What is IEPF?
IEPFA stands for ‘Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’.
The IEPFA Authority is entrusted with the responsibility of administration of the Investor Education Protection Fund (IEPF), making refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, matured deposits/debentures etc. to investors, promoting awareness among investors, and protecting the interests of the investors.
Why my shares are transferred to IEPF?
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India have notified new rules under Section 124(6) in The Companies Act, 2013, The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority [Accounting, Audit, Transfer and Refund] Rules, 2016 which vide Rule 6 has been implemented by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, with effect from 13th October 2017. The said rules, inter alia contains the provision of all shares in respect of which dividend has not been paid or claimed for seven consecutive years or more shall be transferred by the company in the name of Investor Education and Protection Fund along with a statement containing such details as may be prescribed: Provided that any claimant of shares transferred above shall be entitled to claim the transfer of shares from Investor Education and Protection Fund in accordance with such procedure and on submission of such documents as may be prescribed.
What do I require to file IEPF-5 claim?
First of all, you are required to open an account on MCA website. Once your account is activated you can navigate to submit IEPF-5 form and submit the same by filling all required details such as your PAN, shares and dividends details, bank details and some other supporting documents.
The set of supporting documents vary with the type of your claim whether its claim for yourself or its for transmission, physical to IEPF or DEMAT to IEPF etc.
How much time does it take to get my shares in my DEMAT account from IEPF?
Ideally it takes from 6 months to 12 months of time once your IEPF claim is verified by your company and sent to IEPFA for approval. After approval they initiate a DEMAT to DEMAT transfer request which transfers your shares from IEPFA DEMAT account to your DEMAT account. Along with that unclaimed shares are also transferred from IEPFA bank account to your bank account
How to recover shares and dividends from IEPF?
Along with the MCA rule of transmission of shares to IEPF, they have also given the process of claiming shares back from IEPF. By submitting IEPF-5 claim form on MCA website you can claim your shares from IEPF.
How my IEPF claim is processed?
IEPF claim is processed in 3 stages.
- Filing IEPF-5 claim online on MCA portal and generate a SRN number. After that sending hard copy documents to the Nodal officer or RTA of the company
- Company verifies your claim by scrutinizing documents you submitted and sends verification report to IEPFA through their internal portal
- IEPFA approves or rejects your claim after their verification
