ESI Return Filing
After ESI registration, contributions are monthly: compute, deposit and file with the ESIC by the due date. We file your ESI returns each month so your covered employees stay insured and you avoid interest and damages.
Quick answer
ESI contributions are payable within 15 days of the last day of the calendar month in which they fall due. The rates are 3.25% employer and 0.75% employee under rule 19 of the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026, each rounded up to the next higher rupee — the opposite convention from PF, which rounds to the nearest. ESI also runs on six-month contribution periods (1 April–30 September and 1 October–31 March) whose corresponding benefit periods decide when an employee's entitlement actually starts.
Applies to: Code on Social Security, 2020 (in force 21 November 2025); Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 344(E), 8 May 2026). The ESI (General) Regulations, 2026 were still a draft as at 19 August 2026, so the 1950 Regulations continue under the savings provisionJurisdiction: India — Employees' State Insurance CorporationSources checked: 2026-08-19
Starts at
₹999/mo
Professional fees, government fees, late fees, penalties, payroll size, transaction volume, number of employees, entity type, filings and compliance complexity may vary.
Timeline
Monthly, by the ESIC due date
Documents
Wages & employee data
Monthly ESI filing
Avoid interest & damages
IP onboarding
Expert-reviewed
Pricing
ESI return filing
Monthly ESIC contribution filing, by employee count. Contributions are statutory and deposited separately. Needs an active ESI registration.
ESI Returns
Monthly filing
+ GST | from
- Monthly contribution filing
- Challan & deposit support
- IP onboarding
- Expert review
PF + ESI Bundle
Both, monthly
By headcount
- ESI + PF returns
- New-joiner IP/UAN setup
- Reminders & tracking
- Dedicated reviewer
Prices are professional fees and indicative. Government fees, stamp duty, DSC, PAN/TAN, state charges and third-party costs are extra and may change. A final engagement summary separates each component before payment.
Overview
What is ESI Return Filing?
ESI registration is one-time; ESI return filing is the recurring monthly compliance. Each month, an employer with ESI coverage must compute contributions (employer and employee shares) for employees within the wage ceiling, deposit them, and file with the ESIC by the due date — typically the 15th of the following month. Covered employees and their families rely on these contributions for medical and cash benefits.
Late filing draws interest and damages from the ESIC, and can disrupt employees' benefit eligibility. It also involves onboarding new eligible employees as Insured Persons (IPs).
We file your ESI returns every month — contributions computed, deposit supported, IPs onboarded — so your covered staff stay insured and you stay compliant. (The one-time ESI registration is in our Registrations vertical.)
Is it for you?
Who needs it — and who doesn't
Recommended if
- Employers with ESI registration
- Establishments with employees within the wage ceiling
- Businesses at/above the ESI employee threshold
- Anyone needing monthly ESI compliance handled
May not be needed if
- Businesses without ESI applicability/registration
- Workforces entirely above the wage ceiling (subject to rules)
Benefits
Why it's worth doing right
Keep employees covered
Timely contributions keep your covered staff and their families eligible for ESI benefits.
Avoid interest and damages
On-time monthly filing prevents the interest, damages and recovery action that follow a default under Chapter IV of the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the rules and regulations under it.
Hands-off compliance
We run the ESI cycle monthly, including onboarding new Insured Persons.
Eligibility
Eligibility & key conditions
- You have an active ESI (ESIC) registration
- You have employees within the wage ceiling
- You can share monthly wage data
Documents
Documents required
What we need
- ESIC employer login details
- Monthly wages of covered employees
- New-joiner details (for IP creation)
- Exit details
- Prior return (for continuity)
Process
A clear path from start to filed
Official filing
How the ESIC portal flow works
Each month the employer computes ESI contributions for covered employees, generates a challan, deposits both shares, and files on the ESIC portal by the due date; contributions maintain employees' Insured-Person benefit eligibility.
We prepare and file through the official ESIC portal and support the deposit. We never claim a private API or automated connection, and never promise penalty-proof filing — compliance is achieved through accurate, on-time work.
Costs
Fees & cost breakdown
| Cost component | Indicative amount |
|---|---|
| Government fee to fileThere is no filing fee for the monthly contribution | Nil |
| Employer's contributionRule 19(1)(a), Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026 — 'three and one-fourth per cent', rounded to the next higher rupee | 3.25% of wages payable |
| Employee's contributionRule 19(1)(b) — 'three-fourth per cent', rounded to the next higher rupee. Deducted and deposited by the employer | 0.75% of wages payable |
| Employee with disabilityRule 19(2), for an employee who is a person with disability under the RPwD Act, 2016 or the National Trust Act, 1999. Reimbursed to the Corporation by the Central Government under rule 19(3) | Employer's share not payable for up to 3 years |
| Low-wage employeesESIC publishes that employees on a daily average wage up to ₹176 are exempt from paying contribution; the employer still pays its own share for them | Employee's share nil |
| Late paymentUnder Chapter IV of the Code and the rules and regulations made under it. We do not publish a percentage: the ESI (General) Regulations, 2026 were still a draft as at 19 August 2026 and the 1950 Regulations continue meanwhile, so any rate quoted as settled would be quoting an instrument mid-transition | Interest and damages |
| Professional feeOur charge, by employee count. Plus GST | From ₹999/mo |
Watch the rounding, because it is the error that compounds quietly: rule 19 rounds each ESI contribution up to the next higher rupee, while paragraph 18(5) of the EPF Scheme, 2026 rounds PF to the nearest rupee. Payroll software applying one rule to both will drift month on month. Rates are unchanged from the 1 July 2019 revision — only the instrument changed.
Deliverables
What you receive on completion
After this filing
What you need to stay compliant next
Every month
ESI is monthly — we file on a tracked calendar so it's never late.
Onboard eligible joiners
New employees within the ceiling are added as IPs so they're covered.
Avoid delays
Common mistakes & reasons for rejection
Common mistakes
- Missing the monthly ESI deadline — ESIC requires payment within 15 days of the last day of the calendar month
- Not covering eligible employees within the wage limit
- Rounding ESI to the nearest rupee — rule 19 rounds each contribution up to the next higher rupee instead
- Treating house rent allowance as outside ESI wages — ESIC treats it as wages for both coverage and contribution
- Counting overtime towards the coverage decision — ESIC counts it for contribution and expressly not for deciding coverage
- Treating a monthly incentive as excluded — the two-month periodicity test is what decides, not the label
- Deducting the employee's share from someone on a daily average wage up to ₹176, who ESIC exempts from paying it
- Quoting the repealed ESI Act, 1948 — Chapter IV of the Code on Social Security, 2020 governs, with rates in rule 19 of the 2026 Central Rules
- Wrong wage computation
- Depositing late
Risks
Penalties & risks of getting it wrong
Late ESI return/deposit
The ESIC levies interest and damages on delayed contributions, alongside recovery action for persistent default.
AI-powered assistance
AI does the heavy lifting. Experts make the call.
AI assists with checks, drafting and explanations only. A qualified professional reviews every defined checkpoint and the final filing before submission. AI does not make consequential compliance decisions on its own.
Keep ESI compliant, monthly
We compute, deposit and file your ESI contributions and onboard new Insured Persons — so your covered team stays insured and you avoid penalties.
Compare
ESI Return Filing vs ESI Registration
| Factor | ESI Return Filing | ESI Registration |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The monthly contribution filing | The one-time ESIC registration |
| Frequency | Every month | Once, before you start |
| Output | Filed return + deposited ESI | An ESIC employer code |
Use cases
Built for how real businesses operate
Registered employer
Need: Monthly ESI run
We suggest: Monthly ESI filing with deposit support.
Factory/unit
Need: PF + ESI together
We suggest: PF + ESI bundle with IP onboarding.
Why MyFinancialAdvisory
A more accountable way to stay compliant
Quality & accountability
Reviewed by compliance experts
Every esi return filing engagement is prepared with structured checks and signed off by qualified professionals before anything is filed — speed without sacrificing accuracy.
Reviewed by
Reviewed by MyFinancialAdvisory Compliance Team
Accounting, payroll & compliance review
Your books, payroll and filings are prepared with AI-assisted checks and reviewed by qualified accountants and compliance professionals before anything is filed. Business compliance, powered by AI — verified where possible, reviewed by experts, tracked by you.
Structured document checks
Documents and eligibility follow structured checks before expert review.
Expert-reviewed before filing
A qualified professional signs off every defined checkpoint.
Compliance-safe guidance
Advice mapped to current rules — no shortcuts, no guesswork.
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Hub
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ESIC registration for employee cover.
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PF Return Filing
Monthly EPF ECR filing and compliance.
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Payroll Management
Monthly payroll run with statutory deductions.
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HR Payroll Services
End-to-end payroll and HR compliance.
FAQs
ESI Return Filing — frequently asked questions
What is ESI return filing?
The recurring monthly compliance, after ESI registration, to compute ESI contributions for covered employees, deposit them and file with the ESIC by the due date.
When is the ESI return due?
Monthly — typically by the 15th of the following month. We file before the deadline.
Do I need ESI registration first?
Yes — ESI return filing is the ongoing step after ESIC registration. We link ESI registration from our Registrations vertical and can arrange it.
Which employees are covered?
Employees earning up to the prescribed monthly wage ceiling. We apply the current threshold and onboard eligible staff as Insured Persons.
What happens if I file ESI late?
The ESIC levies interest and damages on delayed contributions, and employees' benefit eligibility can be affected. We file on time to avoid this.
How is ESI return filing priced?
From ₹999/month (+ GST), by employee count. The ESI contributions themselves are statutory and deposited separately.
Can I bundle PF and ESI filing?
Yes — many employers take both together, with new joiners onboarded for UAN (PF) and IP (ESI) in one flow.
References
Official sources
- Code on Social Security, 2020 (Act 36 of 2020) — First Schedule coverage thresholds, section 2(26) counting rule, section 2(89) wage ceiling, section 53 gratuity
- Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 344(E), 8 May 2026; rule 19 sets the ESI contribution rates
- ESIC — contribution rates, payment date, contribution periods and the low-wage exemption
- ESIC — coverage thresholds and the ₹21,000 / ₹25,000 wage limit
- ESIC — what counts as wages, including the two-month periodicity test
Rules, fees and due dates change by notification. Confirm the current position on the official portal before you act.
Ready to get esi return filing done?
Start with a quick conversation. We’ll confirm scope, documents, fees and the next deadline.