The EPF wage ceiling has risen from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month from 17 September 2026. EPFO has extended the September 2026 ECR and contribution deadline to 31 October, and October is the first full month at the new ceiling.
The statutory wage ceiling for mandatory EPF coverage has gone up from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month, with effect from 17 September 2026.
Because the change came in the middle of the month, EPFO issued a circular on 13 October 2026 extending the due date for filing the ECR and paying PF contributions for the September 2026 wage month from 15 October to 31 October 2026. The extension applies to September 2026 only.
What employers need to do
- Find newly covered employees: staff earning more than ₹15,000 and up to ₹25,000 a month may now have to be enrolled in EPF.
- Update payroll: recalculate employee and employer contributions on the higher wage base.
- September: apply the old ceiling up to 16 September and the new ceiling from 17 September, then file one ECR by 31 October.
- October: this is the first full month at ₹25,000. The October ECR follows the normal due date of 15 November.
- Tell your employees: take-home pay may fall slightly as their PF deduction rises, so explain the change in writing.
The ESIC wage limit is unchanged at ₹21,000 a month.
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Source: SCC Online, 15 October 2026. Dates and details can change when the government issues formal notifications; please confirm before acting or talk to our experts.
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