (UAN) further. As per a circular issued by the retirement fund body, Face Authentication Technology (FAT) linked to Aadhaar has been incorporated into the UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) app. This integration introduces three new features, aimed at delivering a more seamless and user-friendly experience for EPF members and employees. "In order to simplify and to make the entire process of allotment and activation of UAN more robust, the following three facilities for employees/members have been introduced in the UMANG APP leveraging the Face Authentication Technology (FAT). 1. Direct UAN Allotment and Activation 2. UAN Activation for Existing UANs 3. Face Authentication Service for Existing Activated UANs," said the circular issued on April 8, 2025. EPFO simplifies UAN allotment: Now generate, activate UAN instantly with Face ID on UMANG App; Know how to use it EPF due payment via demand draft The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has issued a clarification addressing concerns raised by various field offices regarding situations where employers are unable to remit past dues through the standard Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) system. In such cases, employers have expressed willingness to settle these dues using demand drafts. "It is therefore clarified that where the officer-in-charge of the region is satisfied that such request is for a one-time payment of past dues and the employer is not seeking a mode other than the internet banking for the payment of future remittances, he may collect the dues in the manner as is practiced for recovery of any demand in arrears, i.e., through a demand draft in the name of RPFC-in-charge of the region and payable at the bank branch where the regional office concerned holds a bank account," said a Ministry of Labour and Employment circular issued on April 4, 2025. Also read: EPF due payment via demand draft: EPFO allows one-time payment of past EPF dues via Demand Draft No need to upload cheque leaf or passbook image In a major relief for EPF members, EPFO has eliminated the requirement of uploading a cheque leaf or an attested bank passbook while filing online claims. The removal of this step will immediately benefit around 60 million EPF members. It eliminates claim rejections due to unreadable or poor-quality uploads. It will also reduce grievances and make online claim settlement faster and hassle-free. According to a Ministry of Labour and Employment circular on April 3, 2025, "In continuation of earlier efforts to facilitate the speedy settlement of claims filed online and to reduce the rejection of claims due to the reason of non-uploading of the image of cheque leaf/attested bank passbook while filing claims online, it has been decided that the members shall not be required to upload the image of cheque leaf/ attested bank passbook at the time of filing a claim provided the bank account seeded with UAN is validated by concerned bank/NPCI, with effect from the date of this circular." No employer approval needed for bank account seeding To further streamline the process, EPFO has removed the need for employer approval after bank verification for seeding bank account details with UAN. Currently, every member is required to seed his/her bank account with UAN to get their PF withdrawals seamlessly credited to such an account. According to a Ministry of Labour and Employment circular on April 3, 2025, "It has also been decided that there shall be no requirement of approval of the employer in the bank account seeding process henceforth. Further, all requests pending for bank KYC seeding at the employer level will be auto-approved following the verification process from the bank/NPCI."
Mint
19-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Four issues you may face if you switched jobs but did not transfer your provident fund
NEW DELHI : When we switch jobs, we are told to transfer our employee provident fund (EPF) to the new employer. This requires filling out Form 13. Some people ignore this, and in some cases, it doesn't happen even after they apply for it. We have compiled five reasons why you must transfer your EPF to avoid challenges that you may face later. Partial withdrawal You may want to withdraw some of your PF balance for home purchase, home loan repayment, marriage or self or children's education. If your previous accounts haven't been merged with the latest and you still apply for partial withdrawal, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will only consider the balance in your existing PF account to determine the permissible withdrawal limit. This may drastically reduce your withdrawal eligibility. Also Read: The EPFO's ATM plan is good but it must resolve its pension muddle first For example, your existing account only has ₹1 lakh balance, while your previous two accounts have ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh. One can withdraw up to 50% in the event of marriage. You could have withdrawn up to ₹8 lakh (50% of ₹1 lakh + ₹5 lakh + ₹10 lakh), had you merged the three accounts. If unmerged, you will only be eligible to withdraw ₹50,000 (50% of ₹1 lakh). Issues in final settlement Suppose you leave your full-time job after working at several places. You now want to close your PF account for good. The EPFO allows a 100% withdrawal two months after the exit date if you don't join formal employment elsewhere. You apply for it, but your claim is rejected. Why did the claim get rejected? You wonder! This is because a full and final settlement cannot happen unless previous PF accounts are merged. You must merge all your previous PF accounts into the last account to be eligible for a 100% withdrawal. Multiple UANs If you do not raise a transfer request and your employer assumes you have never been a PF member before, it might create a new UAN (universal account number) for you. "Having multiple UANs can complicate KYC verification, claims processing, and future employment linking with the PF account," said Anurag Jain, co-founder/partner at ByTheBook Consulting LLP. Break in EPS continuity Without a PF transfer, your service duration across jobs doesn't get consolidated. This affects pension eligibility as EPS requires a minimum of 10 years of continuous service. So even if you may have worked for over 10 years, you will not be eligible for pension benefits unless your previous service history gets merged. Also Read: Two ways for the EPFO to give itself an image boost It is also important to understand the concept of exempt and non-exempt employers. Employers maintaining an exempt PF trust manage PF themselves, while the EPFO does it for non-exempt employers. The EPS is handled only by the EPFO in both cases. So, if you have worked with an exempt employer, the withdrawal is possible even if your previous accounts are not merged. If withdrawn, it complicates your PF history because the EPF has been released, but the EPS has not been transferred. Transferring the EPS in such a situation involves an offline process. Always transfer your PF when you switch jobs. Whether it has happened or not, keep track of it online on the EPFO member portal. Ignoring it will complicate your PF and EPS service history. Notably, the EPFO has implemented auto-transfer of PF on change of employment if both employers are non-exempt, provided your UAN is fully KYC compliant. Also Read: EPFO alert! How to avoid, deal with rejections, delays
India.com
18-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
EPFO Digital-First Reforms 2025: Easy PF Balance Check, Smooth PF Transfers, Aadhaar-Linked Profile Updates, And Faster Pension Payments
photoDetails english 2902492 EPFO Digital-First Reforms: If you've faced difficulties logging into the EPF passbook portal, here's some relief. Now, millions of members can effortlessly check their Provident Fund balance using EPFO's new services. Adding further, EPFO has introduced major reforms for over 7 crore active members in the organised private sector along with a revamped Form 13 and a bulk UAN-issuance feature to speed up PF transfers and improve transparency. The 2025 updates bring simpler profile updates, faster PF transfers, and a centralized pension payment system to enhance overall service efficiency. Updated:May 18, 2025, 11:49 AM IST EPF Passbook Portal 1 / 7 EPF passbook portal is a user-friendly way to check your PF balance and transaction history. But sometimes, heavy traffic on the website, maintenance work, login glitches, or incomplete KYC details can cause problems. When that happens, you can conveniently use the SMS or missed call option to get your PF information without any hassle or without internet access. Check Your PF Balance via SMS 2 / 7 You can now check your PF balance without internet access or even logging into the portal. All you need to do is send an SMS from your registered mobile number in the format: EPFOHO UAN ENG to 7738299899. Make sure your UAN is active and linked with your Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details. For those who prefer other languages, simply replace "ENG" with the language code—like "HIN" for Hindi or "TAM" for Tamil. This convenient service is available in 10 regional languages, making it accessible to millions of EPF members across India. Missed Call Service for Instant PF Balance 3 / 7 If your UAN is active and your KYC details are fully updated, checking your PF balance is just a missed call away without internet access. Simply dial 011-22901406 from your registered mobile number, and the call will disconnect automatically after two rings. In moments, You will receive an SMS with your PF balance within moments—no app, login, or complicated steps required. It's a quick, easy, and hassle-free way to check your Provident Fund details anytime, anywhere. EPFO's Digital Reforms 2025 4 / 7 The EPFO has introduced major reforms in 2025 to enhance services for over 7 crore active members in the organised private sector. These changes include simplified profile updates, faster PF transfers, and a centralized pension payment system—all focused on improving digital accessibility and increasing transparency. Profile Update Gets Easier 5 / 7 Updating your EPFO profile is now simple and completely paperless! If your UAN is linked with Aadhaar, you can conveniently update details like your name, date of birth, or nationality online—without uploading any documents. However, a quick note: if your UAN was generated before October 2017, you may still need employer approval for certain changes. PF Transfer Now Works Without Employer Approval 6 / 7 Starting January 15, 2025, transferring your PF account after a job change becomes much easier—no need to wait for employer approval in most cases. Plus, the joint declaration process is now completely digital, ensuring a faster and smoother transition for employees. Pension Payments Get Streamlined with CPPS 7 / 7 The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched the Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS) to streamline pension disbursements. Effective January 1, 2025, pensions are now directly credited to bank accounts via the NPCI platform, eliminating unnecessary delays. Previously, Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) were routed through various regional offices, often causing hold-ups—but not anymore!
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Business Standard
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
EPFO makes pension claims smoother: 5 updates you should know about
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on April 17 introduced updates designed to make pension withdrawals easier and quicker. The main changes include: Self-declared advances under Para 68B (7) for home improvements Removal of bank-document uploads and employer approval for seeding bank accounts with Universal Account Number (UAN) Facial-authentication UAN activation via the UMANG app Simplified transfer claims with a revamped Form 13 Revised dearness relief rates for pensioners The updates that cut paperwork and strengthen digital processes aim to shorten turnaround times and reduce claim rejections. The circular allowed EPFO members to claim funds for home additions or alterations under Para 68B (7) with a simple declaration that five years have passed since house completion — and without proof of any earlier PF advance. Poorva Prakash, partner, Deloitte India notes, the step 'eliminates the need for multiple supporting documents, reduces the paperwork burden, and enables faster processing, as field offices will no longer need to verify physical documents.' Paperwork cut The circular did away with uploading cheque-leaf or attested passbook images and it removed employer sign-off for bank-account seeding. Members can now link their bank details directly on the EPF portal. According to Prakash, this change will slash claim rejections due to poor-quality uploads and give members a smoother, faster experience. IT upgrades With EPFO's back-end software handling eligibility checks and approvals automatically, withdrawal claims, which once took 10–15 working days, are expected to be settled in under a week. 'Claim processing will be much faster and therefore accelerate settlement under new systems,' says Prakash. The UMANG app's Aadhaar-linked facial-authentication feature (introduced April 8) pre-populates member data to ensure accuracy and guard against fraud. While initially for UAN activation, these safeguards are set to extend to full PF withdrawal requests, marrying speed with security. Other notable updates in 2025
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Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
EPFO's new update makes PF transfer faster and smoother, revamps Form 13
The EPFO has rolled out a revamped Form 13 and a bulk UAN-issuance feature to speed up PF transfers and improve transparency. The new Form 13 removes the need for destination-office sign-off and instantly credits the transferred amount upon source-office approval. It also clearly separates taxable and non-taxable PF interest for accurate TDS calculation. Moreover, employers can now generate UANs in bulk without Aadhaar seeding for specific cases, with the UANs activated once employees complete later Aadhaar linkage. Over 1.25 crore members, moving nearly Rs 90,000 crore annually, stand to benefit from fewer delays and reduced manual interventions. Previously, PF transfers on job change required approval from both the transferor (source) and transferee (destination) EPF offices, often causing multi-week delays and additional follow-ups by members, who had to wait for the destination office's clearance even after the source office approved their claims, leading to grievances and backlogs. ALSO READ | Key updates on Form 13 · Tax clarity: The form now itemises taxable and non-taxable interest components, ensuring correct TDS deductions and smoother compliance. Bulk UAN generation without Aadhaar EPFO has launched a bulk UAN issuance tool for employers, even if employees haven't seeded Aadhaar. ·This feature targets members from exempted PF trusts and those under recovery or quasi-judicial proceedings to credit past contributions promptly. Benefits for members and employers · Massive fund flow: Nearly Rs 90,000 crore in PF balances can transfer smoothly each year, reducing backlogs. · Simplified compliance: Clear tax breakdowns ease TDS calculations for both members and EPFO. · Operational efficiency: HR teams and EPF offices face fewer manual tasks and follow-ups. These enhancements underscore EPFO's push toward a digital-first, member-centric service model. By cutting procedural steps, clarifying tax treatment and enabling bulk UAN issuance, EPFO aims to boost transparency, reduce grievances and deliver a more satisfying experience for India's formal-sector workforce.
