PF calculator
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What This Tool Does
This calculator projects your Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) balance at retirement, based on your current basic salary plus DA, your contribution rate, expected annual salary growth, and the current interest rate.
You can also use this Post Office RD Calculator.
How It’s Calculated
Each month, 12% of your basic salary and DA is deducted as your EPF contribution. Your employer also contributes 12%, but not all of it goes into your EPF account — a portion is diverted to the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) instead, and EPS doesn’t earn interest the way EPF does.
Worked example: Basic salary + DA of ₹42,000/month, with contributions calculated on the statutory wage ceiling of ₹15,000:
- Employee EPF contribution: 12% of ₹15,000 = ₹1,800/month
- Employer’s EPS contribution: 8.33% of ₹15,000 = ₹1,250/month
- Employer’s EPF contribution (remaining 3.67%): ₹550/month
- Total monthly EPF credit: 1,800 + 550 = ₹2,350/month
That balance then earns interest — currently 8.25% per annum for FY 2025-26 — calculated monthly on the running balance but credited to the account once a year.
Note: many employers today calculate contributions on actual basic salary rather than capping at ₹15,000, so your real monthly contribution may be higher than this example — check your payslip to confirm which applies to you.
Edge Cases and Special Rules
- EPS doesn’t compound: The portion of your employer’s contribution routed to EPS builds toward your future pension, not your EPF balance, and earns no interest.
- Voluntary PF (VPF): You can contribute more than the mandatory 12% voluntarily. VPF contributions earn the same interest rate as regular EPF.
- Interest timing: Interest is calculated monthly but credited annually, so a mid-year withdrawal may not reflect a full year’s interest.
- Job switches: Your EPF balance stays linked to your Universal Account Number (UAN) across employers, so switching jobs doesn’t reset your accumulated balance — just make sure it’s transferred to your new employer’s account.
PF vs. PPF — Not the Same Scheme
These names are easy to confuse. EPF (often just called “PF”) is tied to formal employment — both you and your employer contribute monthly, and it’s currently earning 8.25% per annum. PPF (Public Provident Fund) is a separate government savings scheme open to anyone, employed or not, with its own 15-year lock-in and a currently lower rate of 7.1% per annum. You can hold both at the same time, but they’re calculated differently and serve different purposes — EPF is retirement savings tied to a job, PPF is a voluntary long-term investment anyone can open.
Who Uses This
- Private-sector employees estimating their EPF corpus by retirement age
- Anyone planning around a job change and wanting to see how their balance would grow either way
- Employees deciding whether to opt into Voluntary PF for extra retirement savings
- People comparing EPF’s fixed-rate growth against other long-term savings options
EPF Balance vs. Retirement Corpus
These aren’t quite the same thing. Your EPF balance is the amount currently sitting in your account today. Your projected retirement corpus is an estimate of what that balance will grow into by your retirement age, factoring in continued contributions, expected salary increases, and compounding interest. The second number depends on assumptions — like future salary growth — that can change, so treat it as a planning estimate rather than a guarantee.
FAQ
What is the current EPF interest rate?
8.25% per annum for FY 2025-26, calculated monthly and credited annually.
Is PF the same as PPF?
No — EPF is employment-linked with employer contributions, while PPF is a separate voluntary scheme open to anyone, with a different rate and tenure.
Does my employer’s full 12% go into my EPF account?
No — a portion (8.33% of the wage ceiling) goes to the EPS pension scheme instead, and only the remainder adds to your EPF balance.
Can I contribute more than 12% to my EPF?
Yes, through Voluntary PF (VPF), which earns the same rate as your regular EPF contributions.
What happens to my EPF when I change jobs?
It stays linked to your UAN — transfer your account to your new employer to keep it continuous.
Try It Above
Enter your basic salary, age, contribution rate, and expected salary growth in the calculator above to estimate your EPF corpus at retirement. Figures are estimates only — actual returns depend on future interest rate changes and your real contribution history.