EPF Withdrawal Form 2024 – How to Fill PF Form & Get Claim Online

EPF can be withdrawn partially or completely. Complete withdrawal is allowed when an individual retires or if he/she remains unemployed for more than 2 months. Whereas, partial EPF withdrawal is allowed under certain circumstances including medical purposes, marriage, home loan repayment, etc. You can make a PF withdrawal claim by filling the EPF withdrawal form online.

However, you can use the online withdrawal claim facility only if your Aadhaar is linked with your UAN. Your PAN and bank account should also be verified for processing the withdrawal. Read on to know all about EPF withdrawal procedure.

EPF Withdrawal Online Procedure

In order to withdraw EPF online, you must make sure that your UAN is activated and it is linked with your KYC (Aadhaar, PAN and bank details). If you meet this condition, you can follow the procedure given below to withdraw your EPF online.

Step 1- Sign in to the UAN Member Portal with your UAN and Password.

Step 2- From the top menu bar, click on the ‘Online Services’ tab and select ‘Claim (Form-31, 19,10C & 10D)’ from the drop-down menu to select the relevant EPF advance withdrawal form.

Step 3- Member Details will be displayed on the screen. Enter the last 4 digits of your bank account and click on ‘Verify‘

Step 4- Click on ‘Yes’ to sign the certificate of undertaking and proceed further

Step 5- Now click on the ‘Proceed for Online Claim’ option

Step 6- Select ‘PF Advance (Form 31)’ to withdraw your funds online

Step 7 – A fresh section of the form will open, wherein you have to select the ‘Purpose for which advance is required’, the amount required and the employee’s address

It is worth noting that all options for which the employee is not eligible for withdrawal will be mentioned in red.

Step 8 – Tick on the certification and submit your application

Step 9 – You may have to submit scanned documents depending on the purpose for which you have filled the EPF claim form

Step 10 – Your employer has to approve your withdrawal request after which the money will be withdrawn from your EPF account and deposited in the bank account mentioned at the time of filling the withdrawal form.

An SMS notification will be sent to your mobile number registered with EPFO. Once the EPFO claim is processed, the amount will be transferred to your bank account. Although no formal time limit has been provided by the EPFO, the money usually is credited in 15-20 days.

Also Read: EPF Withdrawal Form 19: How to Fill for Final PF Settlement Online & Offline using UAN

EPF Withdrawal Offline Procedure

To withdraw your EPF without UAN, you can visit the respective EPFO office and submit a duly filled Composite Claim Form. There are two types of Composite Claim Form- Aadhaar and Non-Aadhaar. The Aadhaar Form does not require any attestation from the employer whereas if you are using the Non-Aadhaar Form, you will have to get the same attested by your employer before submitting to the jurisdictional EPFO office.

Read more on EPF Composite Claim Form

Eligibility Conditions for EPF Withdrawal

Following are the conditions that an employee must meet in order to be eligible for withdrawing EPF-

• The total amount from the EPF account can be withdrawn only after retirement. EPFO considers early retirement only after the person has crossed 55 years of age
• Partial withdrawal of EPF is permitted only in the case of a medical emergency, house purchase or construction, or higher education. The EPF Composite Claim Form has now replaced EPF withdrawal Form 31 which was earlier used for partial withdrawals.
• EPFO allows withdrawal of 90% of the amount 1 year before retirement
• One can withdraw the EPF corpus if he/she faces unemployment before retirement due to lock-down or retrenchment
• As per the new rule, only 75% of the corpus can be withdrawn after 1 month of unemployment. The remaining will be transferred to the new EPF account after gaining employment
• Employees do not need to wait for approval from their employer for withdrawing their EPF. By linking UAN and Aadhar to your EPF account, they can get approval online
• While making the EPF claim online, you must have-
  • An active UAN number
  • Bank details linked with UAN
  • PAN and Aadhar details seeded into EPF database

Documents Required for EPF Withdrawal

The following documents are required while applying for PF withdrawal-

• Composite Claim Form
• Two revenue stamps
• Bank account statement (The bank account should be only in the name of the PF holder while he/she is alive)
• Identity proof
• Address proof
• One blank and cancelled cheque with clearly visible IFSC code and account number (no longer mandatory)
• Personal information such as father’s name, date of birth, etc. should clearly match with the identity proof

If an employee withdraws his PF amount before 5 years of continuous service, he is liable to facilitate ITR Forms 2 and 3 in order to prove a detailed breakup of the entire amount deposited in PF account every year.

Types of EPF Withdrawal – When can you Withdraw EPF

Given below are the EPF withdrawal rules for partial and complete withdrawal when employees can withdraw their EPF corpus-

Complete Withdrawal

The EPF corpus can be withdrawn completely under the following circumstances:

• At the time of employee’s retirement
• In case an individual is unemployed for more than 2 months, then he/she can withdraw 100% of the EPF corpus.
• Moreover, as per the new rules 75% of the EPF corpus can be withdrawn if an individual is unemployed for more than a month.

Partial Withdrawal

 

EPF Withdrawal Limit

EPF withdrawal limit depends on the purpose for which the withdrawal is claimed. The withdrawal limit is mentioned below:

Benefits of Withdrawing EPF using EPF Withdrawal Form Online

Making an online EPF withdrawal claim has a number of benefits as shown below-

Hassle-free Withdrawal – The online PF withdrawal process or online EPF withdrawal claim saves you from the hassle of visiting the PF office in person and standing in long queues.

Reduced Processing Time – With EPFO online claims, the amount will be processed and credited into your bank account within 15-20 days of the application. This processing time will further be reduced as per the government plans.

No need to visit the previous employer for verification – Unlike offline EPFO claims, wherein you have to get your documents attested by the employer, online claims are verified automatically. This is especially helpful for people who have moved to a new city as it saves them from the trouble of mailing documents or travelling long distances.

Taxation on EPF Withdrawal

The corpus from EPF withdrawal is exempt from taxation; however, only under certain conditions, which are as follows-

Other important points related to EPF withdrawal taxability:

• The EPF amount is taxable if there is a break in the 5 year time period; in which case, the entire amount will be taxed
• Employees need to fill Form 15H/15G as a declaration if their total income is not taxable
• If an employee has claimed exemption on EPF contribution for the previous years on EPF as per Section 80C, they will be liable to pay tax on employee’s contribution, employer’s contribution and interest on each deposit. However, if they did not claim it in the previous year, the employee’s contribution part will be exempted from tax
• The tax that the employee is liable to pay will depend upon his salary in the year of withdrawal

How to Check EPF Claim Status

EPF withdrawal can be done through the UAN member portal. The member has to first activate his UAN and then log in to the portal for online withdrawal. The portal can also be used to transfer funds from his old PF account to a new account. Other online services such as eKYC, contact details update, etc. can also be performed through this portal.

EPF withdrawal status can be checked online at the EPF member portal. You have to log in to the portal online and select the ‘Track Claim Status’ in the ‘Online Services’ section. Note that you will not have to enter any reference number to check the status; it will be displayed on the screen automatically.

PF Customer Care

Given below are the contact details for PF withdrawal and EPF claim related queries:

• EPFO toll-free number: 14470
• Email id: employeefeedback@epfindia.gov.in

EPF Withdrawal: News Update (1st June 2021)

EPFO allows members to withdraw money from EPF Account twice to meet COVID-19 Emergency  The labour ministry has announced that EPF members can now withdraw twice from their EPF account to meet the emergency expenses arising due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Members can avail a non-refundable withdrawal of up to 75% of the amount available in their EPF account or 3 months of their basic wages and dearness allowance, whichever is lower. Furthermore, EPFO is set to settle these withdrawal claims within 3 days and has also created an auto-claim settlement process for members whose KYC is complete in all respects.

FAQs

What are the requirements for EPF withdrawal for home loan repayment?

The primary requirement for the member to withdraw EPF for home loan repayment is that the member should have completed three years of continuous service. Also, the maximum amount that can be withdrawn for the purpose is 90% of the EPF corpus.

Can I claim EPF without logging in to the EPF portal?

You can fill EPF withdrawal form offline if you do not wish to use the online platform. In case you want to use the online method, you will have to log in to the EPF member portal using your UAN and password.

What is the online procedure for EPF withdrawal from previous organizations, if the current organization’s PF number is also linked with the same UAN number?

If you are currently employed and you have opened a new PF account linked with the same UAN  then you are not eligible to withdraw your last EPF balance.

It is advisable to transfer the balance to the new PF account by logging in to the EPF Member e-Sewa Portal and opting for the “One Member-One EPF Account (Transfer Request)” option in the “Online Services” drop-down menu.

However, if you are currently unemployed for more than two months then you can claim for the total withdrawal of your EPF funds by filling in Form 19.

Read more about EPF Balance Check 

Is PAN mandatory for EPF withdrawal?

PAN is required during EPF withdrawal/settlement in order to keep away from tax deductions. If you fail to submit PAN, the tax deducted at source (TDS) can be as high as 30%.

What is the purpose of EPF withdrawal Form 31 and EPF withdrawal Form 19?

EPF withdrawal Form 19 is filled for claiming final PF settlement, whereas, EPF withdrawal Form 31 is for partial EPF withdrawal. You can either fill up the EPF withdrawal Form 19/Form 31 online or download the EPF withdrawal Form PDF and submit the same offline.

However, the new EPF new withdrawal form or EPF Composite Claim Form has replaced EPF Forms 19, 10C and 31. This Composite Claim Form can be filled both online and offline

How many times can I withdraw the PF money in advance online?

PF advance can be claimed on various but pre-specified grounds. Please read  Situations when you can make a pre-retirement withdrawal from EPF to check if you are eligible to make PF advance claim.

The frequency of withdrawal varies depending on different factors. As per the latest rules,

• You can make PF withdrawal for marriage not more than three times.
• Similarly, for post-matriculation education, you can claim for withdrawal of your PF fund for a maximum of three times.
• If you are purchasing a house/plot or constructing a house then you can claim for PF advance only once.
• On critical illness/ medical emergency grounds, there is no explicit limit on the number of times you can raise a claim for PF withdrawal before retirement.

Can EPF withdrawal be done without PAN?

EPF can be withdrawn without PAN. However, if you do so, you will be liable for a TDS deduction of 30% from the claim amount.

What is required for PF withdrawal online?

To withdraw your EPF online, you will be required to have the following:

• UAN
• Aadhaar number linked and verified with UAN
• The bank account where you wish to receive the amount should be the same as the bank account seeding with your Aadhaar

When is EPF withdrawal taxable?

If you withdraw your EPF amount before 5 years, then you will be liable for TDS deduction of 10% (if you show your PAN at the time of withdrawal; if you fail to do so, then TDS to be deducted will be at 30%).

However, if you withdraw your EPF after 5 years of continuous service, then it will be tax-free.

How much tax is applicable on EPF withdrawal?

If the EPF is withdrawn before 5 continuous years of service, then TDS at the rate of 10% is deducted. However, you will have to facilitate your PAN at the time of withdrawal.

If you do otherwise, TDS at the rate of 30% will be deducted. Additionally, if the employee transfers funds from his PF account to NPS, he will not be liable to pay any tax.

How to show EPF withdrawal in ITR?

The withdrawals from EPF are considered income for the employee and should be mentioned under the head ‘Income from salary’.

If you have withdrawn money from your EPF account, then you may report the same at the time of filing the ITR by selecting ‘Section 10(12) Recognized Provident Fund’ on the portal.

What is EPF withdrawal enquiry number?

EPFO Toll-Free Customer Care Number – 1800 118 005. You can also call on the multilingual toll-free helpline number 14470 anytime between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to get answers to your EPF withdrawal related queries.

How to withdraw EPF without the employer’s approval?

If you apply for EPF withdrawal online, then you don’t need to seek your employer for verification. Additionally, to be able to claim withdrawal online, you must have your PAN and Aadhaar linked with your UAN account.

Can EPF be withdrawn while working?

Yes, you can withdraw EPF while you are working. However, a few conditions must be met for the same. One can only withdraw his/her EPF amount before retirement if-

• He/she has to purchase/construct a house
• Wedding of himself/herself and/or child
• Any medical illness

How many times EPF can be withdrawn?

An employee can withdraw his EPF amount any time he wishes to. However, the maximum that can be withdrawn is either the total employee’s share or six times his wage, whichever is lower. The number of times that you can withdraw for a similar reason is 3.

How to withdraw your EPF without UAN?

To withdraw your EPF without UAN, you can visit the nearest EPFO office and raise your EPF withdrawal request by submitting a duly filled Composite Claim Form.

Are EPF contributions eligible for tax deductions?

Yes, EPF contributions are eligible for tax deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Can I increase my EPF contribution?

Yes, you can increase your EPF contribution and contribute up to 100% of your basic salary. Such contribution would go to your VPF or Voluntary Provident Fund account.

Do I need the employer’s permission to withdraw the amount from EPF?

According to the new amendments in EPF norms, you do not require the employer’s permission to withdraw the amount from EPF.

How many days will it take to withdraw PF online?

After you raise the request for PF withdrawal online, it can take around 15-20 working days for the amount to be credited to your bank account.

Can I make premature withdrawals?

Yes, if you meet certain conditions and criteria, you can make premature withdrawals by providing documentary evidence.

What is the process to enter exit date for PF withdrawal?

As per the latest update, EPFO has now permitted employees to enter the date of exit from their previous employer in the Unified Member Portal. Earlier only the employer could mark the date of exit. The exit date is required to be mentioned for PF withdrawal.

To enter your exit date, you need to login to UAN portal >>click on the ‘Mark Exit’ option under the ‘Manage’ tab>>select employer>>provide date of birth, joining date and exit date.

Suppose your claim is rejected due to no contribution towards EPF. There is only EPF transfer money showing up in the EPF passbook. How can you withdraw the EPF amount?

One of the most common reasons for claim rejection could be the employer’s failure to make EPF contributions for 2-3 months.

Though there is not much that you can do in such situations, you can try and ensure that your employer consistently contributes to your EPF may help prevent further issues.

Can EPF be withdrawn any time?

EPF can be withdrawn only under certain conditions such as medical illness, the wedding of the EPF account holder or his children, or house purchase and/or construction or on retirement.