What happened
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, has notified the Amnesty Scheme, 2026 for establishments operating exempted Provident Fund (PF) trusts. The scheme gives eligible establishments a one-time opportunity to regularise their status over a six-month period from notification.
The scheme is meant for provident fund trusts recognised under the Income Tax Act, 1961 but lacking a formal exemption notification from the appropriate government. The official release says the scheme was notified on 29 June 2026.
Background and earlier position
Exempted provident fund trusts are privately managed or establishment-managed PF arrangements that operate under statutory oversight. Earlier, the legal recognition of such funds under income-tax rules and their exemption status under provident-fund law were not fully aligned in all cases.
The release states that the Finance Act, 2026 aligned the Income Tax framework for recognised provident funds with the statutory and administrative provisions of the Employees' Provident Fund & Misc. Provisions Act, 1952. It also states that recognition under the Income Tax Act, 2025 will be available only to provident funds that have obtained exemption under Section 17 of the 1952 Act.
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