The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has invited applications from exempted Provident Fund Trusts to regularise their status as per the provisions of the Finance Act, 2026, the Income Tax Act, 2025, and the Code on Social Security. The Amnesty Scheme, 2026 provides a one-time opportunity for the Trusts recognised under the Income Tax Act, 1961 to regularise their status.

The Finance Act, 2026 had aligned the Income Tax framework governing recognised Provident Funds with the statutory and administrative provisions of the Employees’ Provident Fund and Misc. Provisions Act, 1952. Recognition under the Income Tax Act, 2025 shall be available only to Provident Funds that have obtained exemption under Section 17 of the 1952 Act. “Amnesty shall be granted to such establishments retrospectively under Section 17 of the Act and Section 143 of the Code on Social Security, 2020,” the Union Labour Ministry said in a release here on Sunday (July 12, 2026).

The scheme applies to those establishments that have been operating a Provident Fund Trust, but do not possess a formal exemption notification from the State or Union governments. The scheme is valid for a period of six months. Under the amnesty scheme, the Trusts will get exemption status and Trust recognition from the inception of the Trust up to the designated cut-off date. Minimum employee headcount and corpus size rules will also be waived. Eligible establishments are advised to submit a formal application addressed to the Union government.