EPF Registration - hassle-free for employers
Employ 20 or more people and EPF registration is compulsory. Our payroll experts register your establishment with the EPFO, get your establishment code, and set up the monthly ECR routine — entirely online.
- EPFO establishment code number and registration certificate included
- Free coverage check — mandatory at 20+ employees, voluntary below
- Employer and employee contribution structure explained in plain terms
- UAN generation and employee onboarding on the EPFO portal
- First monthly ECR walked through with you, so filing never slips
Our expert will connect with you for a detailed consultation.
What is EPF Registration?
The Employees' Provident Fund is a retirement savings scheme administered by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) under the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. Every establishment that employs 20 or more persons must register with the EPFO and obtain an establishment code number. Smaller employers can register voluntarily.
Once you are covered, both sides contribute 12% of basic wages plus dearness allowance every month. The employee's entire 12% goes into the provident fund; of the employer's 12%, 8.33% is diverted to the Employees' Pension Scheme and only 3.67% lands in the PF account. Contributions are mandatory for employees drawing basic wages up to ₹15,000 a month, and employees above that ceiling may join voluntarily. The monthly Electronic Challan cum Return (ECR) must be filed and paid by the 15th of the following month.
We, at LegalFidelity, handle the registration end-to-end. A dedicated payroll expert confirms whether you are covered, prepares your documents, files the application on the EPFO's Shram Suvidha portal, obtains your establishment code, and shows your team how to run the monthly ECR — no office visits, no guesswork.
Benefits of EPF registration
Stay on the right side of the law
Registering as soon as you cross 20 employees keeps you clear of interest, damages and prosecution under the EPF & MP Act, 1952.
Retirement savings for your staff
Every rupee contributed sits in the employee's PF account, earns EPFO-declared interest, and is withdrawable on retirement or exit.
A pension, not just a lump sum
8.33% of the employer's share funds the Employees' Pension Scheme, giving long-serving staff a monthly pension after 58.
Hire and retain better people
PF and a UAN are the first things experienced candidates look for on an offer letter. Unregistered employers lose them to registered ones.
Qualify for larger contracts
Corporates, PSUs and government tenders ask contractors and vendors for a valid EPF code before releasing payments.
Insurance cover at no extra cost
Covered employees are automatically insured under the EDLI scheme, which pays their family a lump sum if they die in service.
Who needs EPF registration?
Documents required
Establishment identity
- PAN card of the establishment or proprietor
- Certificate of incorporation, partnership deed or registration certificate
- GST registration certificate
- Shop & Establishment or factory licence
Proprietor, partner or director details
- PAN and Aadhaar of the proprietor, partners or directors
- Digital signature (DSC) of the authorised signatory
- Passport-size photograph of the authorised signatory
- Address proof of the proprietor, partners or directors
Premises & bank
- Rent agreement or ownership proof of the place of business
- Latest electricity or utility bill of the premises
- Cancelled cheque or bank statement of the establishment's account
Employee & payroll records
- List of employees with date of joining, designation and salary
- Aadhaar and PAN of employees to be enrolled
- Salary or wage register and monthly wage details
- Date on which the establishment first employed 20 persons
How EPF registration works
Free coverage check
Fill the form and our expert calls you to count your headcount, confirm whether the 20-employee threshold applies, and quote a fixed fee.
Share documents
Upload your PAN, incorporation, premises and employee records securely from your phone. No office visit is needed.
We register your establishment
Your expert files the application on the EPFO's Shram Suvidha portal with your DSC and follows up until the establishment code is allotted.
Get your code & start filing
Receive your establishment code and registration certificate in 7–10 days, and we walk you through your first monthly ECR.
Ready to get your Employees Provident Fund (EPF)Registration?
Talk to a Tax & Compliance expert for free. Fixed quote upfront, no hidden costs.
EPF vs ESI — what is the difference?
Most employers cross both thresholds within a year of each other, and the two are commonly confused. They are separate registrations with different limits, rates and purposes.
| EPF | ESI | |
|---|---|---|
| Governing law | EPF & MP Act, 1952 | ESI Act, 1948 |
| Governing body | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) | Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) |
| Mandatory from | 20 or more employees | 10 or more employees (20 in some states) |
| Wage ceiling | ₹15,000/month basic + DA | ₹21,000/month (₹25,000 for employees with disability) |
| Employee contribution | 12% of basic + DA | 0.75% of wages |
| Employer contribution | 12% of basic + DA (8.33% to EPS, 3.67% to PF) | 3.25% of wages |
| What it provides | Provident fund savings, pension (EPS) and EDLI insurance | Medical care for the employee and dependants, plus sickness, maternity, disability and dependants' benefits |
| Monthly due date | 15th of the following month | 15th of the following month |
Why you should not delay
EPF dues are money you have already deducted from your employees' wages, so the EPFO treats a delay severely. Late deposits attract interest and damages, and the Act makes non-compliance prosecutable.
Simple interest is charged per annum on every contribution deposited after the due date, for each day of delay.
On top of interest, the EPFO levies damages on a graded scale that rises the longer the payment stays outstanding.
Failing to deposit contributions — especially the employee's share already deducted from wages — is a punishable offence under the EPF & MP Act, 1952.
Unremitted months freeze your employees' withdrawals, transfers and pension claims, and every one of those complaints comes back to you.
Frequently asked questions
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