Is it mandatory to provide a 15G form for PF withdrawal?

Yes, submitting Form 15G is a mandatory requirement for the withdrawal of your PF amounts if you do not want TDS to be deducted. For example, if you are drawing more than ₹50,000 from your EPF account with less than 5 years of employment, produce Form 15G. Note that you need to provide your PAN card with the form to avoid TDS.

Can I fill out the 15G form for PF withdrawal if my total income exceeds the taxable limit?

You can submit Form 15G only if your total income is below the taxable limit. Filing it incorrectly can result in penalties and legal issues. Always ensure your details are accurate before submission.

Should I submit a 15G Form for PF to the Department of Income Tax?

No, you do not need to submit a 15G form directly to the Department of Income Tax. Just submit it to your bank or deductor and they will handle the submission on your behalf.

Does filling out and submitting a 15G mean I do not need to pay taxes at all?

No, the 15G form is a declaration that your earnings from interest during a previous financial year do not exceed the tax threshold. You need to pay a TDS on your income if it exceeds the tax threshold.

Form 15G - How to Submit, Download PDF

The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a mandatory scheme to keep aside a fund for the financial support of employees after retirement. Both employers and employees contribute 12% of the employee’s basic salary plus DA to this account.

The Indian government imposes a Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) if the yearly payout from an EPF account exceeds ₹50,000. Therefore, the 15G Form for PF becomes mandatory to declare that one’s income is less than the threshold so that no TDS is deducted. Read this blog and learn more about how TDS works on EPF and how to fill and submit 15G.

What Is the Form 15G?

An EPF Form 15G is a self-declaration form to notify the government that your income is not taxable. This might include sources like your salary, Fixed Deposits, Recurring Deposits, PFs, etc.

Employees aged below 60 years need to fill out Form 15G. In addition, a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) can fill this to avoid TDS. However, individuals aged 60 years or more need to fill out and submit Form 15H.

How to Submit Form 15G Online for PF Withdrawal?

Follow the step-by-step guide below and easily upload your 15G form for PF online:

Step 1: Open the official webpage of EPFO or click on this link.

Step 2: Type in your UAN ID as the user ID and type your correct password on the login page.

Step 3: Find and click on the option ‘Online Services’.

Step 4: You will see a drop-down. From there, click on the option ‘Claim’.

Step 5: Enter your correct bank account details and select the option ‘Verify’.

Step 6: Look for the section ‘Upload Form 15G’ below the section ‘I want to apply for’ and click on it.

Tax Implications on Income from Provident Fund

To better understand the 15G Form for PF, take a look at the scenarios where TDS is applied to PF amounts:

As per the Income Tax Act of India, your PF becomes taxable if your income exceeds ₹50,000.
You also need to pay a TDS amount on your EPF withdrawal if your total work tenure is lower than 5 years.
Pay 20% of your PF amount as a TDS if you have not produced your PAN card and upload the 15G form.
Pay a 10% TDS on your PF amounts if you have produced your PAN details but did not produce 15G.

When an EPF Withdrawal Becomes Tax Exempt?

Here are the scenarios when TDS is not applied to your PF amount as per Indian tax laws:

When you duly fill and submit the 15G Form for PF, you do not need to pay any TDS amount.
You do not need to pay any TDS if you withdraw your EPF balance after 5 years of continued service. This includes service tenures with any previous employers.
When your EPF balance is lower than ₹50,000 and your employment tenure is also lower than 5 years.
TDS is exempted in case of service termination due to reasons beyond control. This includes termination due to health issues, discontinuation of projects or businesses, etc.
You do not need to pay TDS if you withdraw an EPF amount of more than ₹50000 with less than 5 years of service. Here, the condition is that you need to produce 15G or 15H with your PAN card.

Download Form 15G for PF Withdrawal

You can easily download a soft copy of Form 15G online. Navigate to the EPFO portal and locate ‘EPF Form 15G PDF Download. You can also download it from the official webpage of the Income Tax Department of India.

Furthermore, this form is also accessible from the official websites of popular banks in India. You can quickly fill it out and submit it via the bank’s website.

Download 15G Form PDF

How to Fill Out the 15G Form for PF?

You have to fill out the first segment of Part I of the 15G form. Find the instructions as per the fields mentioned in a 15G form in the table below:

Fields in the Form	Description
Field 1: Declarant’s or applicant’s name	Fill out your name properly as it is printed on your PAN card.
Field 2: PAN details of declarant or assessee	Put the number of your PAN card in this field. Note that the 4th letter of your PAN ID is P, otherwise, it will be treated as invalid.
Field 3: Status	Mention the status of your income tax. It may be individual, AOP, HUF, etc., whichever is applicable.
Field 4: Previous year	For this field, choose the previous financial year for which you want to claim no TDS deduction on your EPF.
Field 5: Status of resident	Write your residential information in India, as NRIs are not eligible to fill out the 15G form.
Fields 6 to 12: Address	Fill out your correct and current residential address. It is better to mention your address as per your Aadhaar Card address.
Fields 13 to 14: Phone number and email address	For communication purposes, enter your valid phone number and email address.
Field 15a: Whether assessed to tax under the Income-tax Act, 1961	In case you filed an IT return in the previous year, tick Yes
Field 15b: If yes, the latest assessment year for which assessed	Specify the most recent assessment year that has been evaluated for the returns.
Field 16: Approximate earnings for the declaration	Here, specify your income for the financial year for declaration.
Field 17: Estimated total income of the P.Y. in which income mentioned in column 16 is to be included	Specify estimated or approximate earnings, which includes earnings from all income sources for the financial year.
Field 18: Details of Form No. 15G other than this form filed during the previous year, if any	In case you already submitted a 15G form in the same financial year before, mention the income amount and previous declaration details.

Final Word

A 15G Form for PF is a self-declaration form that one needs to submit to avoid TDS applicable on earnings from PF or other sources. If your yearly payout from your EPF account is lower than ₹50,000, submit this form. Note that you need to submit a 15G form when you are withdrawing your PF amounts, and for other cases. For other cases, it must be submitted every financial year.

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