How do I run the Build EPFO ECR Text File (Electronic Challan cum Return) skill?

Copy the skill and paste it into your own Claude or ChatGPT, then provide your source data. FinchContext skills run inside your own AI assistant, so your financial data never leaves your control.

Which region does the Build EPFO ECR Text File (Electronic Challan cum Return) skill cover?

India. It targets the local tax authority / e-invoicing format described on this page.

Build EPFO ECR Text File (Electronic Challan cum Return)

Q: What does the Build EPFO ECR Text File (Electronic Challan cum Return) skill do?

Convert a month's payroll into the EPFO ECR (Electronic Challan cum Return) #~# delimited text file uploaded to the EPFO Unified Portal — one line per member by UAN with EPF/EPS/EDLI wages, employee EPF at 12%, employer EPS at 8.33% on the ₹15,000 ceiling and the employer EPF difference, NCP days, the resulting challan heads (A/C 1/2/10/21/22), rupee rounding, and a worked example

Skill: Convert payroll into the EPFO ECR text file

Region: India Category: Payroll — Provident Fund (EPFO) Does: Takes a month's payroll and produces the EPFO ECR (Electronic Challan cum Return) — a #~# delimited text file uploaded to the EPFO Unified Portal — one line per member keyed by UAN, with EPF/EPS/EDLI wages and the EPF (A/C 1), EPS (A/C 10) and EDLI (A/C 21) contribution splits; the portal generates the challan (incl. admin charges A/C 2 and A/C 22) for payment.

System: EPFO Unified Portal (unifiedportal-emp.epfindia.gov.in) — ECR upload

The ECR is filed monthly by every covered establishment. Each detail line is #~# delimited with a fixed column order; the portal validates UANs and computes the challan. The statutory wage ceiling for EPS is ₹15,000 (EPS is capped on this ceiling); EPF is on actual EPF wages (employees may contribute on higher wages). The standard contribution rate is 12% (employee) and 12% employer, with the employer 12% split between EPS 8.33% (on up to ₹15,000) and EPF (balance). Rates, ceilings, admin-charge percentages, and the ECR file layout change by notification — generate against the current EPFO ECR file format and validate on the portal before payment.

When this applies

Any establishment covered under the EPF & MP Act (broadly 20+ employees, or voluntarily covered) for all members with a UAN.
Filed and contribution paid monthly — due by the 15th of the following month.
New joiners/exits are handled via the member's date of joining/exit and reasons in the line.

Input data required

Group	Fields
Header (file)	establishment PF code, wage month (`MM/YYYY`), return type, contribution rate, currency
Per member	UAN, member name, gross wages, EPF wages, EPS wages, EDLI wages, EPF contribution (EE), EPS contribution (ER), EPF (ER) difference, NCP days, refund of advances
Member events	date of joining / date of exit and reason (for joiners/leavers in the month)

File structure (#~# delimited)

The ECR text file is member detail lines only (the header summary is entered/derived on the portal). Each line has these fields in order, separated by #~#:

UAN #~# MemberName #~# GrossWages #~# EPFWages #~# EPSWages #~# EDLIWages #~#
EPFContriRemitted(EE) #~# EPSContriRemitted #~# EPFEPSDiffRemitted(ER) #~#
NCPDays #~# RefundOfAdvances

Field	Meaning
UAN	12-digit Universal Account Number
EPF Wages	wages on which EPF (employee 12%) is computed
EPS Wages	wages on which EPS is computed, capped at ₹15,000
EDLI Wages	wages for EDLI, capped at ₹15,000
EPF EE	employee EPF contribution = 12% of EPF wages
EPS ER	employer EPS = 8.33% of EPS wages
EPF/EPS diff (ER)	employer share to EPF = (12% of EPF wages) − EPS contribution
NCP Days	Non-Contributory Period (days of loss of pay)

The portal then computes account heads on the challan: A/C 1 (EPF EE + ER), A/C 2 (admin charges, min applies), A/C 10 (EPS), A/C 21 (EDLI), A/C 22 (EDLI admin, currently nil/notified).

Calculation rules

EPS wages / EDLI wages = min(EPF wages, ₹15,000) (the statutory ceiling).
Employee EPF = 12% × EPF wages.
Employer EPS = 8.33% × EPS wages (i.e. on up to ₹15,000).
Employer EPF (diff) = 12% × EPF wages − employer EPS.
Amounts are rounded to the nearest rupee per member; A/C 2 (admin) is the notified percentage of EPF wages subject to a monthly minimum.
NCP days reduce contributions where there is loss of pay.

Worked example (one member, EPF wages above the ceiling — detail line)

For EPF wages ₹25,000 (EPS/EDLI capped at ₹15,000):

Employee EPF = 12% × 25,000 = 3,000
Employer EPS = 8.33% × 15,000 = 1,250 (rounded)
Employer EPF diff = 3,000 − 1,250 = 1,750

100123456789#~#SURESH RAO#~#28000#~#25000#~#15000#~#15000#~#3000#~#1250#~#1750#~#0#~#0
100987654321#~#LATA DEVI#~#14000#~#14000#~#14000#~#14000#~#1680#~#1166#~#514#~#0#~#0

Save as a .txt file (UTF-8, #~# separators, one member per line, no trailing delimiter), upload on the Unified Portal, verify the generated ECR summary/challan (A/C 1/2/10/21/22), approve, and pay the challan via the bank gateway by the 15th.

Validation checklist

Current EPFO ECR file format and contribution rate/ceiling used; establishment PF code and wage month correct
One line per member, #~# delimited, fields in the exact order, no header line in the file
Valid 12-digit UAN for every member; names match EPFO records
EPS/EDLI wages capped at ₹15,000; EPF wages = actual EPF wages
EE EPF = 12%; ER EPS = 8.33% of EPS wages; ER EPF diff = 12% EPF wages − EPS; rounded to rupees
NCP days / refund-of-advance populated where applicable; joiners/exits handled
Portal-generated challan heads (A/C 1, 2, 10, 21, 22) reviewed and reconcile
Uploaded, approved and paid by the 15th of the following month

Last updated: 2026-06-04 — confirm the active ECR file format, contribution rates, wage ceiling, and admin-charge/portal requirements against the current EPFO (epfindia.gov.in) specifications before use.