Earning under HK$6,500? No MPF employee contributions from November 2011 — 180,000 benefit

From 1 November 2011, the MPF map was redrawn: employees earning under HK$6,500 a month no longer had to make employee contributions, with the MPFA estimating 180,000 extra employees would benefit. But employers’ 5% contributions continued unchanged — this reform touched workers’ pockets, not employers’ duties.

How much must you earn before contributing to MPF?

The minimum relevant income level for MPF contributions rose from HK$5,500 to HK$6,500 a month on 1 November 2011: employees earning below HK$6,500 no longer paid the employee portion, though employers still paid 5%; casual employees’ daily threshold rose from HK$160 to HK$250, and self-employed persons earning HK$5,000 to below HK$6,500 a month were likewise exempt.

The new thresholds at a glance

What is the MPF contribution rate?

The MPF contribution rate is 5% from the employer and 5% from the employee, each calculated on relevant income. The 2011 change altered only who pays the employee half: below the new HK$6,500 floor, the employee’s 5% fell away, but the employer’s 5% stayed. For the self-employed, trustees updated contribution arrangements automatically — no application needed.

Background: the first change in nine years

The previous adjustment to the minimum income floor was nine years earlier. Legco passed the amendment in June 2011, lifting the floor from HK$5,000 to HK$6,500 a month — note the law exempts those earning “below” the threshold, and the threshold itself is the dividing line.

What workers can do

From November 2011, employees checked their payslips: earning below HK$6,500, the employer should no longer have deducted 5% for MPF. Doubts could be settled via the employer’s payslip or contribution records, the trustee’s online platform, or the MPFA hotline 2918 0102. The MPF education hub explains the contribution rules.