EPF (Employee Provident Fund) registration is mandatory for every organization with 20 or more employees. Once registered, employers must deduct PF from employees’ salaries each month and deposit it with the EPFO(Employees’ Provident Fund Organization) by the 15th of the next month.
Key Highlights
- EPF registration helps employers follow legal requirements and avoid penalties for non-compliance.
- It prevents extra costs by avoiding interest on late or missed PF payments.
- It makes audits and inspections smoother by ensuring proper PF records and timely payments.
- EPF registration also secures employees’ future through regular savings and social security benefits.
Why EPF Registration is Important for Employers
EPF registration is essential for all organizations employing 20 or more persons. It helps employees secure their future by contributing towards retirement planning and providing social security benefits. Followings are the key reasons employers should register for EPF:
Avoid Interest And Penalties
Non registration on EPF portal by employers lead to delayed or non PF remittances will attract penalties and interest charges.
Avoid Adverse Reputation
Non compliance of regular PF remittances will create a bad reputation for the company in terms of employee welfare.
Audit and Inspections
- Compliances regarding EPF is a primary area of concern in the audit of financial statements, statutory compliances and various other inspections and investigations.
- Proper adherence to PF rules like, registering on time when it becomes applicable, remitting the funds on time will ensure smooth flow of audits.
Applicability of EPF Registration for Employers
- EPF registration is mandatory PF registration is mandatory for factories with 20 or more employees and any other establishment employing 20 or more persons.
- The employer must obtain the EPF registration within one month of attaining the strength, failing which penalties will be applicable.
- A registered establishment continues to be under the purview of the Act even if the employee strength falls below the required minimum.
- The Central Government may apply the provisions to any establishment employing less than 20 employees after giving not less than two months’ notice for compulsory registration.
- All the employees will be eligible for a PF from the commencement of their employment, and the responsibility of deduction and payment of PF lies with the employer.
Documents Required For EPF Registration
EPF registration required the following documents need to be attached to the “Registration Form for EPFO” by the employer-
- PAN Card of the Proprietor/Partner/Director.
- Proof of address such as the Electricity Bill or Water Bill or Telephone Bill of the Registered Office (not older than 2 months).
- Aadhaar Card of Proprietor/Partner/Director.
- Shop and Establishment Certificate/GST Certificate/ any License issued by the government for the establishment.
- Digital Signature of the Proprietor/Partner/Director.
- Cancelled Cheque or Bank Statement of Entity.
- Hired/Rented/Leased Agreement, if any.
- License Proof issued by the Identifier/Licensing Authority.
EPF Contribution Rates for Employers
Once the organization is registered with EPFO, the employer must contribute to the PF fund. The standard contribution is:
- The EPF contribution by employers is 13% of Basic Salary.
- The EPF contribution by employees is 12% of the Basic Salary
Note: If the establishment has employed less than 20 employees, the PF deduction rate will be 10%.
EPF Registration Process for Employers
The employer can register their establishment online by providing the following details:
Establishment Details
- The establishment details to be provided are the Name of the establishment, Address, Incorporation Date, PAN and Type of establishment.
- If the establishment is a factory then the details to be provided are the Factory License Number, Date of License and Place of issue of License.
- If the establishment is an MSME then MSME registration details to be provided.
- If the establishment is registered under Startup India, then the Startup India registration details are to be provided.
E-Contacts
The employer must provide the email ID and mobile number of the authorised person.
Contact Person
Employers must provide details of the contact person like a manager. The details required are name, date of birth, gender PAN, designation date of joining and address details.
Identifiers
The identifiers are the license information that the employer needs to provide.
Employment Details
The employment details required to be provided are the Employee strength, Gender, Wages above limit and Total wages.
Branch / Division
Branch details of the establishment, such as name/premise number, LIN (Labour Identification Number) and address.
Activities
The employer needs to enter the NIC Code (National Industrial Classification) and select the nature of business and the activities included from the drop down lists available.
Steps for EPF Registration for Employers
The employer needs to follow the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1: Visit the EPFO Website
Go to the official EPFO website and click on “Establishment Registration” on the homepage.
Step 2: Register On USSP
- The “Establishment Registration” button on the homepage of the EPFO website will open the USSP (Unified Shram Suvidha Portal) sign up page. The employer needs to click the “Sign Up” button.
- On the next page, the employer has to provide the Name, Email, Mobile Number, and Verification Code and click the “Sign Up” button to create the account.
Step 3: Log in to the USSP
- After the creation of the account on the USSP, the employer needs to log in to the USSP and select the “Registration For EPFO-ESIC” button present on the left-hand side of the screen. Next, select the “Apply for New Registration” button on the right side of the screen.
- Two options will appear, i.e. “Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948” and “Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952”. The employer will need to select the “Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952” and click on the “Submit” button.
Step 4: Fill the Registration Form
- Upon clicking the “Submit” button, the “Registration Form for EPFO” page will open, and the employer needs to fill all sections of the form.
- Fill the “Establishment Details” section and click on the “Next” button
- In the “eContacts” section, fill the details and click on the “Add” button. Once the details are added, click on the “Next” button.
- In the “Contact Person” section, click on the “Add/Edit Address of Primary Manager” button to add the address.
- Next, click on the “Add/Edit Econtact of Primary Manager” to add the email.
- Click on the “Add” button, enter the details of the “Other Contact Person”, and click on the “Next” button.
- Enter the required details in the “Identifiers” section and click on the “Add” button. Once the details are added, click on the “Next” button.
- Enter the “Employee Details” section and click on the “Add” button to add the details, and go to the next section of the registration form.
- Enter the details in the “Branch/Division” section and click on the “Add” button. Once the details are added, click on the “Next” button.
- In the “Activities” section, enter the NIC code, primary business activity, nature of work, and subcategory of nature of work and click on the “Next” button.
- In the “Attachments” section, upload all the required document attachments by clicking on the “Upload” button and clicking on the “Save” button.
- The summary of the registration form will be displayed. Check the details entered in the registration form and click on the “Submit” button.
Step 5: Attach DSC
- Click on the “Digital Signature” button on the next page and attach the Digital Signature Certificate.
- Once the DSC of the employer is uploaded, the employer will receive a successful completion of registration form message.
- The employer will also receive an email from the Unified Shram Suvidha Platform with a confirmation that the EPFO registration has been completed.
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