IEPF Compliance for Companies: Filings, Nodal Officer and Claim Verification

What IEPF compliance for companies covers

The obligation starts when a dividend goes unclaimed. Amounts unpaid for seven years must be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund, and where dividends on a share remain unpaid for seven consecutive years, the shares themselves move to IEPF. Each step has a corresponding e-form.

IEPF-1 filing and IEPF-2 statements

IEPF-1 records the transfer of amounts such as unpaid dividends and, where applicable, matured deposits and debentures unclaimed for seven years. IEPF-2 reports the unclaimed and unpaid amounts still held by the company. The revised IEPF-2, applicable from 17 July 2024, makes clean shareholder-level data more important than before. Companies also publish lists of unpaid and unclaimed dividends on their websites, which should reconcile with these filings.

IEPF-4 filing for transfer of shares

IEPF-4 accompanies the transfer of shares on which dividends have been unpaid for seven consecutive years. The difficult part is rarely the form itself. It is identifying the right folios, handling holdings affected by corporate actions, and keeping an audit trail that holds up when a shareholder later claims those shares back.

IEPF-1A remediation data

IEPF-1A is used to provide remediation data on past transfers. The IEPF Authority's notice of July 2025 required filing by 30 August 2025. Companies with gaps in historical data, or those that changed RTAs, often find this the most time-consuming exercise.

Nodal officer IEPF duties and e-verification of IEPF-5 claims

When a shareholder claims shares or dividends from IEPF, the claim reaches the company for e-verification before the IEPF Authority decides. The new Form IEPF-5, effective 6 October 2025 (G.S.R. 733(E)), runs on the Authority's integrated claims portal, announced in August 2025 and live from October 2025. It offers pre-filled forms, PAN and OTP verification, and multiple folios in one claim.

For the company, this means:

• The Nodal Officer needs a reliable process for receiving, checking and verifying claims.
• Entitlement letters issued by the company or RTA must match the data already reported to IEPFA.
• Claims may now arrive through a representative holding an authority letter, which the form recognises.
• Higher claim volumes are likely, given public awareness drives such as the "Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar" campaign launched on 4 October 2025.

Unclaimed suspense account compliance for listed companies

Under SEBI LODR Regulation 39 and Schedule VI, listed companies must park undelivered IPO, bonus and split shares in a demat unclaimed suspense account after sending reminders. Voting rights on these shares stay frozen, corporate benefits keep accruing, and claims are settled in demat form only. If dividends remain unpaid for seven years, the shares move on to IEPF, linking suspense account records directly to IEPF-4.

Listed issuers of NCDs and bonds should also track SEBI's November 2023 framework for unclaimed interest and redemption amounts, which are transferred to IEPF or an exchange fund after seven years.

Can your in-house team manage IEPF compliance?

Yes. Many secretarial teams handle IEPF filings themselves with their RTA, and shareholder claims through the IEPF route carry no filing charge for investors. External support is useful when the work involves:

• Legacy data from decades of physical folios, or a change of RTA.
• Mergers and amalgamations, where entitlements follow a swap ratio.
• A backlog of IEPF-5 claims awaiting e-verification.
• Mismatches between website disclosures, IEPF-2 data and RTA records.
• Unlisted companies without a dedicated investor services function.

Regulatory timeline 2024–26

• 17 July 2024: revised Form IEPF-2 applicable.
• July 2025: IEPFA notice on IEPF-1A remediation data, with filing due by 30 August 2025.
• August 2025: integrated IEPF claims portal announced; live from October 2025.
• 6 October 2025: new Form IEPF-5 effective (G.S.R. 733(E)).
• 23 July 2026: SEBI transmission circular, relevant where claimants are legal heirs of deceased shareholders.

How Expertvuw supports your IEPF compliance

Our work is organised in four broad stages. Your company remains the filer and signatory, and filings requiring professional certification are handled through qualified professionals.

1. Review: a diagnostic of your current IEPF position, recent filings, open claims and data gaps.
2. Tracing and documents: reconciliation of dividend, share and suspense account data with RTA records and website disclosures.
3. Filing and follow-up: preparation support for IEPF e-forms and a working process for IEPF-5 e-verification, coordinated with your RTA.
4. Closure: a clean record and audit trail, so future transfers and shareholder claims run smoothly.

Why Expertvuw

• A registered company, Expertvuw Management Pvt Ltd, with offices in Delhi (Dwarka) and Gurugram, working with companies across India.
• Day-to-day experience of the shareholder side of IEPF claims, which informs how companies verify them.
• One team for IEPF, suspense account and RTA liaison work.
• Documentation discipline and plain-language reporting to management.
• Independent: we are not affiliated with IEPFA, MCA or SEBI.

Related services

• RTA liaison and shareholder compliance services
• Unclaimed suspense account shares explained
• IEPF claim services for shareholders
• Unclaimed bonds and debentures
• Contact Expertvuw to discuss your company's requirement

Frequently asked questions

What does IEPF compliance involve for a company?

It involves transferring dividends unpaid for seven years, and the related shares, to IEPF under sections 124 and 125 of the Companies Act, and filing the relevant e-forms: IEPF-1, IEPF-1A, IEPF-2 and IEPF-4. The company also needs a Nodal Officer and a process to e-verify shareholder claims filed on Form IEPF-5.

What is the difference between IEPF-1 and IEPF-4?

IEPF-1 relates to the transfer of amounts, such as unpaid dividends, to IEPF. IEPF-4 relates to the transfer of shares on which dividends have remained unpaid for seven consecutive years. Both depend on accurate shareholder-level data, so they should reconcile with each other and with the company's IEPF-2 statement.

What is Form IEPF-1A?

IEPF-1A is used by companies to provide remediation data on amounts and shares already transferred to IEPF. The IEPF Authority's notice of July 2025 required companies to file it by 30 August 2025. Companies with historical data gaps or a change of RTA often need a reconciliation exercise to complete it accurately.

What does the Nodal Officer do in IEPF matters?

The Nodal Officer is the company's point of contact with the IEPF Authority. In practice, the role oversees IEPF filings and the e-verification of shareholder claims filed on Form IEPF-5, making sure entitlement letters and verification reports match the data the company has already reported.

How has the new Form IEPF-5 changed e-verification for companies?

The new IEPF-5, effective 6 October 2025, runs on the IEPF Authority's integrated portal with pre-filled forms, PAN and OTP verification, and multiple folios in one claim. Companies still e-verify each claim, so they need clean data and a structured process to respond, especially as awareness campaigns bring more claims.

How is the unclaimed suspense account linked to IEPF?

Under SEBI LODR Regulation 39 and Schedule VI, listed companies hold undelivered IPO, bonus and split shares in an unclaimed suspense account. If dividends on those shares stay unpaid for seven years, they must be transferred to IEPF. Suspense account records therefore link directly to IEPF-4 transfers. Read more on unclaimed suspense account shares.

Does Expertvuw file IEPF forms on the company's behalf?

The company remains the filer and signatory. Expertvuw supports the data reconciliation, documentation and process behind the filings and coordinates with your RTA, with any professional certification handled through qualified professionals. Scope is agreed after an initial discussion of your requirement.