Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 2: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has announced that Provident Fund (PF) Trusts recognised under the Income Tax Act but without a formal exemption order under the EPF law can avail of a one-time Amnesty scheme to regularise their exemption status by December 28, 2026.

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

The scheme allows eligible PF Trusts to retrospectively regularise their exemption status if they have recognition under the Income Tax Act, 1961, but do not possess a formal exemption order under Section 17 of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions (EPF&MP) Act, 1952, or Section 143 of the Code on Social Security (CoSS), 2020.

According to the ministry, the Amnesty provisions will remain valid for six months from the date of notification, making December 28, 2026, the deadline for eligible PF Trusts to apply for regularisation.

The EPFO issued detailed operational guidelines, including the application process and procedural requirements, through a circular dated July 11, 2026.

Benefits under the scheme

The scheme provides eligible PF Trusts with several benefits in addition to retrospective regularisation of their exemption status.

These include a waiver of certain requirements prescribed under the CoSS, 2020, such as:

Minimum employee headcount
Minimum corpus size
Three-year compliance requirement

Following retrospective regularisation, an establishment will have the option to continue complying either as an exempt establishment or as an unexempt establishment, the ministry said.

EPFO steps up outreach

The EPFO is conducting an outreach campaign to ensure eligible PF Trusts are aware of the Amnesty provisions and receive guidance on the application and regularisation process.

As part of the campaign, the retirement fund body has approached various stakeholders, including professional organisations such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

The ministry said chartered accountants conducting statutory and Income Tax audits of establishments are well placed to identify PF Trusts that could potentially benefit from the scheme.

The ICAI has been requested to circulate information about the Amnesty provisions among its members and encourage eligible PF Trusts to come forward and seek regularisation before the December 28, 2026 deadline.