The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has rolled out several updates in recent months alongside the implementation of the Income Tax Act, 2025 to streamline compliance and make provident fund services more accessible for subscribers.
A key update replaces Forms 15G and 15H with a single Form 121 from April 1, simplifying the process for individuals seeking exemption from tax deducted at source on EPF withdrawals, interest income and dividends.
EPFO officially announced this change through a circular issued on April 13, confirming that the unified Form 121 would apply under the revised compliance structure introduced with the Income Tax Act, 2025.
Earlier, taxpayers had to choose between Form 15G for individuals below 60 years and Form 15H for senior citizens, making the process dependent on age categories under the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Form 121 works as a self-declaration where eligible individuals confirm that their total annual income remains below the taxable limit, allowing them to avoid TDS on EPF-related earnings without using multiple forms.
EPFO is also working on launching a digital platform called E-PRAAPTI to help users trace, access and reactivate old or unclaimed provident fund accounts through a more streamlined and digital-first approach.
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the portal will allow Aadhaar-based authentication, enable profile updates and support Universal Account Number seeding without employer involvement, improving accessibility for subscribers.
In its first phase, E-PRAAPTI will function using member ID-based access, helping users retrieve older accounts, while future updates aim to assist those who cannot recall or access their account details.
Reports indicate the Ministry of Labour and Employment is considering raising the minimum pension under EPS-95 beyond ₹1,000, while labour unions push for ₹7,500, though no official decision has been announced yet.
