EPFO Allows PF Trusts To Regularise Defaults Under One-Time Amnesty Scheme Until December 28

New Delhi: Provident Fund (PF) Trusts that are recognised under the Income Tax Act but do not have a formal exemption order under provident fund laws can regularise their status under a one-time Amnesty scheme until December 28, 2026, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) said.

The Amnesty provisions were introduced as a transitional measure under the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme 2026, notified on June 29, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Who Can Avail the Scheme?

The window is available to PF Trusts recognised under the Income Tax Act, 1961, but lacking a formal exemption order under Section 17 of the EPF&MP Act, 1952, or Section 143 of the Code on Social Security, 2020.

Eligible trusts can retrospectively regularise their exemption status. The six-month Amnesty window will remain available until December 28.

EPFO issued detailed operational guidelines covering the application process and other procedural requirements on July 11.

Key Compliance Benefits

The scheme also provides relief from certain requirements prescribed under the Code on Social Security, including minimum employee headcount, minimum corpus size and the three-year compliance requirement.

After retrospective regularisation, establishments can choose whether to continue as exempt or unexempt establishments.

EPFO has also launched an outreach campaign to identify trusts that could benefit from the scheme.

As part of this effort, the retirement fund body has approached the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), asking it to circulate details among its members.

The government believes chartered accountants conducting statutory and Income Tax audits can help identify eligible PF Trusts and guide them towards regularisation before the deadline.