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Employees who change jobs often face a big problem—they end up having different EPF accounts (member IDs) despite having the same Universal Account Number (UAN). If you have also recently changed your job or are thinking of changing it, then you need to be very cautious about your PF account. This is because these accounts do not merge automatically. Although there is no government rule making it mandatory to transfer EPF after changing jobs, transferring the balance from the old account to the current account is considered extremely beneficial for your future savings.
Why is it necessary to merge the old PF account with the new one?
The biggest advantage of transferring EPF balance is better account management. By keeping all your retirement savings in one place, you avoid serious problems like inactive accounts, delays in withdrawals, and tracking funds spread across multiple member IDs. Apart from this, having a single EPF account also makes the final settlement much easier, as you do not have to visit offices at the time of retirement. In recent years, EPFO has automated this entire process to a great extent.
You get the big benefit of tax exemption by maintaining service history.
Another most important aspect of this transfer is related to tax. Due to transfer, the service history of the employee with the previous employer continues. With this, the calculation of total years of employment continues and your contribution in the new office does not start from zero. This is important because withdrawals from EPF are completely tax-free only after 5 years of continuous service. If you withdraw money before this period, the amount becomes taxable and TDS deduction may be applicable depending on your total income.
Once these conditions are met, the PF money gets transferred automatically.
EPFO’s automatic transfer system works only when certain conditions are fulfilled. For this, your Aadhaar and bank details should be linked to the PF account, KYC records should be completely updated, and the date of exit from your previous employer should be entered in the system. Additionally, both old and new employers are required to be digitally registered with EPFO. When your new employer deposits the first month’s PF contribution, the provident fund body automatically generates a transfer request.
Understand step-by-step how to transfer EPF online
If your PF has not been transferred automatically, you can apply online yourself through the Unified Member Portal of EPFO. For this follow the steps given below:
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step 1: First of all visit the official EPFO website and log in using your UAN and password.
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Step 2: After logging in, under the ‘Online Services’ tab shown above ‘One Member – One EPF Account (Transfer Request)’ Select the option.
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Step 3: Now verify your personal information and current employment details thoroughly in the new window that opens.
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Step 4: After this click on ‘Get Details’ to get the EPF account details of the previous job.
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Step 5: Now choose either your previous employer or current employer for attestation of the claim.
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Step 6: Finally click on ‘Get OTP’. An OTP will come on the registered mobile number linked to your Aadhaar, enter it and submit the request. After this, as soon as your employer gets digital approval, EPFO will transfer the money from the old account to the new account.
What to do if you have two different UAN numbers?
Many times, due to technical shortcomings or lack of information, two different UANs are allotted to employees. There is no need to panic in such cases. Employees Directly Official Email ID of EPFO [email protected] By sending a mail to , you can make a written request to close your previous or old UAN and merge its funds into the new UAN.
