EPFO: Here's how to use Umang app, SMS, WhatsApp and missed call options for employees' provident fund updates

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) operates India's provident fund and pension fund scheme, through joint contributions from both employers and employees. You receive the lump sum corpus at retirement.

You are eligible to open an EPF account if your basic pay and dearness allowance are up to ₹15,000, and you can add the VPF option if the basic pay and DA exceed ₹15,000 per month. It provides 8.25% interest (this quarter) for EPF and voluntary provident fund (VPF) contributions by salaried citizens.

In terms of tax benefits, annual employee contributions up to ₹1.5 lakh are exempt under Section 80C of the old tax regime. Employers' contribution of up to 12% (below ₹7.5 lakh) is exempt under both the old and new tax regimes. There is no comparable benefit under the new tax regime at present. Further, interest on employees' accumulated contribution is tax-free up to ₹2.5 lakh, while interest on the employer's contribution is tax-free.

Today, we explain how you can check your PF balance, EPF account passbook or track the status of your application through the Umang app, SMS or WhatsApp, or the missed call facility.

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

Jocelyn Fernandes is a journalist and editor with nearly 13 years of experience covering the business, corporate, economy and markets beats in news.<br> As chief content producer for around three years at Livemint (Hindustan Times), Jocelyn publishes breaking stories, explainers, features and live blogs on a range of business and economy topics, including the Budget, corporate developments, stock markets, income tax, money and personal finance, cryptocurrency, government policy, impact of US tariffs, international developments and more.<br> Jocelyn's writing philosophy is focused on delivering news in an accurate and accessible format for readers. She thus focuses her news coverage on explainers and FAQs in order to breakdown business, corporate, economic, and policy topics that are of importance to everyday readers.<br> She holds a Bachelors in Mass Media (BMM) and Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Journalism and Communication and has previously written for online business and markets news site Moneycontrol (Network18), Business-to-business (B2B) trade publications — the industry magazines Power Today and Solar Today (ASAPP Media), and the national news agency United News of India (UNI).<br> Outside of work, Jocelyn keeps up-to-date with local and international news, enjoys reading fiction books, novels and short stories, and enjoys movies, travelling and art. <br> She can be found on X and LinkedIn, and reached by email: <a href="jocelyn.fernandes@htdigital.in">jocelyn.fernandes@htdigital.in</a> <br> X/ Twitter handle: <a href="https://x.com/scribeJocelyn">@scribeJocelyn</a> <br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-fernandes-journalist">LinkedIn</a>

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