Form 15G for PF Withdrawal: Filing, Deadlines, and Form 121 Replacement

Form 15G for a PF withdrawal is a self-declaration you hand to the EPFO or your employer’s trust so no tax is deducted at source when you withdraw your Employees’ Provident Fund balance before completing five years of continuous service. It works only if you are a resident individual under 60, your estimated tax for the year is nil, and your total income (including the withdrawal) stays within the basic exemption limit. The form is prescribed under Section 197A of the Income Tax Act, 1961.1Indian Kanoon. Income Tax Act 1961 – Section 197A

When Form 15G Helps a PF Withdrawal

TDS on an EPF withdrawal is triggered by two things: less than five years of continuous service, and a withdrawal above the threshold amount. If you meet both, TDS is deducted at 10% when you provide your PAN. Without PAN, the rate is 20%.2EPFO. Provisions Related to TDS on Withdrawal From Employees Provident Fund

Form 15G removes that 10% deduction entirely. If your total income for the year — salary, interest, the EPF withdrawal itself, everything — stays below the taxable threshold, you get the full withdrawal in your bank account with nothing withheld.

One boundary to know: if you have already completed five years of continuous service (including transferred service from previous employers linked through your UAN), the withdrawal is not taxable and no TDS applies. You don’t need Form 15G at all in that situation.

Who Can File Form 15G

Form 15G is only for resident Indian individuals and Hindu Undivided Families. Companies and firms cannot use it. Section 197A(1) covers resident individuals; Section 197A(1A) extends the same benefit to any “person” that is not a company or firm.1Indian Kanoon. Income Tax Act 1961 – Section 197A

You must meet all four of these conditions:

  • You are a resident of India for the entire financial year. Non-Resident Indians cannot file Form 15G — their TDS falls under Section 195.3The Economic Times. NRIs Cannot Submit Form 15G/H – What Can They Do to Lower TDS on Income From India
  • You are under 60 years of age during the financial year. Anyone 60 or older files Form 15H instead.
  • Your estimated total tax for the year works out to zero. Under the new tax regime (default since FY 2023-24), income up to ₹12 lakh effectively attracts no tax after the Section 87A rebate.4Press Information Bureau. No Income Tax on Annual Income Upto Rs 12 Lakh
  • Your total qualifying income does not exceed the basic exemption limit. Under the new regime for FY 2025-26, that limit is ₹4,00,000; under the old regime it remains ₹2,50,000.5Income Tax Department. Threshold Limits Under Income-tax Act

The fourth condition catches people out. Even if rebates zero out your tax, the form is invalid when your gross qualifying income crosses the basic exemption limit. For a PF withdrawal, that means the withdrawal amount plus your other income for the year has to sit within the threshold.

Filling Out Part A

The form has two parts. You complete Part A. The EPFO or your employer’s trust completes Part B. Fields in Part A:

  • Name and PAN. Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your PAN card, and your ten-digit PAN. A Form 15G without a valid PAN is automatically rejected, and TDS is deducted at 20% or the applicable rate, whichever is higher.6Income Tax Department. I Do Not Have PAN – Can I Furnish Form 15G/15H for Non-Deduction of TDS From Interest
  • Status. Tick “Individual” for a personal PF withdrawal.
  • Previous year and assessment year. The previous year is the financial year in which you receive the withdrawal (FY 2025-26 runs April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026). The assessment year is the next one (AY 2026-27). Selecting the wrong assessment year is the single most common reason declarations get rejected.
  • Residential address, email, and mobile number.
  • Estimated income from this deductor. The gross amount of your PF withdrawal, meaning the taxable portion the EPFO or trust will pay you.
  • Estimated total income of the previous year. Every source combined — salary earned so far in the year, any interest income, rental income, and the PF withdrawal itself. This is how the deductor confirms your tax comes out to nil.
  • Number of previous Form 15G declarations filed in the same financial year, and the total income covered by them. If you filed Form 15G at your bank earlier in the year for fixed deposit interest, disclose it here.7Central Bank of India. Form 15G – Declaration Under Section 197A

Sign the declaration (or verify it digitally if filing online), and keep a copy for your records.

Where and When to Submit

Submit Form 15G to whoever is paying out the withdrawal. For an EPF claim filed through the EPFO’s unified member portal, upload the completed form as part of your online claim application before you submit it. For a withdrawal from a private PF trust run by your employer, hand the signed form to the trust or your HR/payroll team along with the withdrawal request.

Timing is straightforward: the form has to reach the deductor before payment is released. If the EPFO or trust has already processed your claim and deducted TDS, you cannot backfill Form 15G to reverse it.

Once accepted, the deductor assigns a Unique Identification Number to your declaration — a ten-character code starting with “G” — and reports it in their quarterly TDS returns.

If TDS Was Already Deducted

If the EPFO or trust deducted TDS because you did not submit Form 15G in time, the money is not lost. You claim it back by filing your income tax return for the year. The deducted amount will show up in your Form 26AS and Annual Information Statement; report it in the return, and if your total tax liability is genuinely nil, the department refunds the full amount to your bank account after processing.

E-verify the return after you file. An unverified return sits in limbo and no refund is issued. Confirm the bank account linked to your PAN on the e-filing portal is active and correctly detailed so the refund credits without delay.

Penalties for a False Declaration

Filing Form 15G when you know you don’t qualify is a criminal offense under Section 277 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The severity depends on the tax evaded:

Beyond prosecution, you would owe the unpaid tax plus interest under Sections 234A, 234B, and 234C. The department cross-checks Form 15G declarations against income reported by deductors, so a mismatch — a large PF withdrawal combined with 15G declarations at several banks — will flag your PAN.

Form 121 Replaces Form 15G From April 2026

The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaces the 1961 Act for tax years starting April 1, 2026. Section 393(6) and 393(7) take over the role of Section 197A, and a new Form 121 merges Form 15G and Form 15H into a single declaration.9Income Tax Department. Frequently Asked Questions Form of Declaration Under Section 393

The workflow is much the same. Form 121 keeps the two-part structure: Part A for your declaration, Part B for the payer. Changes are mostly administrative: separate fields for each data point (built for electronic filing), “tax year” terminology in place of “previous year” and “assessment year,” and a 26-character UIN. Payers must upload declaration details to the e-filing portal by the 7th of the month following each quarter.9Income Tax Department. Frequently Asked Questions Form of Declaration Under Section 393

For a PF withdrawal in FY 2025-26 (up to March 31, 2026), use Form 15G. For withdrawals in Tax Year 2026-27 onward, ask the EPFO or your employer for Form 121, or download it from the Income Tax e-filing portal.