EPFO credits 8.25% interest today: Five things every PF subscriber should know

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has started crediting 8.25% annual interest for FY2025-26 to provident fund accounts, with around 34 crore members expected to see updated balances beginning July 15. The annual exercise comes shortly after EPFO migrated to a new centralized digital platform, making this year's interest credit one of the first major member-facing services under the upgraded system.

Here are five important things every EPF subscriber should know.

1. EPF interest rate remains at 8.25%

The EPF interest rate for FY2025-26 has been retained at 8.25% per annum, marking the third consecutive financial year at the same rate.

Although the rate is announced annually, interest is actually calculated every month. Based on the annual rate, the effective monthly interest works out to around 0.688% (8.25% ÷ 12).

Parameter	Details
EPF interest rate (FY2025-26)	8.25% per annum
Monthly interest rate	Approximately 0.688%
Interest calculation	Monthly on running balance
Interest credit	Once every year
Interest basis	Previous month's closing balance
New contributions	Earn interest from the following month
FY26 interest credit	Begins reflecting from July 15, 2026
EPS interest	No interest is paid on EPS contributions

2. Interest is calculated every month, but credited once a year

Many subscribers assume EPF interest is calculated annually. In reality, EPFO computes interest every month on the closing EPF balance of the previous month using the following formula:

Monthly Interest = Opening EPF Balance × Annual Interest Rate ÷ 12

The monthly interest is accumulated throughout the financial year and credited as a lump sum after the year ends. New monthly contributions start earning interest from the following month.

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3. You can check your updated PF balance online

Members can verify whether interest has been credited through multiple digital platforms.

These include the EPFO Member e-Sewa portal, Passbook Lite on the EPFO Member Passbook portal and the UMANG app.

To view the updated balance online, members need to log in using their 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN), password and captcha. After OTP verification through the Aadhaar-linked mobile number, they can access their passbook to view contributions, withdrawals and the updated balance.

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The UMANG app also allows members to track claims, access pension-related services and download account statements.

4. Don't panic if the interest isn't visible immediately

Interest is being credited in phases after verification by EPFO field offices. As a result, some members may see the updated balance before others.

If the interest is not reflected on July 15, it does not necessarily indicate a problem with the account. Members are advised to wait for the passbook to be updated before raising a grievance.

5. A delayed credit does not reduce your earnings

Subscribers do not lose any interest if the credit appears in their passbook a few days later.

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Under Paragraph 60 of the EPF Scheme, 1952, interest is calculated on the monthly running balance and remains payable irrespective of when the accounting entry is posted. In other words, a delay in displaying the interest in the passbook does not reduce the amount payable to EPF subscribers.

This year's interest credit is also significant because it is the first major exercise after EPFO shifted from multiple regional databases to a centralized IT platform, a move expected to improve processing speed and make services such as balance updates, claims and account management more seamless for members.