Voluntary Provident Fund
Full Form of VPF
What is VPF?
Voluntary Provident Fund, commonly known as VPF, is an additional savings scheme that allows salaried employees in India to contribute more than the mandatory 12% Employee Provident Fund (EPF) contribution. Managed by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), VPF enables employees to park a higher portion of their basic salary plus dearness allowance into their provident fund account, thereby building a larger retirement corpus. The interest rate offered on VPF is the same as the EPF rate, which is revised annually by the government and is generally higher than most fixed deposit and savings instruments. Both the employer and employee can decide on the VPF contribution, though the employer is not obligated to match the extra amount. The scheme offers attractive tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, and the interest earned is tax-free until withdrawal. It is widely used by Indian professionals in the organised sector who want to maximise their long-term retirement savings. For competitive exams in banking, finance, and government services, understanding VPF is essential as questions on retirement planning, tax-saving instruments, and EPF rules frequently appear in SSC, banking, and UPSC papers.
VPF का फुल फॉर्म
स्वैच्छिक भविष्य निधि
Example
Rohit decided to contribute 15% of his basic salary to the Voluntary Provident Fund to boost his retirement savings while enjoying tax benefits under Section 80C.