Employee + employer PF contribution · Maturity corpus at retirement · Year-wise growth · EPFO interest rate FY 2026-27
Disclaimer: EPF interest rate is 8.25% p.a. for FY 2025-26, as ratified by EPFO's Central Board of Trustees and approved by the Ministry of Finance; the rate for FY 2026-27 may not yet be officially notified and this calculator uses the last-confirmed rate as an estimate. The default ("Standard Rule") contribution split — 12% employee + 3.67% employer into EPF, with the remaining 8.33% of the employer's share (capped at the ₹15,000 wage ceiling) routed to the EPS pension fund — reflects the statutory norm for most private-sector employees, but your actual split may differ based on your organisation's PF trust rules, wage ceiling exemptions, or International Worker status. Use "Custom" to enter your own rates from your payslip for a more accurate projection. Interest is calculated on the monthly running balance and credited annually on 31 March. Results are estimates only — verify with your EPFO passbook or HR department for exact figures.
The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a mandatory, government-backed retirement savings scheme for salaried employees in India, managed by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Both the employee and employer contribute a fixed percentage of the employee's Basic salary and Dearness Allowance (DA) every month, and the accumulated corpus earns interest at a rate set annually by EPFO's Central Board of Trustees.
Type your monthly Basic salary plus Dearness Allowance from your salary slip, or use the slider and quick presets.
Enter your current and retirement age, plus the annual salary increment you expect, to model rising contributions over your career.
If you already have an EPF balance from a previous or current employer, include it so the projection starts from the right base.
See your total maturity corpus and contribution breakdown, then open the Year-wise Growth Schedule for the full year-by-year detail.
EPF maturity is calculated by compounding the combined monthly employee and employer contributions annually at the EPFO-notified rate, similar to PPF's annual-compounding structure:
| Variable | Meaning | How to find it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic + DA | Monthly Basic salary + Dearness Allowance | From your salary slip | ₹25,000/mo |
| Contribution | Employee (12%) + Employer (12%) per year | Auto-calculated from Basic + DA | 24% × ₹25,000 × 12 = ₹72,000/yr |
| r | Annual EPFO interest rate | Current EPFO-notified rate | 8.25% → 0.0825 |
| Balance | Corpus at end of each year | Calculated output | Grows year over year |
Inputs: Basic+DA = ₹25,000/mo | Rate = 8.25% p.a. | Tenure = 30 years | Increment = 8%/yr
Because EPF compounds annually on the combined running balance, both a higher Basic + DA and a longer contribution period have an outsized effect on the final corpus — switching jobs without transferring your PF, or withdrawing early, interrupts this compounding.
Unlike PPF, EPF does not have a fixed lock-in period — it is tied to your employment. Here's how access works in practice:
Transfer your EPF balance to your new employer's account using the UAN (Universal Account Number) portal — this keeps your corpus compounding without interruption.
Partial withdrawal is allowed after 1 month of unemployment (75%), and full withdrawal after 2 months of continuous unemployment.
Withdrawals after 5 years of continuous service (across employers, if transferred) are completely tax-free.
At retirement (58 years for most schemes), the full corpus — contributions plus accumulated interest — becomes available.
| Feature | EPF | PPF |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Salaried employees (mandatory above wage threshold) | Open to all Indian residents |
| Contribution | 12% employee + 12% employer of Basic+DA | Voluntary, ₹500–₹1,50,000/year |
| Interest Rate | ~8.25% (EPFO-notified, reviewed annually) | ~7.1% (Finance Ministry-notified, reviewed quarterly) |
| Lock-in | Tied to employment, not a fixed term | Fixed 15 years |
| Tax on Withdrawal | Tax-free after 5 years' service | Always tax-free (EEE) |
Most salaried employees accumulate both — EPF automatically through payroll, and often a PPF account voluntarily for additional tax-free, government-backed savings.
EPF maturity is calculated by compounding the combined employee (12% of Basic+DA) and employer (12% of Basic+DA) contributions annually at the EPFO-notified interest rate. Each year's opening balance plus that year's contributions earns interest, which is added to the balance and compounds going forward, similar to how PPF is calculated.
The EPF interest rate for FY 2025-26 is 8.25% per annum, as ratified by EPFO's Central Board of Trustees and approved by the Ministry of Finance — unchanged from the two preceding financial years. The rate for the current financial year may not yet be officially notified; EPFO typically announces it later in the year.
Both you and your employer contribute 12% of your Basic salary + Dearness Allowance (DA) each month. In practice, a portion of the employer's 12% (8.33%, subject to the statutory wage ceiling) is routed to the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) rather than EPF — this calculator simplifies by treating the full 12% employer share as EPF for estimation purposes.
EPF withdrawal is completely tax-free if made after 5 years of continuous service (transfers between employers via UAN count toward this). Withdrawals before 5 years may make the employer's contribution and accumulated interest taxable, and TDS may apply on withdrawals above certain thresholds if PAN is not linked.
Your EPF balance should be transferred to your new employer's EPF account using your UAN (Universal Account Number) — this is usually done online via the EPFO member portal or through your new employer's HR/payroll team. Transferring (rather than withdrawing) preserves continuity of service and keeps your corpus compounding without interruption.
An EPF account is classified as "inoperative" if it receives no contribution for 36 continuous months — typically because the employee has left the job and not transferred or withdrawn the balance. Inoperative accounts stop earning interest, so it's important to either transfer your PF on a job change or withdraw it if you're not going to be employed again.
Yes, through the Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF) — you can choose to contribute more than the mandatory 12% of your Basic + DA (up to 100% in some cases), and this additional amount earns the same EPF interest rate. VPF is a popular way for salaried employees to boost their retirement savings within a government-backed, low-risk instrument.
They serve different purposes rather than one being strictly "better." EPF is mandatory for most salaried employees and includes an employer match, making it a powerful default retirement vehicle. PPF is voluntary and open to everyone, including the self-employed, with a fixed 15-year term. Many people benefit from both — EPF through employment, and PPF as an additional, individually controlled tax-free investment.
An EPF calculator using the correct annual compounding formula and the current EPFO-notified rate gives a reasonable estimate, but actual figures depend on your real salary slip contributions, any salary structure changes, VPF top-ups, and each year's officially notified rate — which can change annually. Treat calculator output as an estimate and verify against your EPFO passbook for exact figures.
Other tools that pair well with this one.