The Government of India will pay the employer and employee contribution to EPF account of employees for another three months from June to August 2020. The benefit is for establishments with up to 100 employees and where 90% of those employees draw a salary of less than Rs 15,000 per month. The contribution to EPF is reduced to 10% from 12% for non-government organisations.
Employees Provident Fund [EPF] is a scheme under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. It is regulated under the purview of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) which is one of the World’s largest Social Security Organizations in terms of clientele and the volume of financial transactions undertaken. Basically, EPF is normally like a benefit to an employee during the retirement provided by the organization.
Applicability of EPF Registration for Employers
EPF registration is mandatory for all establishments-
- which is a factory engaged in any industry having 20 or more persons, and
- to any other establishment employing 20 or more persons or class of such establishments which the Central Government may, by notification specify on this behalf.
The employer must obtain the registration within 1 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.
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.
Where the employer and majority of employees have agreed that the provisions of this act should be made applicable to the establishment, they may themselves apply to the Central PF Commissioner. The Central PF Commissioner may apply the provisions of this Act to that establishment after passing the notification in the Official Gazette from the date of such agreement or from any subsequent date specified in the agreement.
Some establishments having less than 20 employees would also be required to obtain PF registration but that is voluntary registration. All the employees will be eligible for a PF from the commencement of their employment and the responsibility of deduction & payment of PF lies with the employer.
The PF contribution of 12% should be divided equally between the employer and employee. The employer’s contribution is 12% of basic salary. If the establishment has employed less than 20 employees, PF deduction rate will be 10%.
EPF Registration Procedure
The employer must register the establishment online. With the convenience of online registration, the employer can register the establishment by providing the following details:
- Establishment details:
– Name of the establishment
– Address
– Incorporation Date
– PAN
– Type of establishment
If the establishment is a factory then the following details must be provided:
– Factory License Number
– Date of License
– Place of issue
If the establishment is an MSME then MSME registration details to be provided.
- E-Contacts: The employer must provide 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
– Contact details
- Identifiers: The identifiers are the license information that the employer needs to provide.
- Employment details:
– Employee strength
– Gender
– Type of activities
– Wages above limit
– Total wages
- Branch/Division: Branch details such as name/premise number and address.
- Activities: The employer needs to select the type of business and the activities included from the drop down lists available.
Steps for EPF Registration for Employers
The employee needs to follow the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1- Register the organisation with EPFO
Visit the website and register the organization with EPFO. In the home page of the Unified portal, there is an option called “ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION”.
Step 2: Read the User Manual
Click on the “ESTABLISHMENT REGISTRATION” and you will be taken to the next page where you will get an “INSTRUCTION MANUAL”. A new user must download and read the instruction manual completely before the registration.
Step 3: Register DSC
The employers who are already registered can login with their credentials i.e. with the Universal Account Number [UAN] and password. This instruction manual will explain the process of Employer Registration which is to be followed by registration of DSC [Digital Signature Certificate] of the Employer. Getting DSC registered is a prerequisite to submitting a fresh application for ERF registration.
Step 4: Fill the Employer’s details
Tick on “ I have read the instruction manual” completely. Click on “REGISTER BUTTON” given below. This will take you to the new page where all the employer’s details need to be filled in. The fields marked with the red star (asterisk) are mandatory to be filled in.
Step 5: Fill the details correctly