EPFO Transfer 2026: Imagine, you have changed four-five jobs. Every time a new PF account is created, all are lying on different numbers. Now that it is time to retire, it becomes a headache to juggle all this. Employees often have multiple EPF accounts when they change jobs, which are linked to the same UAN (Universal Account Number) or sometimes even become different UANs. But do these accounts really work? No, that’s not happening. Although EPFO has made the process quite simple, the employee himself has to take the initiative.
There can be many EPF accounts on changing jobs which need to be merged. This process is done through the “One Member – One EPF Account” option of the online EPFO portal. Transfer the balance of the old account to the new one by filling Form 13.
Why it’s important today: EPFO has made the PF transfer process easier in recent months. Under the new rules, which came into effect in January 2025, the need for employer approval has been done away with in many cases, making transfers faster. Also, if you do not merge the PF account in time, you may have to face tax loss and difficulty in withdrawing money at the time of retirement. Therefore, after changing the job, this work should be done as a priority. The government aims to fully automate this process, which will benefit about 8 crore EPF members.
Why do you need a PF account?
A lot of people think it’s money. But this thinking is wrong. Merging PF accounts is not just a balance transfer, but it is very important for your financial health. In fact, if you do not merge, your service history is broken. Five years of continuous service is required to get tax exemption on EPF withdrawal. When you merge accounts, the old job years are also counted and your service period remains constant. Suppose you worked in a company for 4 years and then joined a new job, but did not transfer PF. If you withdraw PF after 1 year in another company, then tax will be charged because your service will not be considered 5 years. But if you transfer, it will be 4+1 = 5 years and the withdrawal will be tax-free. Also, having all the money in one place makes it easier to withdraw and there is no problem of inactive accounts.
Is it possible to merge your PF account?
The EPFO has introduced an automatic transfer system. If your UAN is issued after October 1, 2017, and is linked to Aadhaar, the money can be transferred automatically under certain conditions. When the new employer deposits PF for the first time, the system withdraws the balance from the old account.
However, this facility is not for everyone. This is only for accounts under EPFO and not for companies with exempted PF trusts. So, if your auto transfer does not happen or you want to merge the old UAN, then you have to follow the manual process.
Step-by-step guide on how to merge PF account
Don’t worry if your transfer doesn’t happen automatically. The EPFO portal is very simple. Here’s the step-by-step:
Login: First of all, go to the Unified Member Portal of EPFO (https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in) and login with your UAN and password.
Select the option: Click on the ‘Online Services’ tab and select ‘One Member – One EPF Account (Transfer Request)’.
Verification: Here you will see your name, date of birth and EPF account number of the current employer. Check that.
Set up an old account: Enter the member ID of the old EPF account or select from the service history.
Verification method: Choose whether the request will be verified by the current employer or the previous one. You can choose anyone.
OTP and Submit: An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number. Enter it, tick the declaration and submit.
After submitting, your chosen employer has to approve this request on the portal. After the approval, EPFO will process and the balance will come in the new account. You can see its status in the ‘Track Claim Status’.
What happens if there are two different UANs?
If you have two different UAN numbers created (which was often the case in the old days), it cannot be merged online. According to EPFO, you have to keep the latest UAN (meaning the last job) and close the old one.
For this, you have to email [email protected]. Write both UAN numbers, your identity and status clearly in the email. The EPFO will block the old UAN after verification. Once the old UAN is blocked, you will have to file a new transfer request (Form 13) again to transfer the balance of that account to the new UAN.
What are the tax implications of PF transfer?
This is the most important question and the answer is simple. There is no tax on PF transfer. Since it is not a withdrawal, but a transfer of money from one account to another, it is completely tax-free and TDS is not deducted on it. But it will have an impact on the future. Tax-free withdrawals require 5 years of continuous service and the transfer preserves this continuity. EPFO now also calculates the taxable and non-taxable portions at the time of transfer in advance, which allows accurate calculation of TDS at the time of withdrawal.
What happens if you don’t transfer PF?
If you don’t transfer and withdraw money directly from the old account, the 5-year rule will have trouble calculating. If the continuity is broken, the entire amount can be taxed and TDS deducted. Also, it can be difficult to withdraw money at the time of retirement as you will have to struggle with many accounts and UAN. Therefore, get the account merged as soon as possible. If your PF account is old, first merge UAN by email and then transfer. Remember, consolidation is the easiest way to properly account for your retirement corpus.
Key takeaways
It is necessary to register an account: PF accounts do not get merged automatically, you have to use the ‘One Member – One EPF Account’ option on the EPFO portal.
In order to save tax: The transfer is mandatory for 5 years of continuous service, otherwise PF withdrawal may be subject to tax and TDS.
Advantages of the auto-transfer: If your UAN is from 2017 onwards and is Aadhaar-linked, many times the transfer is done automatically.
There are two UAN problems: If there are two UANs, close the old UAN by emailing to EPFO ([email protected]).
Technical Expertise: But is the process really that easy?
Yes, in the last few years, EPFO has made PF transfer easier to a great extent. Earlier, one had to wait for days for the employer’s approval. After the new rules of January 2025, many transfers are now automatic as soon as they are approved directly from the source office (old EPFO branch), which will benefit about 1.25 crore members and the transfer of 90,000 crore rupees every year will be faster. However, still in the manual process, users have a little difficulty in navigating the portal, especially those with two UANs. But overall, the direction of the EPFO is right- towards a fully automatic and paperless system.
Frequently Asked Questions (People also ask)
What is the benefit of merging a PF account?
Merging your PF account will bring all your retirement savings in one place, making it easier to manage. The biggest advantage of this is that your service tenure remains constant even when you change jobs. This helps in fulfilling the condition of 5 years of continuous service on PF withdrawal and you can take advantage of tax-free withdrawal.
2. Do you need your employer’s approval for PF transfer?
Yes, usually the transfer request needs to be verified by the employer (current or previous). However, the EPFO has recently done away with the need for this approval in many cases, especially when the UAN is linked to Aadhaar and issued after 2017. In such cases, the account can be transferred automatically.
3. How can I check my old PF account balance?
To check the balance of your old PF account, log in to the EPFO’s unified portal. Click on the ‘Passbook’ option in the ‘Online Services’. Here you will see the details of all your UAN-linked accounts. If there are many UANs, you can also see the passbook from the old UAN, but it is better to retire it.
4. What happens if I don’t transfer PF?
If you do not transfer, your service period is broken and you may have to pay additional tax on PF withdrawals, as the five-year continuity rule will not apply. Also, having more than one account can lead to complications in withdrawing or claiming money in the future. Money will be safe, but management will be difficult.
Is there any TDS or any charge on PF transfer?
No, transferring PF from one account to another is not a withdrawal, so there is no tax or TDS on it. This is a completely tax-free process. Also, no additional fee or charge is charged from the EPFO for this process.
How to open a PF account: Let’s do this little thing today.
Merging PF account is not as difficult as it seems. Especially now that EPFO has made the online process very user-friendly. There is only one downside to avoiding it – the risk of your money being taxed and the extra hassle in the future. On the other hand, if you complete this process by taking out 10 minutes today, then all your retirement savings will be in one place and you will be able to withdraw money without any tension on retirement. So why late? Open your UAN portal today and check whether all your PF accounts are merged or not. This is an important step to protect your future, and now the government is also constantly taking new steps to make it easier.