05 February 2012
Our co. has 5 employees at present, all drawing basic salary exceeding 6500. Co. is engaged in providing technical services of computer. Is EPF applicable to it?
06 February 2012
Read the following and visit the link www.epfindia.com for complete information
Employer
Coverage
Establishments employing 20 or more persons and engaged in any of the 180 industries / Classes of Businesses specified. Co-operative Societies, employing 50 or more persons & working without the aid of power. Establishments not coverable statutorily can come under the coverage of the Act statutorily. An establishment continues to be covered under the Act, irrespective of the fall in the employment strength. Since the Act applies on its own force to the establishments, the employers are required to file the particulars in the specified format for registration and allotment of business number. Financial Obligations:
Contributions:
Statutory rate of contribution is 12% of emoluments (basic wages, dearness allowance, cash value of food concession and retaining allowances if any,) in the case of 175 establishments. Rate of contribution shall be 10% in the case of the following: Brick, beedi, jute, guar gum factories, coir industry other than spinning sector. Establishments declared as sick undertakings by BIFR. A matching contribution is to be collected from the emoluments of the employees. Out of 12% (or 10% as the case may be) of the employer’s share of contribution, 8.33% is to be remitted towards pension fund. Employer is also required to pay a contribution of 0.5% of the emoluments towards EDLIS’1976. Administrative Charges:
An employer is required to pay administrative charges at 1.10% of emoluments towards provident fund charges and 0.01% towards EDLI Scheme 1976. No separate administrative charges for pension scheme Inspection Charges:
In respect of exempted establishment under P.F. Scheme employer is liable to pay only inspection charges at the rate of 0.18% of emoluments. In the case of establishment exempted from EDLI Scheme, the employer is required to pay only inspection charges at the rate of 0.005% of emoluments. Interest Liability:
For belated remittances of contributions, administrative / inspection charges interest at the rate of 12% on such remittances for the period of delay is to be remitted. Damages:- For all the belated remittances of contribution and administration/inspection charges damages are also payable as penalty ranging from 17% to 37% p.a. depending upon delay. Duties of Employer
Enrol all categories of employees including the employees engaged by or through contractors and also piece rated, hourly rated employees. Remit the contributions and administrative charges before the 15th of the following month. File the initial returns of Form 9, Form 3(P.S.), form 5A. File the monthly returns in Form 12A, Form 5, Form 10 and Challans for remitting the dues. Maintain the contribution card in respect of each employee in Form 3A and submit the annual returns in Form 3A and 6A after reconciliation with Challans and form 12A. The employer has to ensure that statutory dues in respect of contractors employees are remitted and returns filed. Employer should attest the form No.2 and the claims forms submitted by the member/ legal heirs/ nominees. Make available all relevant records for inspection of visiting officials with due authorisation. Exemptions under the Schemes
Provident Fund
An individual member getting Provident Fund benefits on par with or better than statutory provisions can apply for exemption in Form 1 under para 27. Employers can apply for exemption in respect of a class of employees getting similar or better benefits than the statutory P.F. Scheme under P. 27A subject to the conditons governing grant of exemption. The employer can seek exemption from P.F. Scheme for the entire establishment if the majority of the employees also consent for exemption, subject to certain conditions governing grant of exemption and certain formalities. Pension Scheme
Employer can avail exemption for the establishment as a whole, with the consent of majority of employees, if an alternative pension scheme is formulated by the establishment with benefits either on par with or superior to the EPS ’95 and subject to certification of the viability and long sustenance of the scheme by an independent qualified actuary and satisfying the other conditions prescribed governing the grant of exemptions. There is no provision for exemption of individuals or for class of employees. EDLI Scheme
The establishment can get exemption from the EDLI Scheme, if the employees therein are entitled for a benefit in the nature of insurance whether linked to their P.F. deposit or not and without paying any contributions.
06 February 2012
Sir But in the covered establishments it is written as under: Any establishment engaged in manufacture, marketing, servicing and usage of a computer [as defined in clause (i) of Sub-section (1) of Section 2 of the Information Technology Act (21 of 2000)] / or deriving any form of output therefrom and related processing services. So reading this it seems that we are covered.
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