SpiceJet may be defaulting on EPF: How to check if your employer is depositing it

SpiceJet, which has delayed August salaries, is allegedly defaulting on depositing tax deducted at source (TDS) with authorities and allegedly not depositing PF in employee accounts, as per a Times of India news report. “It is yet to give employees Form 16 for fiscal 2021-22 due to which they are facing issues in filing tax returns. It is also reportedly defaulting on some statutory payments too, claim sources,” stated the news report.

A SpiceJet spokesperson quoted in the Times of India report, “There have been certain deferral on discharging of payments but no default on any statutory payments. The company has been actively paying dues and clearing the outstanding. SpiceJet has been discharging its current GST liabilities on a regular basis. ”

If you are working in a company that is facing financial issues, then it would be wise to see if the employer is depositing the EPF contributions into your account. Here is how you can check.


Govt rules regarding EPF deposit
The government amended the income tax law in Budget 2021 to ensure that employers deposited the employees' EPF dues on time. According to the amended income tax law, if employers fail to make timely deposits of EPF dues, they will not be eligible for the deduction (employers may claim a tax deduction on the EPF contribution deposited as an expense).

An employer is required to deposit the EPF contribution within 15 days of the month ending for which salary has been paid, according to tax experts.

The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) offers account holders the option to view their employer and personal contributions to their EPF online. Employees with accounts at the trust, however, should ask their employer about the passbook to verify the regular deposits.

There are many such employer’s who have been defaulting on PF contributions, however, employees can check if their employer is contributing the amount.

How to check EPF contribution by employer

EPF members have access to their passbooks through the EPFO portal or the Umang app.

An EPF member must register on the Member e-Sewa portal in order to access the EPF passbook. One must enter information like their Universal Account Number (UAN), PAN, and Aadhaar number in order to register on the portal.

EPF balance through website
There will be a breakdown of the employee and employer contributions, as well as the opening and closing balances. Both the amount of PF interest earned and the sum of any PF transfers will be displayed. A passbook also allows for the viewing of the EPF balance. The passbook can be accessed by clicking the following link once the account has been created: https://passbook.epfindia.gov.in/MemberPassBook/Login

EPF balance using missed call
If you have an account on the UAN website, you can access the information by placing a missed call to 011-22901406 from your registered mobile number. Ensure that your PAN, Aadhaar, and bank account information are seeded into your UAN. In fact, you could ask your employer to plant them for you. This service is provided at no cost.

EPF balance by sending SMS
If your UAN is registered with the EPFO, you can get information about your most recent contribution and PF balance by sending an SMS to 7738299899. You must send the following information: UAN EPFOHO ENG The first three letters of the chosen language are "ENG." In order to receive the message in Marathi, type EPFOHO UAN MAR. Make sure your bank account, Aadhaar, and PAN are seeded with your UAN, or update it with the most recent data.