The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has issued an important update for salaried employees. The EPFO has extended the deadline for filing electronic challan-cum-return (ECR) by one week to October 22nd. Previously, this date was October 15th. This decision is intended to provide employers with more time and streamline the process to avoid inconvenience.
How and where to file ECR?
ECR, or Electronic Challan-cum-Return, is an electronic process through which employers deposit their employees’ PF contributions and file returns every month. This process has been mandatory since April 2012. Employers can file ECR by logging on to the EPFO’s unified portal (unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in). ECR filing is required by the 15th of every month, which has now been extended to October 22nd.
Major changes to withdrawal rules:
The 238th meeting of the EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees (CBT) recently made several significant changes to the withdrawal rules. The meeting also discussed the issue of pensions, including considering increasing the minimum pension under EPS-95 from the current ₹1,000. However, a final decision on this matter will be made at the next meeting.
Withdrawal limits for education and marriage increased
Under the new rules, the process has been simplified by limiting the number of withdrawals to three categories. The withdrawal limit for education has been increased from three to ten, while for marriage, the limit has been increased from three to five. Changes have also been made to the rules for premature final settlement, making them more flexible for illness, housing, and other valid reasons.
These changes are part of the EPFO 3.0 digital overhaul, which aims to provide faster, easier, and transparent services to members. Earlier, a circular was issued on October 8, 2025, which also announced productivity-linked bonus for the financial year 2024-25.
