Many people treat the CSPF and the MPF as the same thing, or assume a civil servant's fund is simply "an MPF with higher contributions". Both trace back to the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance, but they are designed differently: who contributes, how much, when the money is truly yours, and who chooses the scheme all differ. This article compares them line by line using the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) and the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). The service-length steps in CSPF government contribution rates are covered in detail in CSPF Contribution Rate: Why It Jumps From 5% to 15% After 3 Years.
The Three Biggest Differences
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01
Contributions: 5% each under the MPF, service-length steps under the CSPF
Under the MPF, employees and employers each contribute 5% of the employee's relevant income. For monthly paid employees the current minimum and maximum relevant income levels are $7,100 and $30,000, so each side contributes at most $1,500 a month. Under the CSPF the Government contributes according to years of service, from 5% up to 25% of basic salary.
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02
Vesting: immediate under the MPF, partly delayed under the CSPF
MPF mandatory contributions are fully and immediately vested in the employee once they are paid in. In the CSPF, the Government's mandatory contribution and your own mandatory contributions also vest immediately, but the Government's voluntary contribution has 0% vesting until you complete ten continuous years of service or reach the normal retirement age, whichever is earlier.
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03
Fund choice: the Government selects CSPF schemes, your employer selects your MPF scheme
For the CSPF the Government has engaged three Master Trust Schemes offering a range of funds, and members can switch between them. Under the MPF your employer chooses the scheme and you choose funds within it. Under the Employee Choice Arrangement (ECA) you can transfer the MPF derived from your own mandatory contributions to a scheme of your choice once a year, but the MPF derived from your current employer's mandatory contributions stays in the employer's scheme until you leave.
The Comparison at a Glance
| Item | CSPF (Civil Service Provident Fund Scheme) | MPF |
|---|---|---|
| Who is covered | Civil servants appointed on or after 1 June 2000 on new entry terms who move onto new permanent terms | Regular employees aged 18 to 64 employed for a continuous period of 60 days or more (unless exempt); self-employed persons also contribute |
| Contributions | The Government contributes by years of service, from 5% up to 25% of basic salary, in six steps | Employee and employer each 5% of relevant income; for monthly paid employees the minimum is $7,100 and the maximum $30,000, so at most $1,500 a month each |
| How contributions are made up | Government's mandatory contribution (currently 5% of relevant income, subject to the maximum level) plus Government's voluntary contribution (the balance), in two sub-accounts | Employee mandatory plus employer mandatory contributions; below $7,100 of monthly relevant income the employee does not contribute but the employer still does |
| Fund choice | Three Master Trust Schemes engaged by the Government; members can switch between them | Employer chooses the scheme, you choose funds within it; under the ECA you can transfer the employee-contribution portion once a year, while the current employer's portion stays until you leave |
| Vesting of mandatory contributions | Government mandatory contribution and your own mandatory contributions: fully and immediately vested | Fully and immediately vested |
| Vesting of voluntary contributions | Government's voluntary contribution: 0% vesting until ten continuous years of service or normal retirement age, whichever is earlier; your own voluntary contributions are always fully vested | Governed by the rules of your scheme |
| Withdrawing mandatory-contribution benefits | Under MPF law: reaching age 65; early retirement between age 60 and 64 (permanent cessation of employment); death; total incapacity; permanent departure from Hong Kong; terminal illness | Generally at age 65; specific circumstances allowed by law can apply earlier, such as early retirement at age 60 or above |
| Tax on your own contributions | Mandatory contributions deductible for Salaries Tax up to $18,000 a year; voluntary contributions are not deductible except TVC; Government's contributions are not regarded as your income | Mandatory contributions deductible up to $18,000 a year; voluntary contributions are not deductible except TVC |
| TVC | Tax-deductible voluntary contributions (TVC) together with qualifying annuity premiums: maximum deduction of $60,000 per taxpayer a year | |
| Tax on benefits | Benefits from mandatory contributions are exempt from Salaries Tax; benefits from the Government's voluntary contribution are exempt subject to Sections 8(7) and 8(8) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance | Withdrawing accrued benefits from mandatory contributions is not assessable to tax |
Contributions: Where the Money Comes From
The MPF: 5% each, with a minimum and maximum
A regular employee is someone aged 18 to 64 who has been employed for a continuous period of 60 days or more. Unless the employee is an exempt person, the employer must enrol them in an MPF scheme and make contributions. Employees and employers each contribute 5% of the employee's relevant income, within the minimum and maximum relevant income levels, which for monthly paid employees are currently $7,100 and $30,000. Below $7,100 the employee does not contribute, but the employer still does; income above $30,000 attracts no mandatory contribution, so the monthly cap is $1,500. Self-employed persons contribute too.
The CSPF: the Government contributes by years of service, into two sub-accounts
The CSPF covers civil servants appointed on or after 1 June 2000 on new entry terms who then move onto new permanent terms. The Government contributes on a progressive schedule by years of service, from 5% up to 25% of basic salary, in six steps: 5%, 15%, 17%, 20%, 22% and 25%. Which schedule you fall under depends on your appointment date and whether you opted to extend your service; the two schedules step up at different service lengths. The full tables are in CSPF Contribution Rate: Why It Jumps From 5% to 15% After 3 Years.
The Government's contribution goes into two separate sub-accounts:
- Government's mandatory contribution (GMC): made under the MPF Schemes Ordinance, currently 5% of your relevant income, subject to the maximum level of relevant income.
- Government's voluntary contribution (GVC): the net amount of the Government's contributions after making the GMC.
Disciplined services officers also receive a Special Disciplined Services Contribution of 2.5% of basic salary, in addition to the two above.
Vesting and Withdrawal: What Is Really Yours
"Vesting" means when the money legally becomes yours. For the mandatory portion the two schemes work the same way: fully and immediately vested, with withdrawal conditions set by MPF law. The real difference is the CSPF's Government voluntary contribution.
- Mandatory contributions: under the MPF (employee and employer) and the CSPF (Government's and your own), fully and immediately vested.
- When you can withdraw: generally at age 65; members under 65 are not allowed to withdraw except in specific circumstances. For example, early retirement at age 60 or above requires a declaration that you have ceased all employment and self-employment with no intention to be employed or self-employed again. For the CSPF the CSB lists reaching age 65, early retirement between age 60 and 64 (permanent cessation of employment), death, total incapacity, permanent departure from Hong Kong and terminal illness.
- The Government's voluntary contribution: vested only on completion of ten continuous years of service since first appointment or on reaching the normal retirement age, whichever is earlier, with 0% vesting in the interim; it is also fully vested on death, retirement on permanent incapacity or on payment of mandatory-contribution benefits on the ground of terminal illness. Separately, the scheme's terms allow the forfeiture and reduction of these benefits on disciplinary grounds.
- Your own voluntary contributions: always fully vested in you under the CSPF, with withdrawal governed by your Master Trust Scheme; under the MPF, withdrawal is governed by the rules of your scheme.
Fund Choice: Who Picks the Scheme, Who Picks the Funds
CSPF: the Government has engaged three Master Trust Schemes offering a range of fund choices, and members can switch amongst them. For recent trustee changes, see CSPF Integrated Trust Scheme New Contract: 3 Things to Know from Aug 1, 2026 and the practical companion CSPF Provider Change: How to Prepare Your Retirement Positioning.
MPF: the employer picks the scheme and you pick funds within it. Under the Employee Choice Arrangement you can transfer the MPF derived from your own mandatory contributions once every year (1 January to 31 December) to a scheme of your choice, submitted through the eMPF Platform; the MPF derived from your current employer's mandatory contributions must stay in the employer's scheme until you leave. Transfers usually involve a gap of one to two weeks during which your MPF is not invested in any funds, so prices may move in the meantime.
Tax: Same Deduction Cap, TVC on Top
- Your own mandatory contributions: deductible for Salaries Tax under both the CSPF and the MPF, up to $18,000 a year.
- Voluntary contributions: generally not deductible, except tax-deductible voluntary contributions (TVC).
- TVC: together with qualifying annuity premiums, the maximum deduction is $60,000 per taxpayer a year.
- CSPF Government contributions: not regarded as your income, so no Salaries Tax on them; on retirement or leaving, benefits from mandatory contributions are exempt; benefits from the Government's voluntary contribution are exempt subject to Sections 8(7) and 8(8) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance.
- MPF withdrawals: withdrawing accrued benefits from mandatory contributions is not assessable to tax.
What You Can Do Next
- Confirm whether you are under the CSPF or the MPF: the CSPF covers civil servants appointed on or after 1 June 2000 on new entry terms who move onto new permanent terms; other employees are, unless exempt, enrolled in an MPF scheme by their employer
- CSPF members: check your appointment date and whether you extended your service, to confirm which contribution schedule and which service-length step applies
- MPF: check how many MPF accounts you hold; if you are considering an ECA transfer, note the once-a-year limit and the gap of one to two weeks when your MPF is not invested
- Use the Retirement Gap Calculator to estimate what you may need, and the Fund Comparison to see past data across funds (data only, not a recommendation)
This article only compares how the two schemes are designed. It is not personalised retirement, tax or investment advice. If you would like help looking at your CSPF, MPF and TVC together, you can book a free portfolio review.
Sources (official pages read directly on 26 September 2026): Civil Service Bureau (CSB) — Civil Service Provident Fund Scheme Key Features of the CSPF Scheme Q&A: Contributions Q&A: Vesting and payment Q&A: Taxation Switching amongst CSPF Master Trust Schemes; Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) — Employees MPF Employee FAQ Employee Choice Arrangement: transfer Tax on mandatory and voluntary contributions Withdrawal upon retirement 8 March 2026 press release 2014 maximum contribution press release; Inland Revenue Department (IRD) — Qualifying annuity premiums and TVC deductions MPF FAQ. This article is general educational content and does not constitute personalised investment, tax or personnel advice; rules and figures may change, so rely on official announcements and your scheme trustee. Investments involve risk; past performance is not indicative of future results.