Friday, October 19, 2012

Can I transfer my PF Account to my new Employer?


One of the most popular articles in my blog is about withdrawal of Employee Provident Fund money from our own EPF Accounts. Usually when we switch jobs, our PF Account is closed by our old employer and then our new employer actually opens a new account for us. Though we all may find the sudden surplus cash coming in handy for our day to day expenses, the purpose of the PF Account is not to meet your cash requirements while working. The purpose of the PF Account is to help you have a comfortable retirement. Moreover, if you switch jobs within 5 years of joining the company and close your PF Account, the withdrawn amount is fully taxable. So, we have two great reasons as to why we must not WITHDRAW our PF Corpus when we switch jobs.

Now, what is the alternative?

Transfer the PF Account from your current employer over to the New Employer…

I know that 99% of you know that such an alternative exists and so, just bear with me for the benefit of that 1% who does not/did not know this. Now, you may be asking me, did you write this article to tell me something I already know about?

Actually, in many private sector organizations when someone joins their organization, they suggest the PF amount from their previous employment be withdrawn. They do this to avoid a lot of paperwork at their end to coordinate and track the transfer of your PF Account from your old employer. But, they are supposed to do this for you and you have every right to request them to get your PF Account transferred from your old employer. Don’t hesitate. It is your money as well as their duty. So, go ahead and tell them to get the account transferred.

Real Life Experience:
When I switched my first job, I did not know that EPF withdrawals before 5 full years of service was taxable. My new employer said that getting the PF Money transferred was a hassle and I also had some commitments. So, I happily withdrew the money and bought a PC for home. In June when I got the form-16 my tax liability said I had to pay one third of the money that I had accumulated in the 3+ years of service. Am not just making this up to convince you to get your PF money transferred to your new job. I am just sharing my real life experience and the decision is entirely yours!!!


Some Points – In Favor of getting the PF Account Transferred:

• Transfer of money from your old PF Account to the new PF Account happens in less than one month (The withdrawal takes 2 to 3 months)
• The old accumulated money continues to earn interest and any subsequent addition too adds to the interest earned
• You need not pay any taxes on the money accumulated in your old PF Account

Now, a smart guy like you may be thinking – What if, I keep my old PF account active until I complete 5 years of service and then submit a withdrawal request? I wouldn’t be paying taxes plus I would’ve earned interest for that time period as well. So, it works just like a fixed deposit.

Did you just think of this???

Well my friend that is a brilliant plan. Unfortunately according to the latest PF Regulations, any PF Account that is inactive for a period of 3 years stops earning interest. Plus – having two active PF Accounts is not right and the authorities may give you a very hard time if they find out if you have multiple PF Accounts.

So, either close your old PF account and withdraw the money or get it transferred. These are the only two choices you have to avoid complications.


Steps in Getting your PF Account Transferred:

The following are the steps in getting your PF Account from your old employer to the new account.

1. Join your new Organization and get the new PF Account opened
2. Get the PF Account number from your HR/Finance Department
3. Fill up the “Form 13” (This is the same form for PF withdrawal as well) with details of your previous employer, your old PF Account number etc.
4. Sign the form and hand it over to your current employer’s HR/Finance Department
5. Your current/new employer will fill in the details of your current employment, get is signed by the authorized signatory of your organization and then submit it with the regional PF Office for transfer
6. The regional PF office will contact your old employer and then effect the transfer
7. In around 30 days, the money from your old account should be available in your new PF Account.


What happens if my past employer is Unavailable?

In the rare scenario that your old employer is unavailable (They closed down or for whatever reason) you can still get the Transfer/Withdrawal completed.

In such a case – the employee (you) has to submit an identity proof (PAN Card, Voters ID Card, Ration Card or Passport) and proof of residence (Copy of electricity bill, landline phone bill or driver’s license) must be submitted along with the form.

The Withdrawal/Transfer request is usually attested by both the employers (the old and the new) involved. In this case, if the old employer is not around to attest it you can still get the money transferred with the attestation of your current employer.


Where can I get the PF Forms?

Just go to this link and download the forms, fill them up and take things forward

http://www.epfochennai.tn.nic.in/forms_download.html


Things to Remember when filling up the form:

1. Fill in all details like name, date of birth, address etc. legibly without any overwriting or errors
2. Sign the form in a consistent manner – if the signature does not match the original sign submitted at the time of account opening, our request could be rejected
3. If your PF Account number is incomplete or incorrect, the request will be rejected
4. If your Bank account details are incomplete or incorrect, the request will be rejected
5. Your date of joining/resignation must match the PF Office records (which will match the employer records). So, enter only the correct dates

Remember – We are dealing with a government department here. So, even fully filled and complete forms may get delayed for no apparent reason. If you submit an incomplete form, there will be all the more reason for delays for rejections.

Hope this article was of use to you. Leave your comments/queries and I will try to answer them as best I can.

188 comments:

  1. Hi. I quit my job about 9 months ago and withdrew my accumulated PF amount recently. I had a few questions:
    1. Can I open an EPF account in my individual name with the RPF offce and deposit the sum there? If yes, how easy or difficult is it to open an account or close and withdraw money from it?
    2. Are there any alternative investment avenues that provide returns similar to EPF (along with the tax breaks)?
    3. If I take up a new job now, can I transfer this sum (which is lying ina bank account)to my new EPF account with my new employer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,
      Answers:

      1. No. An EPF Account can be opened only if you are employed and must be opened by your employer and money can be credited only by your employer. So, an individual (you) cannot open an acccount and nor can you deposit money individually.
      2. Yes, there are many. You have Public Provident Fund. There are many articles about investment and tax saving in this blog...
      3. No you cannot. Transfer can happen only if the account is open and accepted by the previous employer who opened it, to be transferred to the new employer.

      Articles about tax saving and PPF:

      1. Public Provident Fund (PPF) De-Mystified
      2. Every Question you will ever have about PPF - Public Provident Fund - Answered
      3. Saving Tax Through Investments
      4. Best Tax Saving Options for Investment

      Regards
      Anand

      Delete
  2. thanks for the info.. was of great help :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for good info anand

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, this article answered most of my questions! - Praveen

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Anand,

    One more question. There is some amount of money which goes in EPS. Does this money also get transferred when you transfer your old PF to new account? I was checking my passbook online (for current PF account) but I didnt see the money which was going in EPS in my previous company. Please help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vikram - EPS contributions will not be present in your PF Account. It is a separate account. Read this article about EPS, this should answer all your questions about EPS

      http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-much-pension-will-i-get-through.html

      Delete
  6. Hi Anand,
    I had been working at my previous organisation for 9 months. Now I am moving to another organisation.I don't want neither my new organisation to know about my previous organisation nor previous organisation to know about my new organisation.
    So what would be better option : to open a new PF account or to get my previous account transferred .
    Since had been working for just 9 months , so I think there would not be too much tax liability out of this.
    Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - Yes you can withdraw your PF to avoid the situation of the two companies not knowing one another. but, you need to remember that you may get in trouble if the PF authorities find out that you have submitted a withdrawal even though you have joined a new company. As per the law, PF can be withdrawn only if you are going to be unemployed for at least 60 days from your last working day with your current employer. If you are joining a new company that has EPF facilities you must get the account transferred.

      If you are ready to take this risk, then you can go ahead and get the money withdrawn

      Anand

      Delete
  7. Hi Anand,

    I have changed my company, its been 3years now. I have not transfeerd my EPF account of my previous employer to my current(different). Planning to do it now.Its the same procedure how you have specified above, or anything new to be added with it.Please guide me what all things .What about my interest rate of my previous emp epf account.I have served there for an year(resigned@2010). What are the tactics for getting EPF transferred soon???Please advise!!

    Thanks,
    Rohini

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rohini,
      The process is simple and as explained in this article. There are no tactics here. Just follow the process. Interest is paid for a 3 year period since the last date of your account.

      Anand

      Delete
  8. Hi Anand..
    I worked in Company A from Nov 2007 to Dec 2010 & Company B from Jan 2011 to Aug 2013. I quit the company for personal reasons serving the notice.
    Presently i am not working anywhere but will apply for a new job after March 14.
    I had not applied for transfer of company A when i was working with Company B.
    Now that i have quit, can i transfer my company A account to my Company B account?
    I am in no need of money now & want it to get transferred to B before i start going to company C.
    Is this possible?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous,
      In order for the transfer to be complete, I think the target account must be active. In your case the account with company B will be inactive since you resigned in August 2013.

      If you want to transfer, I think it would be better to wait til you join company C next year and transfer it. Alternately you can visit the nearest EPF Office and check with them if this transfer is feasible. If it works, well and good.

      And, if the transfer works out, please do come back here and leave a comment so that both I and the other readers of this blog will know that such a transfer is feasible.

      Thanks
      Anand

      Delete
    2. Thanks Anand..:)
      I am going to check with EPF Office & revert here in a few days time.

      Delete
  9. Hi Mr. Anand Vijaya Kumar,

    My name is Sanjeet. My question is, my last working day of my last employer is 10th Aug 2013. and i join new company in 5th July 2013. means one month i goat salary from two company and both companies submit some amount in EPF and EPS accounts accordingly. Now what can i do for my last EPF account. withdrowl or transfer into new EPF account. Please Suggest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi anonymous - how can your last working day with one company be after you joined another company? anyways, if you initiate a transfer after you quit job A and submit the documents to move the pf money to job B, I dont think there will be any issues.

      Delete
  10. Hi Anand,

    I have one question, when resigning from the current job.
    The current employer is asking to fill a PF form, and a cancelled Cheque.
    Should i fill this with existing employer(The company i leave)?

    And then again opening a new account and getting the account transferred, right?

    Meanwhile what will the current employer do with the form we have filled.
    In my case the employer has contributed only till March 2013, since i joined from October 2 2012.
    And i had put down my papers by 31 Oct 2013. And for the next 7 months Employer(Currently leaving) has no entry in the Epassbook download.

    With the new employer(Which i will be joining), how the transfer will happen without current employer crediting money for the 7 months, i.e from March 2013- Oct-2013.?

    I am totally confused at this point.

    And Form 13 if existing employer is asking for Closure, then how i have to deal with them?

    Also the transfer as you said to new company, Will they open a new account and then only i will be able to transfer the existing PF account right?

    My query now is should i fill a form and submit a blank cheque with leaving employer?

    And then submit form 13 with new employer(which i will join in 2weeks).

    Please help me out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mukesh - I am not sure why your employer asks for a cancelled cheque for transfer of PF. There is a form that you need to fill up, get it attested by your old employer and then submit it with your new employer when you join them to get the transfer done. Your new employer will create a new account and then use this form to transfer the funds from the old account to the new one he is getting created.

      The epassbook downloaded from the Internet is not up to date. It is backdated by at least 3-6 months. You can ask your employer for a detailed statement and they can provide it with you. PF is contributed up until your last date with the company.

      Talk to your employer and ask why they need a cancelled cheque because that is used only for withdrawals and not transfers.

      Anand

      Delete
  11. I worked for a company for 3.5 years then resigned then transferred the PF to new company. Now if i am going to resign from this new company after 1.5 years and then withdrawing the accumulated PF, will it be taxable?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - If you complete a full 5 years, then NO the withdrawal will not be taxable. Even if you miss the 5 years mark by a few days it will be taxable.

      Delete
  12. i worked in acompany since 19 months after this i join a new company for 3 moths but i not continue my EPF in this company but now i leave this company also and join new company.I want to continue my old PF account ...my gap of job between old to new company is 4 months.May i continue my old EPF accont in this new company in which i am working prsent time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Santosh - yes you can. All you need to do is - o initiate the transfer formalities from the first company to your new company. In fact, if you want, you can also initiate another transfer formality to move the funds in the pf account that you had in between (for 4 months) also into your new job pf account,

      Anand

      Delete
  13. hi.. i worked in a private company for almost 4 years.. now i've joined a government department... i wanted to transfer my PF from my private company to government organization.. but they are saying it can't be done... as my new account in PRAN not EPF and i will have to withdraw my PF money... i am afraid if i do that it will be taxable.. plz help what should i do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - Yes govt companies do not offer EPF So, you cannot transfer. The only choice for you is to withdraw which will result in the PF withdrawal being taxed because you worked only for 4 years. Unfortunately there is not much I can do to help here. Sorry about it.

      Delete
  14. Hi Anand,

    You are doing a great job answering our queries and in putting up this blog. Kudos to you on that.

    I am in a spot of bother regarding my PF account. I've moved into a new company in March 2013. Prior to that, while resigning from my previous employer, I've requested for a transfer of my PF account. I have submitted the necessary forms to my new employer while joining and the PF transfer form was also received. Now, my new employer has opened a new PF account for me. So, as of now, I have my old PF account, for which the status shows transfer complete and at the same time, i have a new PF account with some considerable amount in it.

    Kindly advice me on how to proceed ahead.

    Regards,

    Vivek S

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vivek - By proceed what are you referring to? To confirm if you got the money transferred or for something else?

      You can ask for a detailed statement of the current pf account with your employer and check out the details including how much money got deposited each month along with interest. The money that got transferred from your old pf acc too would be present here if the transfer was a success.

      New employer opening a new account for his/her employees is standard process. for a short duration you will have 2 pf accounts and once the money gets transferred into the new acc the old pf acc will be closed.

      Anand

      Delete
  15. Hi Anand,

    Thanks a lot for all the valuable suggestions above.

    I have left my previous organisation in Nov. 13 and joint Public Sector Bank which is using NPS, Now i have two questions :

    1. If i withdraw PF of my previous employer, whether tax will be deducted straight 30% or according to my taxable slab?

    2. Can I transfer my old PF to NPS of current employer.

    Kindly suggest appropriate action

    Regards

    Mohit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Answers:

      1. The PF withdrawal amount will get added to your total salary and taxed according to your tax slabs
      2. No, you cannot transfer PF to NPS

      Delete
  16. Hi Anand,

    This is Rajesh.Thanks for the deatiled article & your answers to quesries .. really helpful.
    Still I need 1 help about my experience.
    I worked in Organisation "A" from Dec-2009 to Apr-2010 ( total 4 months ) Then I resigned & couldn't be able to serve Notice Period.Later somehow i collected releaving & experience letter . Then I joined Organisation "B" on May-2010 & I'm still working at Organisation "B" . I didn't withdraw PF amount from Organisation "A" & also I didn't transfer the same to new PF account of Organisation "B".
    In the pay slip of Organisation "A" I see that amount of 288.00 is deducted towards PF.( In all the for months).But i don't see any PF account number there.( Hop i could get it if enquired with them now) . So now my question are

    1. Am i eligible for my old PF amount withdrawal/transfer (B'cos i worked for 4 months only )
    2.If yes , can i get it done without any kind of assistance from Organisation "A" (B'cos they are not supportive as i have not served Notice period. Not willing to approach them again )
    3.Could you pls let me know how much amount would be accumulated till today.
    4.Should i have to go for withdrawal or transfer .

    Thanks in advance,
    Rajesh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rajesh - See answers below:

      1. Yes - you are eligible
      2. No. Withdrawal cannot be don without assistance from org A but you can try the Transfer if you know the pf acc number
      3. Around 1500 rupees will be there.
      4. As you are currently employed, you are not eligible to withdraw. You should Transfer the money

      Without knowing the PF number thre is not much you can do. try to talk to company A and get at least the pf account number and then try the transfer.

      Best of luck
      Anand

      Delete
  17. Hi Rajesh - By current account you are referring to your current pf account - right? If so, then definitely yes.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Anand,

    I have resigned from my old company on aug 2012. Now am seeking for a new job.

    Is there any time period for continueing in existing PF?

    Please advise me.

    Regards,
    Siby TP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Siby - As such there is no limitation. You can get it transferred anytime you want but do note the following:

      1. After 3 years, your pf account stops earning interest
      2. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to get help from your past employer to complete the transfer formalities. The new company you join will not be able to help you and you will have to chase your old employer to get the transfer completed.

      Anand

      Delete
  19. My father left his job in 1991 and till now we didn't took any action for EPF balance, will it give interest for period up to now is we withdraw same now? if not can we transfer same into new EPF account, and in this condition can we earn interest for period of 1991 to now on old accumulated amount?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rahul - He will get interest only for the first 3 years since he left the job. Is your father working anywhere now and have a PF Account? If so, yes he can get it transferred into the current pf acc he has. Otherwise withdrawing the money is the only option. You cannot transfer money from one persons pf acc into another persons account.

      Note: The PF rules are very clear. If you did not withdraw the money doesnt mean they will give interest. They will give interest only for the first 3 years.

      Delete
  20. how many month Active P.F. number after resigned

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vinod - Your PF becomes inactive if monthly contributions do not come in. So, after 30 days of your last PF contribution your account becomes inactive. It can be withdrawn or transferred by the account holder as applicable but the account wont be active

      Delete
  21. I have 2 old PF accounts in last 2.5 years. Is it possible to transfer both these PF amounts to my Current PF account ? Is it possible to Online transfer these PF's by my Current Employer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bhavesy - Yes you can transfer both to your current active pf account and yes you can try the online route.

      Delete
  22. I am working in a pvt company for 4 ½ years and contributing in recognized PF trust. If I complete just 5 years of job (out of which initial 2 months no contribution was made as I was on leave without pay). withdrawal from PF balance will attract TDS?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish - It depends on when your PF Acc was created/started. From that official date of start you must complete 60 months otherwise your withdrawal will attract Taxes and TDS

      Delete
  23. I worked with company A for 4 yrs and 11 months and then quit in March 2013. After a gap of one year, I have now joined company B in March 2014. (In between, for one year I was not employed and did not receive any salary). My PF account at company A is still live (I had not made any withdrawals). Company B is covered under PF. So as I understand, it is mandatory for me to continue with PF now. But is it mandatory to make a contribution of 12% of Basic. Can I make a lesser %, say 5%? Is it dependent on the monthly PF contribution I made at company A (there I was contributing 12% of Basic).

    The reason for asking is that I am now not very comfortable contributing to PF account (we're hearing lot of news about state of affairs at epfo and in any case, what we hear is that it is very difficult and cumbersome to get withdrawals etc). So I want to limit my exposure to epfo.

    Look forward to your response. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - Yes, as your company B is covered under PF you have to transfer the PF to this company.

      No, you cannot make the contribution lesser. The minimum is 12% of your basic salary from your side and another 12% from your employer (that goes into your EPF and EPS Accounts)

      Unfortunately, there is not much you can do. If you want to maintain a PF Account you have to follow the policy.

      Delete
  24. Hi, I have worked in four companies in the four years and now the fifth one. I would like to merge my PF accounts into one. Here is my query. First two companies have Tamil Nadu PF A/C, Next two companies, Maharashtra A/C and the recent one has Karnataka A/C. Can the they be transferred? Can Form 13 be used in this case?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - am not sure what you mean by form 13 but as far as I know, yes you can transfer all these 4 PF accounts to the PF acc which you have currently but remember this:
      1. You need to initiate separate transfer requests from all your 4 previous jobs with target as the current pf acc
      2. you need to followup all these 4 requests to ensure that the money reaches your current pf acc

      Location of the pf office doesnt matter as long as you fill-up the requisite forms properly.

      Anand

      Delete
    2. Hi, Thanks a lot for your quick response.

      Delete
  25. Hi I have worked in a company and left it for the new one but I have opened a new pf accout inatead to usnig the last and even not merged it and its been 3 years I have not withdrawal the amount. So, I want to know that Is my pf account still active or not? In what duration I can withdrawal the money or should I merge previous acc with current/new account?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Surjeet - Your account would've become inactive the moment monthly contributions stopped coming in, but the account can still be accessed by you. As you are working presently, you cannot withdraw the old pf acc money. You will need to initiate a transfer request and get that money transferred into the pf acc that is currently active as part of your current job

      Delete
  26. Hi., Can I transfer my PF amount to some one else's account...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Anand,
    I am currently working in a private firm and will be leaving that in a week.
    My problem is that,i am joining a PSU bank and there we donot have PF account.they have their NPS.
    So, i think i cannot transfer my account there,the only option is withdrawal.
    But the problem is that,i am joining new company within this 60 days period,so if wanted to withdraw my pf amount from previous employer,will that create any problem?
    Thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, there wont be any problem however you will need to pay taxes on the withdrawal if you worked for less than 5 years with this private firm.

      Delete
  28. Hi Anand,

    I worked for a company from Aug 2012 to Aug 2013... Still now I didnt applied for PF. I am not working currently.. Is there any possibility to apply now and withdraw my money....

    2. Pls Does let us know till what date it will be active.. When is the last date to apply....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, as you are not working currently you are eligible to withdraw the money. You can withdraw any time you want and there is no last date. But, remember that the longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to complete the formalities.

      Delete
  29. Dear Anand,

    Thanks for this blog... its a goldmine of information. In my case I have a PF account with my current employer and I'm looking to move to a new employer having <20 employees. Therefore, they dont have EPF accounts for employees. Question 1: What will happen to my current PF account? Can I continue to contribute even if the Employer doesn't? Question 2: Also, say a year later or so the company grows beyond 20 employees and then they start offering EPF accounts. Do I then initiate tranfer of my old PF account to the new one? Will I lose out on savings during this period when there was no PF account with the new employer? Thanking you in advance for your response.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - See answers.
      Q1: No, you cannot continue your PF Account. PF Contributions can only be made by an employer on your behalf. You cannot contribute yourself. You can keep it "Dormant" until you join a new job which offers PF Facility or you can withdraw now. Remember - If your PF Acc is less than 5 years old, the withdrawal will be taxed

      Q2: Yes, if you keep the PF Acc dormant (dont close it now), you can transfer that old PF Acc to your new PF Account. You will lose out on Interest on the amount that was maintained in your PF Account because once an account is dormant, it stops earning any interest.

      Delete
  30. Hi,

    Really appreciate your blog.

    I had worked in 6 different IT companies so far in my 17 year old career. Please find below the status of my EPF account in these companies -

    Company 1 - Kerala State - I have the old EPF account number, and the new one (found from the EPF site), but the balance is not being displayed for this, this company has closed out its operations in India.

    Company 2 - Kerala State - I have the old EPF account number, and the new one (found from the EPF site), but the balance is not being displayed for this.

    Company 3 - Karnataka State - I have the old EPF account number, and the new one (found from the EPF site), but the balance is not being displayed for this.

    Company 4 - Karnataka State - I know the EPF balance in this, through the EPF site.

    Company 4A - A division of company 4 itself, but in AP State - I know the EPF balance in this, through the EPF site.

    Company 5 - Karnataka State - I know the EPF balance in this, through the EPF site.

    Company 6 - My present company, Karnataka

    I would like to know how I can close/withdraw the amount from these accounts. Is it possible that I can take any external firm's help for this to coordinate all these? Do you have any suggestions for Bangalore area? I would like to close the old EPF accounts and get the money, as my house construction is going on.

    Kindly help.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - No, you cannot close or withdraw the money from any of these accounts. As you are currently employed (company no. 6) you have to initiate a transfer request to transfer the funds from all of the 5 old PF Accounts into this current one.

      For all the accounts that you are able to see the balance through the site, submit an online transfer of EPF Request. For the old ones, visit the EPF Office in Bangalore, explain the situation and submit a physical transfer request.

      Note: If you wish to withdraw from these 5/6 accounts - you will have to pay income tax individually on each one of these withdrawals (where your PF Acc did not complete 5 years of service) this year. If you consider taxation of each of these withdrawals, you will loose a lot of money.

      Delete
    2. Thank you very much, Anand, for the informative response. Do you think the Bangalore EPF office would consider the cases of other state accounts as well?

      Delete
    3. Yes, I think so. EPF Offices are linked electronically and should be able to help you.

      Delete
    4. Thank you very much, once again!

      Delete
  31. Also, would you be able to refer someone who can guide with financial management/tax savings/investments on a paid basis?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - I have published 2 pdf ebooks which can help you with this. They are priced nominally and can help you a lot more than most paid advisors.

      Check them here: http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.com/p/books-by-this-blog-author.html

      Delete
    2. Thank you very much for your response. Will check these out for sure.

      Delete
  32. I want to transfer my old PF account to new one. My present employer sent me Form 13R and asked me to get following forms from my past employer.
    1. Form No. 5 & 10 (In Original with stamp and signed).
    2. Form 3 A of last contributing year (In Original with stamp and signed).
    But in your article you did not mention anything about Form No 5 & 10 and 3A.
    Do I really need these (5&10 and 3A) forms from my past employer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abhishek - the forms that have to be filled usually keep changing once in a while. That is why i did not mention the actual names of the forms. Yes, whatever forms your employer asks you to fill, those have to be filled and completed to initiate the transfer process

      Anand

      Delete
  33. Hi Anand,

    Thanks for sharing this useful information.

    I had Transferred My old PF amount to new PF a/c. everything went smooth, got the Employer Share and Employee Share within month. the same has been reflected in E-Book as well . But What about Pension share what I earned from Previous Employer. Wouldn't it be Transfer , It Shows as 0 in E-Book as well. Please advice how can I get my Pension Share.

    Thanks in Advance
    Ravi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ravi - EPS is not about money. It is about no. of years of experience. When EPF gets transferred, you will get something called EPS Scheme certificate which comes to your employer and they just add the total no. of years of experience. Thats all.

      Read this: http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-much-pension-will-i-get-through.html

      Delete
  34. Hi Anand,

    I worked for a Company from July 2013 to July 2014. I have left the company without intimation and without serving notice period due to some bitter experience.

    My question is I am joining another company in September 2014. So will they be able to create a New PF account without taking into account the old one. As I am sure that neither withdrawal nor transfer could be possible from the old employer. Suggestions please.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - Yes, your new job can create a new PF Acc for you. Dont worry. If you want, you can try to compromise with yur old employer and try to transfer the money from your old of account.

      Delete
  35. Hi Anand,

    I have worked in my first organisation for 4 and half years and joined my second organisation recently. I was informed by some of my colleagues from my first organisation that the PF transfer will take more than 8 months since they have all experienced the same. But my question is as my new employer has created a new pf no for me can i continue to use both for the next 6 months so that when i cross 5 years i can close down my 1st organisation's pf no and withdraw without any tax deduction?

    Many thanks in Advance
    Regards,
    Viji

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Viji - No, you cannot. You cannot close out your old PF Account as long as you are employed. Withdrawal is only possible when you quit your job and wont take up any new job for at least 3 months.

      Note: Transfer of PF usually does not take that much time but in some rare cases it might happen so. If you close a PF Account where monthly contributions stopped, the age of the PF Account stops with the month when you resigned. no matter when you withdraw, the money will be taxable. only after your old pf acc gets transferred and added onto your currnet pf account, will the age of the two accounts get clubbed.

      Delete
  36. I was working in some company for few months...to be precise, 4 months. Now after 4.5 years, want to withdrawal the PF amount. I have even send the PF form to company, but company HR has refuse to process for PF withdrawal without the releaving letter. I dnt have releaving letter with me. I have payslips, I have employee code, appointment letter. Please guide me how can I withdrawal my PF amount?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mithilesh - I am assuming you sent the forms to the company where you worked for 4.5 years? If so, why are they asking for your relieving letter? did you serve your notice period and then leave the company?

      Also, are you currently employed? If so, your earlier employer may ask you to transfer the pf because when you switch jobs you cannot withdraw.

      Delete
  37. .I have just spend 4 months..I was with the company in 2009..I resigned from the duty and inform my supervisor. I was in probation, so no need to serve notice period..I have not taken no dues and left the office. So they have not given me any releaving letter. And at time i didnt bother even.
    Now when I have forward PF withdrawal form to company, they are asking for the releaving letter. I am just asking that when they are deducting my money from the salary, atleast they could have refund employee contribution. Please guide me further.

    And yes, i am working with another company right now. But still I have not declared this to that company.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mithilesh, firstly it doesnt matter whether your present employer knows about yor old job. If you are employed right now, you cannot withdraw from your older pf account no matter how little the amount is.

      Secondly, i dont understand why your old employer wants the relieving letter. They are the ones supposed to give you that letter. they are not supposed to ask you for that letter. Anyways, the company cannot refund you the money because the money would've been deposited with the regional pf office. You have to go through a formal pf withdrawal request to get the money.

      As of now, if you want you can declare that employer info to your current employer and then transfer the pf. If the amount is small and not worth the hassle, then you can ignore this pf acc.

      Delete
  38. What percentage of PF amount will I get if I quit company before 6 months?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi, I am currently residing in USA and working for an Indian company for 9 years. I have contributed to PF for almost 3-4 years while I was working in India. Now I am planning to leave the Indian company and join another company here in USA. Can I leave the PF amount as it is, and is it possible to transfer it to another Indian company say after 5-6 years once I return to India. Please let me know. Your Blog is very useful. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes anonymous you can. But, just note that the longer u keep your pf account inactive the harder it will be to get the process completed. Usually companies may not be as cooperative as they are, with years passing by..

      As you are in the US and dont have a PF acc in India, you can withdraw the money. Talk to your employer and finish the formalities before you leave. It would be better.

      Delete
  40. Hi anand,

    Can you please tell me is there any limited days for transferring or not ?? Means as an example 25 July 2014 was my last day in my previous employer so till when I can transfer; is there time limitation for transferring ?? And please tell me the essential columns to fill in form 13
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deepak - The earlier you initiate the transfer request it is better. Fill up your particulars, your employment details, your new employer details etc. The form is pretty simple and easy to fillup.

      Anand

      Delete
    2. Hi Anand,

      I switched my job after 5 months. I applied for withdrawal of my EPF and EPS money. I received my EPF money but my EPS application is rejected (Since I haven't completed 6 months in previous company I guess). Now my question is can I transfer my EPS money to my new PF account even though I haven't completed 6 months in previous company.

      Delete
    3. Pradeep - since you did not complete 6 months, I dont think it can be transferred. EPS gets transferred usually in No. of years of experience and less than 6 months does not qualify as 1 year.

      Delete
  41. Hi anand,

    First of all let me thank you for this wonderful informative blog. My query is that i have just started working and i already have a PPF account (opened by my father many years ago). The company where i work is asking me to provide details so that they can open EPF account for me. Now i have 3 questions.
    1> Can i have the EPF and the PPF account open at the same time?
    2> Instead of opening an EPF account can i continue with the PPF account?
    3> Can i close my PPF account and open the EPF account?
    Waiting for your reply.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - See answers to your Q's

      1. Yes, you can have both EPF and PPF simultaneously
      2. No, you cannot. EPF and PPF are two different systems and you cannot combine both
      3. No, you cannot close your PPF Account until it completes the 15 year deposit duration.

      Note: You need not close the PPF account to open a new EPF Account. EPF is employee provident fund, PPF is public provident fund. Only if you are employed in any company that offers EPF benefit, you can have an EPF Acc. PPF can be opened by anyone.

      Delete
    2. Thanks a lot, man !!!

      Delete
  42. Hi,
    What percentage of pf i will when I am in notice period.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your full pf (prorated based on no. of days of that month you worked).

      Delete
  43. Hi,

    Thanks for the wonderful blog. Really Informative.
    I have a query. May be you would have heard in earlier comments.

    I was working in a company A.
    I left company A and joined company B. The PF transfer from company A to company B was rejected due to inadequate information.
    In sorting out these issue I left company B and joined C. So company A's PF is not transferred and company B's still pending.

    What will be the best solution for it. Can I withdraw Company A's PF and opt for transfer from company B to C ?
    Or Can I transfer from Company A and Company B's PF to Company C ?

    Please help me out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Senthil - you can transfer both pf accounts to ur new job. You cannot withdraw thr A pf acc because you are joining C now.

      Delete
  44. Sir i want to transfer my pf to new company but old company does not sign in form bcz i join in conpetitors company?

    wht to do sir i dont want to loose amount. present company doesn't do without help of old company?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Denish - Just because you joined a competitors company, your old company cannot refust to sign pf transfer form. Talk to them and find out why. Sometimes companies do this if someone leaves them without serving notice period.

      Anyways - if they refuse, consult a good lawyer. they can help you.

      Delete
  45. Hi

    My previous company maintained the PF account under the trust maintained by the company.

    I initiated the PF transfer from my current company which is having Govt PF account number on Jan 2014.

    But the PF amount is not credited to my PF account. I checked with my previous company.

    They sent me the copy of the form, cheque sent to the PF office to credit amount to my PF account.


    My previous company submitted the cheque and form to PF office on 15-May-2014.


    Still the amount is not credited into my current PF account.

    Do you have any idea How long will it takes for PF office to transfer PF amount [from one account to another account].

    To whom I have to contact for this issue?


    Thanks & Regards,
    Sundararajan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Transfer usually takes about 4-6 weeks. Read these two articles - they can help you.

      http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.sg/2013/04/can-i-get-my-epf-related-grievances.html

      http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.sg/2013/04/what-options-do-i-have-if-epfo.html

      Anand

      Delete
  46. Hi,

    I was working with reliance there i had an EPFO account, i left the job and joined new company which does not have an EPF facility and more than three years have been passed, I was thinking that can i transfer this EPFO account to PPF account .

    I was thinking of opening a PPF account.

    Can i do online transfer of EPF account to PPF or can i withdraw the EPF account without visiting the old office.

    Regards,
    Amrit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amrit - No, you cannot transfer EPF to a PPF Account. You can contact reliance, withdraw that PF separately and then deposit it into your PPF Account

      Delete
  47. Dear Anand,

    I am working in PSU having EPF scheme and switching my job to Indian railways having NPS. Is it possible to transfer the EPF to NPS.

    It has been 3.5 years for me in PSU. Please tell me if I should withdraw the money after completion of 5 years.

    If i continue my PF account till the completion of 5 years, will I have two PF accounts. As Railways has NPS instead of EPF scheme.

    Is having tw0 PF accounts illegal?

    Thank you.

    regards
    rahul

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, keeping two pf accounts is illegal.
      No, you cannot transfer from EPF to NPS. you can withdraw your EPF and then deposit into NPS
      Even if you wait for 2 more years and withdraw, the amount will still be taxable since you are not completing 5 full years.

      Sorry. the only option i can think of is, withdraw your pf, pay your taxes and plan your tax savings to minimize tax liability this year. Check out my book: http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.sg/p/books-by-this-blog-author.html

      Delete
  48. hi,
    i have joined a company after resigning from my previous employer where i only worked for days. i will receive salaries from both these employers in the same month. since i have not declared about by previous employer to my present one will i get another pf account?? if yes what happens to my previous account??? i dont care about the money in my previous pf account because it will be negligible... but having two pf accounts is illegal??? i would be happy to close or withdraw from my previous account but only problem is i might not get the pf account number with the salary(from previous employer) which happens to be my first and also the last salary from my previous employer. i might get it later on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Having 2 pf accounts at the same time is illegal. In your case since you are no longer working in the old organization, this should be ok. Yes, once you get the pf acc number (in future) you can initiate the transfer of that small pf amount to your current pf account.

      Delete
  49. hi,
    i worked in a company for 5 months and from the sixth month i am joining a new company . i donot want my new company knows about my previous company neither my previous company about present. idonot care about money . can i open a new pf account with new company and kept the previous one as it is (not for use).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ya sure - it is your wish. But, if your PF Account is the Universal Account - you cannot do that because it is illegal to have two UAN accounts.

      Delete
    2. Hi
      Anand , I have a normal query ..
      I applied for transfer 10 month back and i have a Annexure K Copy (proof of transfer done )
      My current employer is saying cheque already submitted but it will reflect coming financial year to your account .
      Is it correct ? I can not see amount in my online PF passbook while it has been deposited July 2014 only

      Delete
    3. Usually the online PF Passbook is backdated by many months and once the new financial year starts you should be able to see the older transactions. You can ask your current employer for the latest balance statement and if the money has reached the account, the latest balance should reflect the same.

      Delete
  50. Hello Anand...it is very useful information

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hope this finds you well. i have a query abt EPF. I have recently changed my job twice, First i was in organization in Mumbai where i have spent around 2 years. I have every detail of company A i.e. EPF number and all. Then i shifted to Gurgaon in company B where i applied for transfer but due to some reasons i left that in one month and joined another company C. Now i need to transfer there but i dont have EPF number of org B. what should i do and put in name of previous PF organization and other stuff. Will it be ok if i give them details of first company A

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did the transfer of PF from company A to company B complete? IF so, you have no choice but to contact company B and find out your PF Acc information and then initiate a transfer from B to C.

      If the transfer did not happen, then you can initiate the transfer from A to C.

      Delete
  52. I completed 3 months in an organisation and want to quit this job due to some issues. Can I know the amount deducted will be refunded or can the pf amount will be transferred to the next company which I am supposed to join in this week.
    In Current organisation my CTC is Rs.15250/- and take home is Rs.13270/-
    and the deductions are like : PF Deduction is Rs.1830/- and Professional Tax is Rs.150/-
    May I know why the amount is getting deducted doubled where as the pf should be deducted only Rs.915/-
    Please clarify my doubts and let me know it can be transferred to the next company or not.
    Thank you in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you can transfer your PF to the new company. Only the PF Deduction can be transferred and even this 1830 wont go fully into PF. See this article to understand the breakup of the money: http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.sg/2013/03/employee-provident-fund-demystified.html

      No, professional tax cannot be reimbursed or transferred.

      Delete
    2. hi sir, I am not relieved properly from my previous organisation. But in that organisation they deduct my PF. Now My question is Can i get my PF account without contacting Previous employer is it possible. If yes, Kindly tell me how.. Thank you..

      Delete
    3. No Britto. IF the company is still Open/Functioning, I dont think so. The withdrawal forms have to be attested/signed by your employer to get the money

      Delete
  53. Thanks for your valuable information. Can you suggest the correct procedure in this case? I worked with company A for 5+ years. Then resigned and moved to company B and worked there for 3+ years. Last year resigned from company B. Didn't transfer/close the PF amount of company A so far. As I am not working now, would like to close both the accounts. Can you please let me know that if I close the company B's PF account details will it be taxed as the working years with that company B is less than 5 years? The company A is not responsive. Is it possible to close the account without contacting company A?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Firstly - yes, withdrawing from B will be taxable since B as a separate entity is only 3years old. No, you cannot withdraw without them because the company has to attest the withdrawal forms. Only in the case where company A is folded and no longer exists will EPF allow the employee to get the money directly

      Delete
  54. I joined a new job after three days of leaving my old job. Now I want to transfer my PF amount to new account but I don't want my last employer to know that I have joined a new job. Is this possible??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, it is not possible. You cannot transfer your PF from one company to another without the old company knowing because they will be asked to sign the transfer request and confirm that you actually worked for them.

      Delete
  55. Can I transfer my PF balance to new account without letting know my last employer about my new job?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Sir,
    initially I was working with a private company where EPF was applicable. Then I got selected for a govt job which has NPS. Kindly guide if I can transfer my EPF to NPS.

    If yes then what is the procedure.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hi, I left an Org-A after 2.5 years and moved to a new Org-B. For some personal reasons, I haven't disclosed my new role or company details to anyone. So now, if I transfer my EPF to the new account, will Org-A know about my Org-B? Please suggest. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, definitely Org B will know that you worked for Org A before. What your role was or what you did there - it depends on whether the people from Org B take the pain of talking to people from Org A and find out.

      Delete
  58. Hi anand ,

    I was working with MNC and i joined company in march 2014, then i have worked till may 2014 and after that i met with an accideent so i was on Loss of pay as i was newly joined so no medical leaves.i was on bedrest for 6 months and in november company asked me to resign so i resigned and still at home i am taking my treatmnet.

    so i would like to knw as i have worked for 3 months but i was on payrole of 9 months so can i withdraw pf and i want to know whether in this case company will contribute to my account or not.for LOP months.

    and how to check online plz help me as i need it for my further treatmnet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi
      So sorry to hear about your situation. Yes, you can withdraw your PF even if you worked for one month (Assuming PF was contributed). In most cases, companies still contribute PF alone even when the employee is on leave without pay however in some cases they dont. I am not sure what was in your case.

      If you want to withdraw your pf, you should contact hte company you worked for and ask them to submit the pf withdrawal request. you will be asked to sign the pf withdrawal forms, attach your bank account particulars and once done, you should get the money in about 4-6 weeks (If you are not employed anywhere)

      Delete
  59. Hi Anand,

    I had worked for HDFC for 1 and a half year. I shifted to ICICI in Nov 2014. I am planning to resign in March for higher studies. I have not closed the previous PF and now I cant transfer it also. So the question is can I just let both the PF accounts lie there for two years and finally tansfer them both after two years to the new future employer ?Are there any tax implications or forfeiture by the govt if the PF account lies idle for 3 -4 years ?Or is it a good idea to just withdraw?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, you can transfer both these PF Accounts to your new job in future when you join them. You can also withdraw the money from your pf accounts from both jobs but the withdrawal will be fully taxable since you did not complete 5 years of service in either company.

      Delete
  60. Hi Anand

    I have worked in my current org for 8 years and now moving to new company, i am thinking ofwithdrawing my pf, will any part ot it be taxable?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - No, you cannot withdraw your pf while switching jobs. You have to transfer it to your new employer.

      If you are taking a break of at least 3 months, then Yes you can withdraw. And, if you do so, it wont be taxed because you worked for 8 years.

      Delete
  61. Can I transfer my PF from two previous companies to my current company

    ReplyDelete
  62. I have two PF accounts since the first one could not get transferred due to short tenure with the second employer. Is there a provision that permits me to transfer both the accounts simultaneously to the current account? If Yes please tell me the procedure.In that case do i need to submit 2 form13 forms to my current employer ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you can. Just submit 2 transfer requests - one each from the 2 employers

      Delete
  63. Hi Anand,

    I worked for 7 months and left the organization without serving notice.. Now, I am joining a new organization and did not inform them about my previous organization experience however when submitting the PAN card details for new pf a/c, can my new employer find out about my previous employer and pf a/c? I do not want the new employer to find out my previous employer details.. Is it safe to open a new pf a/c & how can I close the old pf a/c without contacting the old employer? I don't want the money, just want to close it..
    Pls help..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Firstly - Yes, it is very easy for your current employer to find out about your employment history even without your PAN or PF Acc number.

      Anyways - you cannot close your pf acc without contacting your old employer. And, you cannot close it without getting the money out.

      Delete
  64. Dear Sir,

    Can my past employer know about my present employment just through transfer of PF amount or any other way attributed to PF only?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you give a transfer request obviously they will know where you are joining. Even otherwise they can easily find that info by running a simple bgc check on you..

      Delete
    2. Hi Anand Sir,
      Thank you very much sharing the valuable information and resolving the PF related queries.
      I confident that your resolving my PF account queries too.
      I am working in X MNC company since 3rd January 2012. In March 2015 I got opportunity from an other MNC company Y. I am joined Y company in 9th March 2015 and gone for training 4days at Head office and post training I am joined the work at my head quarter(Hyderabad) and worked till 19th March 2015(10days). I have resigned to Y company on 19th March 2015 due to my previous company immediate manager requested and convinced to me to rejoin the previous company i.e. X. My(X-company) manager 9th March 2015 to 19th March 2015 considered as leaves. While I have submitted the resignation on 9th March 2015 to X company immediate manager only. He is not forwarded and informed to X company HR team. The same resignation mail forwarded to Y company for their documents. While I am joined the Y company I have submitted the PF transfer request form and form 13. Now, Y company is doing PF transfer request from X company. In Y company I am not received the salary and employment details during 10days. On 3rd June 2015 received the SMS from EPFOHO i.e. “ Your transfer claim is submitted under tracking id xxxxxxxxxxx. You may track the processing of your transfer claim on the portal using Tracking ID/Member ID/Mobile number.” And an other SMS received on 6th June 2015 i.e. “ Claim Form 13 for Transfer for Member acct xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx received on 4th June 2015 and claim ID xxxxxxxxxx is under process.” Both X and Y company PF office are located at Mumbai different branches.
      1. Can I cancel the transfer request from X company PF account to Y company ?
      2. If we can’t cancel the PF transfer, X company PF account will be same or changed ?
      3. What is the process to cancel the PF transfer request ?
      4. How many days will take for PF transfer X company to Y company ?
      5. If PF account transferred to Y company from X company, can I get my salary in X company same PF account?
      6. Y company informed to me the new PF account number on 6th June 2015 during telephonic and e-mail conversation.
      7. If I am not informed to X company HR team regarding PF transfer request. They are not known that I am not resigned and known that I am on leave for 10days in X company. Is there any problem to my employment in X company while they are received the PF transfer request form from Y company ?
      8. If PF account is transferred to Y company can I continue to work in X company same PF account number ? or New PF account ? Is HR will accept ? what is the process ?
      9. What I did is against the rules and polices ? What can I do if Yes ?

      Kindly suggest me appropriate guidance in this regard.
      Thanking you sir!!!

      Delete
    3. Thats quite a situation... Answers to your Qs

      1. Yes you can try to cancel but I am not sure how successful you will be. Anyways, for that you have to visit the EPF office in person and request their help

      2. With the new universal PF Acc number I dont think the acc number will change

      3. I am not sure about this cancellation procedure because this is the first time I am hearing someone wanting to cancel the transfer request

      4. Usually around 4-6 weeks

      5. Salary does not go into PF Account. If you are asking PF money - then yes you can but for that you have to resign from Y company and they should stop PF contributions

      6. Ok. so?

      7. Yes definitely because the new company Y is already processing ur PF Account and they would've put you under employment. You have to formally resign from Y and rejoin X.

      8. No you cannot. You have to inform Y about resignation and then rejoin X.

      9. Joining a company, and rejoining your old company is not against rules but you have to formally resign and rejoin. You cannot just say I was on leave and rejoin...

      Delete
  65. HI Anand,
    Can my new employer know my existing PF amount with monthly contribution break up, made by me and by my existing employee?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they can but I dont think they will... Why would your current employer care about how much PF you contribute after you leave them?

      Delete
  66. Hi Anand,

    I have worked with a private company for 7.5 yrs and left it to join a state govt job.But the state govt provides GPF account and that too after one year of service.I have gone to my previous employer for withdrawing my PF amount and they asked me to fill form 15G along with PF withdrawal form.
    Now my questions are:
    1.As I don't have any PF account for the time being,what should I fill in present ward/circle field of form 15G?
    2.Will my withdrawal be taxed and at what rate?

    Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      Sorry I do not know the Answer to Q no. 1. Since you worked for 7.5 years, if you withdraw the money WILL NOT be taxed. However, as you are employed now, technically you cannot withdraw your PF

      Delete
  67. HI Anand,

    Please suggest a solution for this problem. Thanks in advance.

    I have been working for Company A since three years. Now, I want to join another company without leaving Company A; that means I want to work for two companies at the same time. Now, I have got UAN from present employer. Now, my problem is, I do not want my present employer know about new employer and new employer should not know about present employer. Can I join new company without giving them my UAN? what happens? What could be legal consequence. If needed, I am ready to leave my present employer and present PF amount in present EPF account.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      The purpose of UAN is to ensure that the same person does not have 2 PF Accounts. Nor can you have two UAN's. So, as far as I know, if you want PF Benefits from both jobs, you first would need to inform both companies and then inform PF office that two companies will contribute to the same account.

      Delete
  68. Sir, I work company A since march 13 to sep. 14 after I leave job without notice period and I do my personal work now I got new job offer I ask new company I currently do job from old company I show my fake salary slip here is pf no. Mentioned so what can I do now I told new company to continue my old pf account or not?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      What you are doing is illegal and if your new employer finds out about your old job, you could face a lot of problems.

      Anyways, you cannot reuse your old PF Acc. You need to create a new PF Acc and transfer the old acc.

      Delete
  69. Hello Anand,

    I am employed in an MNC in India for the past 10+ years. My company is asking me to take up an international role. While it will be a good exposure for me, I also want to get back to India. How will the PF work, as I will resign from the India entity and move to a foreign company. Can I hold on to my PF account? will it earn interest for some time? also before what time period should I get back to India so that I can continue the same PF account and not lose out on the power of compounding. Thanks a million.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are moving out of India your company can still keep your PF Account open and ask your employer to continue contributing to the PF Account. If they refuse then you may have to close the account because it wont earn any interest if monthly contributions do not come in.

      Try talking to your employer and negotiate on keeping the pf account active which some companies may accept to.

      Delete
  70. Hi Anand,

    Just reading all the queries I am having one doubt in the mind please let me know:

    1. I changed the company this month is it possible to stick to my old PF no I dont want to open a new PF account with my new employer. I want that new enployer PF contibution should also go in the old PF account ...is it possible..?

    2. Ho we count the meturity of a PF account suppose I worked for my last company around 2 years and new I moved to the new company and i transfered my PF fund in the new PF account with current employer So in this case what would be the maturity of new PF account it starts from 0 or since i tranferd the money from 2 years old PF account So the new PF account starts directly from 2 years maturity..?


    I am very confuesed in this.

    Thanks,
    Neeraj

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neeraj, see answers:
      1. The EPF Department has already introduced universal account number concept. If your current employer has created a UAN For you, you can continue that. For details see here: http://anandvijayakumar.blogspot.sg/2014/03/the-new-universal-account-number-great.html

      2. What do you mean by maturity of PF Account? There is no maturity. The account is open as long as you are employed and money gets contributed every month. Once you retire you can get the corpus along with interest. As and when you shift jobs and transfer your PF Account, the overall number of years will get keep adding to your experience as well as age of PF Account

      Delete
  71. Hi Anand,

    Thanks for your supports to all!!!

    I' have been worked in Bangalore and moved to Chennai now. My questions is, I have two states PF accounts (Karnataka & Tamilnadu) , How can i transfer my old account fund to new account through ONLINE. If it's possible please advise me the steps of actions need to taken.

    Thanks in advance,
    Azhagiri


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi - PF transfer online is not possible (as far as I know). Reach out to your old employer and initiate a transfer request - via paper.

      Delete
  72. Hi Anana,
    I am not working currently.I wanted tp know If I can tranfer balance from my previous employer to the my last employer that I have left working with,3 years back,but not withdrawn the pf.
    Waiting for your reply,
    Preeti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,
      Since you left this company 3 years back, that PF Acc would already be marked as Inactive. Transfer can only happen to an active PF Account.

      You can withdraw both the PF Accounts. But, note that both withdrawals will be taxable if you spent less than 5 years individually.

      Delete
  73. Hello sir , Please clear my doubt
    .I was employed in company x for 4 months and they created my uan and linked pf account with it ,I left it telling supervisor through phone that I'm sick and can not come ,after a month of not going office, I gave my resignation satating that I m sick and cannot continue to hr through mail to get the releasing letter ,the company had 1 months notice period which i didnt served, it's been 4 days I haven't got any reply from them , also i enquire in company through my friends .I been already became ex employer there, so my questions are :

    1) please advise when I'll join another company say mnc will they be requiring releasing letter? Or can I avoid it by not disclosing my previous employment ?

    2) if they get to know (which they will) about my previous employer ,what actions they will take against me ?

    3) As I have uan already its status is showing date of joing ,but date of ending is NA there .. Will it be a problem in my career ? Later on

    4) if hr refused to give me any letter becoz of my abscond action , what should I do to avoid any trouble on future

    5) is it possible to close uan account and it created again when employed with new organization

    6) later on in future will there be problem in withdrawing amount from my new empoyers

    Please advise me corrective actions i sholud take to clear my backgroud legibly as I'm a fresher company x was my first company through campus placement
    Which was not related to my carrer field also I can now serve notice period if they ask me to .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Firstly - Serving your notice period and leaving the company properly would be the best option for you otherwise you are going to have a lot of issues in future. If the new company run a background check, there is a chance that your absconding from this company will be found out.

      talk to the old company, offer to serve notice period, get your proper relieving letter and then leave them

      Delete
  74. Mahesh - for tax purposes you have to show the fact that you worked for 2 companies. Hiding that will be dangerous and you could be jailed for it.

    as for moving jobs, its always good to inform old employer about the new job and submit a formal resignation. Otherwise it may be a problem in future if the company declares you as an absconder and SBI conducts a background check.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Hi, What if i have two pf accounts(one for 4 years and another for 4 months) and how can i transfer to these two account to 3rd company? ... Please suggest

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just submit two transfer requests from the Job A and B to get the PF transferred into your new job. The process is the same just that you have to do it twice for the two PF Account

      Delete
  76. Hi Anand,

    My previous employer had the PF account with regional PF office and I can see the details of it under my activated UAN. My current employer has it's own PF account (it is a firm and they have their own PF account) based in different city than the city where I reside. New employer said that the PF transfer will not reflect in the UAN as their account is not linked to UAN.
    I am not sure if I should transfer or go for withdrawal. Also, if I opt for withdrawal will I be able to withdraw full amount? My tenure with last organisation was 3 years and with current organization I am 3 months old.

    Thanking you in anticipation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swapnil - I am not aware of this separate PF which isnt registered with UAN. Please contact the EPF Office to confirm this. Sometimes folks from HR and Finance dont want to go through with the hassle of transferring a PF Acc and hence try to give ridiculous reasons on why you cannot transfer.

      You cannot withdraw since you are already employed. Anyways, if you decide to withdraw the money you need to add the PF withdrawal to your annual income for this year and the entire amount will be fully taxable

      Delete
  77. Hi Anand,

    I am Viji. I was working with company A for past 8 years. I quit and joined company B 5 months back. I applied for PF transfer and I filled the required form while joining company B. I shared my UAN,old PF number as well. But due to personal exigency I quit company B within 2 months of joining. I received the new PF account number in the payslip. While leaving company B I did not close the PF account.

    1. When I login into UAN member portal --> download Passbook section, Only company A details are getting listed.
    2. I added company B details under member details section. It has got successfully added, Still i am unable to get the PF details of company B.
    3. I tried to check the company B PF balance in epfo service portal, but I keep getting the error "Invalid Input / Member name mismatch against this PF accountnumber". Though the same number is added in the member list section of UAN portal.

    Please help me with the below questions if you can:
    1. Why I am not able to view the passbook/ balance details for company B.
    2. How to verify whether the transfer has been initiated/completed ? when I tried to apply for request for transfer of account through member claim portal its allowing me to proceed and submit, I am just holding on as one more submission should not create an issue.
    3. How can the same PF account number be correct at one portal and invalid in another?

    Thanks in advance.
    Viji

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. The PF Portal may have some issues as a result of which the new transactions which only happened for 2 months arent showing up

      2. contact company B and request a status/confirmation reg. the PF transfer

      3. The PF Website may be encountering some issues. Plus their data is usually backlogged by at least 3-6 months and is not real time

      Delete
  78. Hai Anand....Please give the advise to take a decision.
    I worked in a some x company about 9 months contract period.i got pf account and UAN from company x .After complete my contract i learned some new technologies and i am putting fake experience(around 2 years) and i didn't include my previous exp in current fake exp.After this ,i got call from some y company and successfully completed 2 rounds and finally i have HR round . i want to told to hr like this i dont have any pf account it is optional in my compeny , so here i have few doubts now
    1) may i hide the previous pf details and UAN (i can't tell those details because i am putting fake experience.)
    2) is it creates any problem while creating new pf and UAN in new company (i here something like while creating the pf (or) UAN it will popup like already account existed with this details is it true?).
    3) may i share my UAN TO NEW company without telling pf account ,is it possible to track my previous exp details if i tell my UAN details.
    4)is it possible to have UAN without having pf account?
    5)After telling like that in hr round ,if i selected i have one month time to join the new company ,Is it possible to close my UAN AND PF account in this time gap.

    y i am putting fake exp is i have only 9 months work exp and i have 5 months gap from date of relive my company .please give me sugession and clear my doubts.

    please give fast response i have final round on this monday ie. 4-4-2016 .thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me start by apologizing for not being able to respond by 4 April.

      Anyways, showing fake experience is illegal and at any point in your future career, if your employer identifies this fact, you may be fired. Also, since you already have a UAN, your current employer will be easily able to find out the fact that you already had a PF Acc and employment.

      The purpose of the UAN is to ensure that one person only has one PF Acc. So, you cannot close it or open a new one.

      Delete
  79. Hi Anand,

    I switched from company A to company B on January this year.

    Company A maintains its PF with its own Trust.
    Company B maintains its PF with Regional PF Office.

    I have filled the form 13 and submitted it to company B.
    They signed it and forwarded it to company A.
    They shared the courier details also for this forward.
    But company A informs that they haven't received any PF transfer request.

    What to do in such a scenario?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. check with the courier company to get info on whether the courier was delivered. Otherwise you would have to ask company A to resend the documents

      Delete
  80. I have one question regarding UAN. I am regularly employed with one employer I have got one opportunity with another employer on contractual basis to work part time now the part time job employer wants me to give my UAN as he too will be deducting PF so in this context is is possible for both employers to credit PF contributions same time

    thanks for answering this query

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As long as the two employers dont have any problem in you working for the other, I think using the same UAN for both PF contributions should be ok

      Delete
  81. Hi Anand,
    I have worked for an organisation in 2008/09 and the PF account was with Pune office. since 2010 I was working with another office with PF account in Hyderabad. Earlier I didnt have much knowledge about the PF money and left them as is. Now I would like to transfer that PF to my new pF account. When I cehcked the status online it shows the account is inactive? What should I do to get the old PF account transfered to new one? Please help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Usually when an EPF acc is left as-is without monthly contributions, it becomes inactive. Dont worry you can still access the account.

      Talk to your present employer and then request for a PF Transfer procedure. You can fill up your current and old EPF Acc info in the form and submit it to get the funds from the old Acc into the new Acc

      Delete
  82. I b kishore KUMAR worked as assistant professor in sreenidhi Institute of science and technology upto feb14-2016from 10-08-2007.suddenly I got new job in ts Genco and I have joined in this organisation on 22nd feb2016. Now I would like to withdraw my epf amount from previous employer but i think that old organization may not support me to do this.so with out previous employer attestation can I withdraw or not.next question is if i transfer that old EPF account to new EPF account can I withdraw the previous EPF amount completely from the new employer with out consulting old organization. Please solve my problem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As you are already employed, you Cannot withdraw the old EPF. You have to transfer it to your current job with Genco

      Delete
  83. Hello ,

    Is there any Problem occurs if any one transfering the PF Amount in Previous Company to Current Company. and after working 2-3 months again changes to new Organisation?

    If Yes, further again if he want to transfer the PF Balance it will Possible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If the first transfer request was successful then only one transfer from second company to third company is required. If it failed then two transfer requests from first & second company to the new account with company 3 needs to be submitted

      Delete
  84. Hello sir ,
    I am Manav ..
    Sir on July 21 2016 I applied for online transfer claim and a week ago my previous company PF amount has been transferred to my new company PF account .. As I thought the money will get withdrawal but I was wrong , it get transffered ... So I need to ask can I now withdraw the amount that has been settled in my new account as I am currently working with that new company

    Kindly reply

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I don't think so. You won't be able to withdraw now

      Delete
  85. Hi Mr. Kumar,
    I worked in a private company(ltd.) for 2 years and after that i got a government job. Nps scheme is functioning in this state government job. So i had no option but to withdraw my pf as it couldn't be transferred as said by my previous employer. Now will it still be taxable. If yes then what part of the pf received would be taxable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it is taxable and the full amount you got will be taxable. This amount will be added to your annual income for the financial year you got the money and taxed based on what tax slab you come under

      Delete
  86. Dear anand,

    I am really wondered by seeing your great help for the issues facing in terms od pF

    My query is that, i worked foe i e company from 2006 to 2012 and after resignatiin i have closed to PF acc and removed the ammount i think.... Later from 2013 to 2016 i worked for IT sector and resigned on may 2016..from may 2016 itself i have joined one more iT company and requested for tranfer and filled form 13 to tranfer the old PF ammount. Now if i see under one UAN numver i have 2 pf accounts. My issues are below points

    1.how i will come to know whether pf tranfered or not... If i see in my old company portal its still showibg some balance 3lac something

    2.how can i withdraw tge amount now?? Should i aproach old company or new company?
    3.i know if i remove now tax will be deducted right so how the tax will be deducted?? At the time year end or in the deposited amount itself?

    4.as per the rules 5yrs means no tax right... So i my case as i have got new pf again i have to wait 5yrs??or if the traanfer is done earliar 3yr will be cobsidered and after 2yr i can remove?

    Pl help me. As i have urgency of money.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. You can check with your current employer on the status of the transfer. Sometimes the online website shows account info that is backdated by a few months. So, for latest update on balance you can ask for a latest statement
      2. you cannot withdraw because you are employed now
      3. tax will not be deducted during withdrawal. the amount will be added to your taxable income and you need to pay tax at the end of the financial year
      4. yes, the 5 years is from the date of opening the PF acc and continuously contributing pf each month. if doing transfer after 3 years, you need to spend 2 more years in the 2nd job to meet the 5 years criteria

      Delete
  87. Hi Anand,
    I worked in a private company for 10 years and switched to central government job where they have NPS. I have already withdrawn my PF amount. But could not withdraw EPS(employee pension scheme) amount since i crossed more than 10 years of service. I am eligible for only Scheme certificate. Is it possible to transfer the service period to NPS? If not what should i do with the scheme certificate? Please help

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I dont think so. But, you can check with NPS and if they allow that do let me know so I can help other blog readers who may have the same Q

      Delete
  88. Hi Anand,

    Is it mandatory to transfer the EPF account to the new company? Can I open a new EPF account in the new company without transferring the old one?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. You cannot have 2 EPF Accounts. You need to transfer the old acc

      Delete
  89. Hi,

    I have worked for
    Company A from Jan 2011 till June 2014.
    Company B from June 2014 till Dec 2015.
    Company C from Dec 2015 till Sep 2017

    I resigned from company C and going to abroad. I had 3 different PF A/Cs will all these companies and transferred all the amount to latest company C's PF account.

    1) Can I withdraw the whole amount here as I am going to abroad?
    2) Will this withdrawal will be taxable?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. Yes you can
      2. No, Since you finished 5 years in cumulative service it won't be taxable

      Delete
  90. I have resigned from my old organisation few months ago. When I tried to transfer amount from the old to new pf account it shows an error saying "details of previous account does not match current account so claim not possible.So to get the amt transferred to my current account what can I do??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Am sorry, I haven't heard of such an error but it looks like your name or any other identifying information isn't matching

      Delete

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