Facing a 7A inquiry? Get the record straight first.
A consistent, documented record in hand before the hearing.
A 7A inquiry turns on the documented record — what your registers, ECR and challan history actually show. Preparation before the hearing matters more than anything said at it.
Who it's for: Establishments that have received an EPFO 7A inquiry notice about coverage, contribution or compliance.
Fee, scope and timeline in writing before any work. No guaranteed-outcome promises.
Does this apply to you?
If one or more of these is true, it's worth a 15-minute call.
- You've received a 7A inquiry notice.
- A hearing date is set, or about to be.
- Wage, attendance, ECR and challan records for the period aren't in one place.
- There's earlier correspondence with EPFO on the same matter.
Bring the notice. What's actually being inquired into, and the timeline you've been given, determine what needs preparing first.
What's included
- Reading the inquiry notice — what is being examined, and the timeline given.
- Assembling wage, attendance, ECR, challan and employment records relevant to the period under inquiry.
- Checking that the assembled record is internally consistent before it's presented.
- Preparing a documented position for the hearing.
- Coordination with a qualified labour-law professional for appearance and representation.
What's not included
NidhiSetu prepares records, evidence and the documented position. Appearance and legal representation at the inquiry is handled by the qualified labour-law professional I coordinate with. The inquiry's outcome and any liability determined rest with EPFO — no one can promise a specific result.
- No guaranteed licence approval or penalty outcome. Those rest with the concerned authority.
- I never ask for UAN passwords, portal OTPs, Aadhaar OTPs or bank logins, from you or your employees.
How it runs
The first two steps are the same for every business. What follows depends on the service.
15-minute call
Free, and about fit and scope only: what applies to you and whether I'm the right person for it.
Written scope, fee and timeline
Before any paid work. You decide what to act on, and nothing outside the scope is billed silently.
Assemble, check, prepare
Wage, attendance, ECR, challan and employment records for the period assembled, checked for internal consistency, and turned into a documented position for the hearing.
Pricing approach
Always a written quote. The 15-minute call is free and covers fit and scope only.
Notice and inspection support
Written quote based on scope
Project-based support for responding to a specific EPFO, ESIC or labour-department notice or inspection: response preparation, evidence assembly and escalation.
What's fixed, whatever the number
- Never a percentage of your PF balance or payroll value. Fees reflect the work involved, not the size of your account.
- Fee, scope and timeline confirmed in writing before any billable work begins.
- No surprise scope expansion. If something outside the agreed scope comes up, it's raised and confirmed separately, not billed silently.
What the fee depends on
- What the inquiry is examining
- The time before the hearing
- How much of the record is retrievable
Case example
Anonymised, and only from real, verified work.
I publish employer case studies only once an engagement is complete and verified, anonymised, in one format: situation, what I found, what I did, outcome, timeline and what remained pending. None are published yet, and I won't invent one in the meantime. How employer cases will read →
See all 26 anonymised employee cases, including the ones that didn't work
Questions employers ask
What is a 7A inquiry, in plain terms?
It's the process EPFO uses to determine an establishment's PF liability where there's a question about coverage, contribution or compliance — an inquiry the regional office conducts before deciding the amount due. The specifics of notice, hearing and order are set by EPFO's own process and the Act, and vary by case.
What should we prepare before a hearing?
The recurring set is your wage and attendance records, ECR and challan history, employment documentation for the relevant period, and any prior correspondence with EPFO on the same matter. What's actually required depends on what the inquiry is examining, which is confirmed from the notice itself.
Can you represent us at the hearing?
Where appearance or representation is required, that's handled by the qualified labour-law professional I coordinate with. My part is preparing the complete, consistent record and evidence file that representation has to rest on.
If a hearing date is set, start now.
Call directly and you will get a first read the same day.
- I call you back within one working day, or WhatsApp you if you prefer.
- 15 minutes on fit and scope: what applies to you and whether I'm the right person for it.
- If it's a fit, you get the scope, fee and timeline in writing before any paid work. You decide from there.
Shobhit KesarwaniIndependent EPFO consultant, Ludhiana
Prefer to talk now? Call +91 98397 17791 (8 am – 11 pm, every day)
Book a 15-minute call
Four details and I'll call you back. No documents, no passwords, no employee data.
Reviewed by: Shobhit Kesarwani, independent EPFO and employer-compliance practitioner ·
Last reviewed: September 2026
Sources: EPFO,
Shram Suvidha.
Procedure and timelines are set by EPFO's own process and the Act — confirm specifics against the notice you've received and the official source.