EPF Calculator
What your provident fund quietly builds up to by the time you retire.
EPF pays 8.25% for FY 2025-26. You contribute 12% of basic plus DA and the employer another 12%, but 8.33% of a Rs 15,000 wage ceiling, about Rs 1,250 a month, goes to the EPS pension scheme instead of your fund. A Rs 30,000 basic with 25 years to go builds just under Rs 1 crore.
How this is calculated
Year-by-year breakdown
Free EPF calculator with the current 8.25% EPFO rate
The Employees' Provident Fund is the largest retirement asset most salaried Indians will ever own, and almost nobody knows what it will be worth. This EPF calculator projects the balance at retirement from your basic salary, your expected annual increments and the EPFO's declared interest rate, and then shows the part most calculators hide: how the employer's 12% is actually split.
Here is the detail that surprises people. You contribute 12% of basic plus DA. Your employer also contributes 12%, but 8.33% of a Rs 15,000 wage ceiling, about Rs 1,250 a month, is diverted to the EPS pension scheme, not into your EPF. So on a Rs 30,000 basic, your Rs 3,600 is matched by only about Rs 2,350 in the fund. The EPS money is not lost, but it buys a modest monthly pension instead of a lump sum, so it does not belong in your EPF balance.
Worked example
A Rs 30,000 monthly basic, growing 5% a year, with 25 years to retirement at 8.25%: you contribute about Rs 20.6 lakh, the employer adds about Rs 16.9 lakh to the fund, and interest adds roughly Rs 62 lakh, for a balance just under Rs 1 crore. Interest, not contributions, does most of the work, which is exactly why leaving EPF alone when you change jobs matters more than any single investment decision.
| Monthly basic | Years to retirement | Rate | Approx. EPF corpus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 20,000 | 30 | 8.25% | ~Rs 1.06 crore |
| Rs 30,000 | 25 | 8.25% | ~Rs 99.5 lakh |
| Rs 50,000 | 20 | 8.25% | ~Rs 98.9 lakh |
VPF: the highest safe return most salaried Indians can get
Raise the contribution slider above 12% and you are modelling Voluntary Provident Fund. VPF earns the same 8.25%, tax-free up to Rs 2.5 lakh of contributions a year, with sovereign-level safety. Very little else in India pays that on a guaranteed instrument, so VPF is usually the first place surplus salary should go before any other debt investment.
Compare it with the PPF calculator, add the pension side with the NPS calculator, check your exit payout with the gratuity calculator, and see the whole picture in the retirement calculator.
Key facts
| EPF interest rate FY 2025-26 | 8.25%, declared by the EPFO |
|---|---|
| Your contribution | 12% of basic + DA, more if you add VPF |
| Employer contribution | 12%, of which 8.33% of a Rs 15,000 wage ceiling goes to EPS |
| Tax treatment | EEE, tax-free after five years of continuous service |
| Taxable VPF threshold | Interest on employee contributions above Rs 2.5 lakh a year is taxable |
How to use the EPF Calculator
- Enter your monthly basic salary plus dearness allowance. Do not use your full CTC, EPF is not calculated on it.
- Add your current EPF balance from the EPFO passbook or the UMANG app, if you have it.
- Set the number of years left until you retire and the annual increment you expect.
- Leave the interest rate at 8.25% for FY 2025-26, or change it to model a different rate.
- Raise your contribution above 12% to model VPF, which earns the same rate.
- Read the projected balance, the split between your money, the employer's and interest, and the EPS diversion.
Sources
Last reviewed and updated: 23 August 2026. Estimates only, not financial or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EPF interest rate for 2026?
The EPFO declared 8.25% for FY 2025-26, unchanged from the previous year. The rate is reviewed annually by the Central Board of Trustees and notified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and interest is credited on the running monthly balance.
How is EPF calculated?
You contribute 12% of basic plus DA. The employer contributes another 12%, but 8.33% of a Rs 15,000 wage ceiling (about Rs 1,250 a month) goes to the EPS pension scheme, so only the remainder joins your EPF. Interest at the declared rate is credited on the running balance.
What is the difference between EPF and EPS?
EPF is your lump-sum provident fund balance, which you withdraw at retirement. EPS is the Employees' Pension Scheme, funded by the diverted 8.33%, which pays a monthly pension from 58 based on your pensionable salary and service, capped in practice by the Rs 15,000 wage ceiling. This calculator shows the EPS diversion separately so your EPF figure is not overstated.
Is VPF better than PPF?
Usually, yes, on rate: VPF earns the EPF rate of 8.25% against PPF's 7.1%, with the same sovereign safety. PPF wins on flexibility, since it is open to everyone including the self-employed and has its own Rs 1.5 lakh limit. From FY 2021-22, interest on employee contributions above Rs 2.5 lakh a year is taxable, so VPF beyond that point loses part of its edge.
Is EPF withdrawal taxable?
EPF is tax-free if you have five years of continuous service, counting service across employers when the account is transferred rather than withdrawn. Withdraw before five years and both the contributions claimed under 80C and the interest become taxable, which is the strongest argument for transferring your EPF when you change jobs.
Is this EPF calculator free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, needs no sign-up or login, and carries no ads. You can share any projection with a link.