Finance · Free tool
EPF Calculator
Project your Employee Provident Fund balance at retirement. Both you and your employer contribute 12% of basic+DA monthly, but only 3.67% of the employer's share goes to EPF (the rest, 8.33%, goes to the EPS pension scheme).
Year-by-year breakdown
| Year | Monthly basic | You contributed | Employer (EPF) | Interest | Year-end balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ₹50,000 | ₹72,000 | ₹22,020 | ₹3,878 | ₹97,898 |
| 2 | ₹54,000 | ₹77,760 | ₹23,782 | ₹12,265 | ₹2,11,705 |
| 3 | ₹58,320 | ₹83,981 | ₹25,684 | ₹21,989 | ₹3,43,359 |
| 4 | ₹62,986 | ₹90,699 | ₹27,739 | ₹33,213 | ₹4,95,010 |
| 5 | ₹68,024 | ₹97,955 | ₹29,958 | ₹46,115 | ₹6,69,038 |
| 6 | ₹73,466 | ₹1,05,792 | ₹32,355 | ₹60,894 | ₹8,68,079 |
| 7 | ₹79,344 | ₹1,14,255 | ₹34,943 | ₹77,771 | ₹10,95,047 |
| 8 | ₹85,691 | ₹1,23,395 | ₹37,738 | ₹96,988 | ₹13,53,169 |
| 9 | ₹92,547 | ₹1,33,267 | ₹40,757 | ₹1,18,815 | ₹16,46,009 |
| 10 | ₹99,950 | ₹1,43,928 | ₹44,018 | ₹1,43,549 | ₹19,77,504 |
| 11 | ₹1,07,946 | ₹1,55,443 | ₹47,540 | ₹1,71,517 | ₹23,52,003 |
| 12 | ₹1,16,582 | ₹1,67,878 | ₹51,343 | ₹2,03,083 | ₹27,74,307 |
| 13 | ₹1,25,909 | ₹1,81,308 | ₹55,450 | ₹2,38,647 | ₹32,49,712 |
| 14 | ₹1,35,981 | ₹1,95,813 | ₹59,886 | ₹2,78,649 | ₹37,84,059 |
| 15 | ₹1,46,860 | ₹2,11,478 | ₹64,677 | ₹3,23,576 | ₹43,83,791 |
| 16 | ₹1,58,608 | ₹2,28,396 | ₹69,851 | ₹3,73,965 | ₹50,56,003 |
| 17 | ₹1,71,297 | ₹2,46,668 | ₹75,439 | ₹4,30,407 | ₹58,08,518 |
| 18 | ₹1,85,001 | ₹2,66,401 | ₹81,474 | ₹4,93,553 | ₹66,49,946 |
| 19 | ₹1,99,801 | ₹2,87,713 | ₹87,992 | ₹5,64,118 | ₹75,89,770 |
| 20 | ₹2,15,785 | ₹3,10,730 | ₹95,032 | ₹6,42,894 | ₹86,38,426 |
| 21 | ₹2,33,048 | ₹3,35,589 | ₹1,02,634 | ₹7,30,747 | ₹98,07,396 |
| 22 | ₹2,51,692 | ₹3,62,436 | ₹1,10,845 | ₹8,28,633 | ₹1,11,09,310 |
| 23 | ₹2,71,827 | ₹3,91,431 | ₹1,19,713 | ₹9,37,603 | ₹1,25,58,057 |
| 24 | ₹2,93,573 | ₹4,22,745 | ₹1,29,290 | ₹10,58,811 | ₹1,41,68,903 |
| 25 | ₹3,17,059 | ₹4,56,565 | ₹1,39,633 | ₹11,93,528 | ₹1,59,58,628 |
EPF basics in one paragraph
- Employee contribution: 12% of basic + DA (mandatory).
- Employer contribution: 12% of basic + DA, split 3.67% to EPF + 8.33% to EPS pension.
- Interest is declared annually by the EPFO board, currently 8.25% p.a. for FY 2024-25.
- Tax-free withdrawal after 5 years of continuous service.
- Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF) lets you contribute beyond 12% at the same rate and tax treatment.
The EPS ₹15,000 ceiling — the rule most calculators get wrong
Of the employer's 12%, the 8.33% directed to EPS pension is capped at ₹15,000 of basic salary. So an employer paying 8.33% on a ₹50,000 basic still sends only ₹1,250/month to EPS (8.33% of ₹15,000), with the rest (₹2,915) added to your EPF. This calculator handles that split correctly when you set the basic above ₹15,000.
The 2024 Supreme Court “higher pension” window
Employees who joined before September 2014 had a one-time option to opt for higher pension under EPS (no ₹15,000 cap on the pensionable salary). That window has closed, but if you exercised it, your EPS contributions are based on actual basic, not the ceiling — and your EPF accumulation will be lower than this calculator's default shows. Adjust the EPS share manually if you fall in that bucket.
EPF vs PPF vs NPS — which to favour
EPF is mandatory for salaried employees at organisations registered with EPFO and gives the highest tax-free interest currently available (8.25%). PPF currently pays 7.1% tax-free; try the PPF calculator to compare. NPS uses market returns but only 60% of the corpus is tax-free at withdrawal — see the NPS calculator. For most salaried Indians, the three are complementary rather than competing.
Practical tips
- Switch jobs? Don't withdraw — transfer the EPF balance via the EPFO Member Portal to keep the 5-year clock running and stay tax-free.
- Need ₹3–5L for a medical emergency or home down payment? Partial EPF withdrawal is allowed without breaking the 5-year clock for specific purposes.
- Use VPF if you want safe debt exposure above PPF's ₹1.5L limit. Returns match EPF (8.25% currently), interest is tax-free.
FAQ
Can I withdraw PF mid-career?
Up to 75% after 60 days of unemployment. Full withdrawal after 60 days continuous unemployment. Better to transfer to new employer's account — keeps the corpus growing tax-free.
EPF vs VPF (Voluntary PF)?
Both 8.25% interest, both 80C eligible. VPF is 100% your contribution (employer match doesn't apply). VPF has the same EPF withdrawal rules.
Tax on EPF withdrawal?
Tax-free if held 5+ years. Less than 5: TDS at 10% if > ₹50k withdrawn (with PAN). Continuous service across employers (transferred PF) counts toward the 5 years.