Shares in the IEPF are not lost. We bring them back.
Under Indian company law, when dividends stay unclaimed for seven consecutive years, the unpaid dividends and the underlying shares are transferred to the government's Investor Education and Protection Fund. Getting them back is slow and bureaucratic. We do the work for you.
Does this sound like your situation?
- Dividends stopped arriving years ago
- The company wrote that your shares were transferred to the IEPF
- You moved house and never updated your address with the company
- An old folio belonged to a family member who has passed away
- Shares you expected to see have vanished from the company's records
How the recovery works
Check where the shares are
We look for the holding in the company's unclaimed dividend and IEPF lists and confirm what was transferred.
Prepare the claim set
Proof of holding, identity, bank and demat details, and succession papers if you are a legal heir. (Swasam Investments will do this for you)
File Form IEPF-5
The claim is filed online on the MCA IEPF portal and an acknowledgement is generated. (Swasam Investments will do this for you)
Company verification
The signed set goes to the company's nodal officer, who verifies it and reports to the IEPF Authority. We answer every query. (Swasam Investments will do this for you)
Refund and demat credit
Once the IEPF Authority sanctions the claim, the shares are credited to the claimant's demat account. (Swasam Investments sees it through to the end)
Papers usually needed
- Form IEPF-5 acknowledgement
- Indemnity bond
- Proof of holding: certificate copy, folio details or dividend warrants
- Claimant PAN, ID and address proof
- Cancelled cheque and bank details
- Client master report of your demat account
- Succession papers, for legal heirs
- Physical copy of the claim set sent to the company
Requirements vary by company and registrar. We confirm the final list for your case before you gather anything.
Where cases get complicated
Three parties, many queries
The company, its registrar and the IEPF Authority each examine the claim. Queries come in rounds and each needs a clean answer.
Several companies
A family often has shares in more than one company. We run the claims in parallel.
The holder has passed away
Legal heirs can claim, but succession documents have to be added to the IEPF set.
Records do not match
Name, address or folio details that differ from the register need correction papers before the claim can pass.
What Swasam Investments does for you
- We check the listsCompany and IEPF records, to confirm what was moved.
- We file the claimForm IEPF-5 and the supporting set, correctly prepared.
- We handle verificationQueries from the nodal officer and the Authority.
- We track to the endUntil the shares appear in your demat account.
Questions about this
Is there a deadline to claim from the IEPF?
No. Shares and dividends transferred to the IEPF can be claimed by the original holder or legal heirs at any time.
Can legal heirs claim?
Yes, with the succession documents the process asks for.
Can I file the claim myself?
Yes. The official portal is free to use. People come to us because the verification rounds, indemnity and paperwork are slow to handle alone.
Are my shares gone forever?
No. They are held by the IEPF Authority and can be claimed back when the process is followed correctly.
You may also need
Tracing unclaimed dividends and shares
Not sure shares exist, or where they are. We search company, registrar and IEPF records.
Shares of a deceased family member
Nominee, will, or several legal heirs. We choose the right route and complete the transmission.
Physical certificates to demat
Since April 2019 physical shares of listed companies cannot be transferred. Convert them to demat.
Found an old certificate? Check it before you do anything else.
Call Swasam Investments for the status and value of your shares, or send the details and we will call you.