[REVISION HISTORY]

India EPF rules and 2026 scheme updates

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-10 04:39 UTC → 2026-09-14 02:28 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In July 2026, Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) rules were clarified: withdrawals after five years of continuous service are tax-exempt, while earlier withdrawals trigger TDS only on amounts of ₹50,000 or more if a PAN is on file. Form 121 can be used to request no TDS at withdrawal, though it does not make the withdrawal tax-free. EPF balances keep earning interest after a job change until the member turns 58, or for three years after retirement at age 55 or older. The account becomes inoperative at 58 (or after three years of inactivity post-retirement) and stops accruing interest; dormant accounts over seven years are transferred to the Senior Citizen Welfare Fund. On 8 August 2026, the Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 2026, was announced to replace the 1952 framework. The new scheme mandates a minimum withdrawal of INR 1,000 and requires that at least 25% of total contributions remain in the account. The contribution rate remains 12% of wages with a statutory ceiling of INR 15,000 per month. To address the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS-95) backlog following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling, the EPFO is implementing measures to accelerate higher-pension claims, including an online Joint Option portal. As of August 5, 2026, 11,595 applications remained pending out of 1,524,365 received. In late August 2026, the EPFO launched the ‘Employees’ Enrolment Campaign, 2026’, allowing establishments to regularize records for workers not covered between April 2009 and March 2026. Additionally, a six-month amnesty scheme was introduced for Provident Fund Trusts. On 9 September 2026, the EPFO updated regulations for advance ~~withdrawals to streamline fund access.~~ withdrawals. Members may withdraw up to 75 percent of their total EPF deposit—comprising employee and employer contributions plus interest—after 12 months of membership.

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