PF monthly return due dates
PF monthly return (ECR)
The Electronic Challan cum Return is the monthly provident fund filing. Uploading the ECR generates the challan, and paying that challan is what actually credits each member's PF account — so the return and the payment are one action, not two.
- How often
- Monthly
- Who it applies to
- Entity has PF registration recorded
Upcoming due dates
- PF ECR — September 2026Thu, 15 October 2026
- PF ECR — October 2026Sun, 15 November 2026
- PF ECR — November 2026Tue, 15 December 2026
- PF ECR — December 2026Fri, 15 January 2027
- PF ECR — January 2027Mon, 15 February 2027
- PF ECR — February 2027Mon, 15 March 2027
- PF ECR — March 2027Thu, 15 April 2027
- PF ECR — April 2027Sat, 15 May 2027
- PF ECR — May 2027Tue, 15 June 2027
- PF ECR — June 2027Thu, 15 July 2027
- PF ECR — July 2027Sun, 15 August 2027
- PF ECR — August 2027Wed, 15 September 2027
Recent deadlines
- PF ECR — August 2026Tue, 15 September 2026
- PF ECR — July 2026Sat, 15 August 2026
- PF ECR — June 2026Wed, 15 July 2026
- PF ECR — May 2026Mon, 15 June 2026
- PF ECR — April 2026Fri, 15 May 2026
- PF ECR — March 2026Wed, 15 April 2026
Dates are the standard statutory deadlines. Government extensions are announced from time to time and are not reflected here.
Who must file PF monthly return
Every establishment covered by the Employees' Provident Funds Act — generally those employing 20 or more people — plus establishments that took voluntary coverage. Once covered, an establishment stays covered even if headcount later falls below the threshold.
What the form asks for
- Member-wise wages for the month, for every employee on the roll
- Employee contribution at 12% of basic wages and dearness allowance
- Employer contribution at 12%, split between the pension scheme and the provident fund — 8.33% to EPS, computed on a wage ceiling of ₹15,000, and the balance to EPF
- EDLI contribution and administrative charges
- Joiners and leavers for the month, with dates and reasons
If you miss the PF monthly return deadline
Late fee
There is no fixed late fee. Delay is charged instead through damages under section 14B, graded by how long the payment is overdue and rising with the length of the delay.
Interest
12% a year under section 7Q on the amount outstanding, from the due date until payment — charged in addition to the section 14B damages, not instead of them.
Late-fee caps, contribution rates and turnover thresholds are revised by notification from time to time. Confirm the current figure before you act on it.
How PF monthly return fits with your other filings
PF and ESI share the 15th as their monthly deadline and are usually run off the same payroll close. They are separate registrations with separate portals and separate consequences, so one being filed says nothing about the other.
Tracking this for a list of clients?
Keetu PRM generates PF monthly return tasks for every entity it applies to, assigns them, and chases the ones that slip — from the same rules this page is built on.
Start freePF monthly return — common questions
What is the due date for PF payment and ECR filing?
The 15th of the month following the wage month.
What is the penalty for late PF payment?
Interest at 12% a year under section 7Q on the outstanding amount, plus damages under section 14B graded by the length of the delay. Both are levied, and neither substitutes for the other.
What is the PF contribution rate?
12% of basic wages and dearness allowance from the employee, matched by 12% from the employer. Of the employer's share, 8.33% goes to the pension scheme — computed on a wage ceiling of ₹15,000 — and the remainder to the provident fund, with EDLI and administrative charges on top.