The PF and ESI return filing due date for monthly ECR and ESI contributions is the 15th of the month following the wage month, while the half-yearly ESI Return of Contribution is due by 11 May and 11 November each year.

Yes, once your business is registered with EPFO, PF nil return filing is mandatory every month even if you have no eligible contribution to report for that period, since skipping it is treated the same as a missed filing.

Missing the PF due date attracts 12% annual interest under Section 7Q plus damages of 5% to 25% under Section 14B, while missing the ESI due date attracts 12% annual interest plus damages up to 25% under Section 85B.

If you are wondering how to file PF and ESI returns online, PF returns are filed through the EPFO Unified Portal using the ECR process, and ESIC return filing is done through the ESIC employer portal — Tax Robo handles both end-to-end so you never need to log in yourself.

ESI registration becomes mandatory once your establishment has 10 or more employees, a lower threshold than the 20-employee mark that triggers mandatory PF registration, so many businesses become ESI-liable before they become PF-liable.

You will need employee salary details, attendance records, your existing PF and ESI registration numbers if any, and your business bank account details, all of which Tax Robo will guide you through collecting.