The Form 5500: What All Employers and Plan Administrators Need to Know and How to Avoid Costly Fines
Let’s be honest: the Solo 401(k) is one of the great marketing wins of the retirement plan industry. It sounds easy. It sounds empowering. It sounds like freedom—no employees, no complex administration, no fuss. But let me...more
I sound like a broken record, but I won’t stop until 401(k) plan sponsors understand the issue of a late Form 5500 and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) penalties....more
“Solo 401(k)” is a marketing term used for a 401(k) plan that is adopted by a sole proprietor or an incorporated business with no employees other than the owner. These plans offer a greater retirement savings opportunity...more
If your company offers an employee benefit plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), you are likely required to file Form 5500. Form 5500 is an annual report that contains information about a company’s...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t read the 5500s, but the Department of Labor (DOL) does....more
Unless an exception applies, all ERISA-covered benefit plans have to file an annual Form 5500 each year with the DOL and IRS (filed through the DOL’s website). Plan sponsors have the ability to combine their welfare plan...more
The Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation recently issued final rules on employee benefit plan annual reporting requirements that are effective for plan years beginning on or...more
On February 24th, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Treasury, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (together, “the Agencies”) released Final forms revisions and Final Rules related...more
We are just past the “official” start of summer, which means it is time for sponsors of retirement plans and many health and welfare plans to think about preparing and submitting Form 5500. In this post on the All Things HR...more
The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released their final revisions to the Form 5500 and the Form 5500-SF Short Form Annual Return/Report of Small Employee Benefit Plan for the 2021 plan...more
With July 31st passing (the deadline for Form 5500 without an extension), it’s a great way to ponder if you have any outstanding Form 5500 issues such as a late return or an incomplete return (such as one missing a plan...more
The Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program (DFVCP) is a Department of Labor (DOL) program designed to encourage voluntary compliance with ERISA’s 5500 program. It’s great as a plan sponsor if you forget to file a Form...more
When a plan terminates and distributes all its assets or merges all its assets into another plan, you need to understand that a Final Form 5500 needs to be completed. Otherwise, you will get notified by the Internal Revenue...more
The purpose of an audit of Form 5500 is to make sure that plan sponsors voluntarily comply with the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA. Sometimes, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Department of Labor (DOL) audit is done...more
Failure to file Form 5500 is costly as the Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has jurisdiction over the form and can set forth separate penalties....more
The Covid-19 pandemic and its shock to the country’s economy have been felt particularly hard by small employers, who are also likely to face a number of looming problems with their 401(k) plans. This article discusses three...more
With calendar year-end Form 5500s due on July 31, or October 15 with an extension (and still no COVID-19 filing relief as of the date this blog was published), it’s that time of year where plan sponsors begin thinking about...more
This post summarizes the health and welfare benefit plan-related deadline extensions described in IRS Notice 2020-23 issued April 9, 2020 and the DOL and Treasury Joint Notice issued April 28, 2020 (the “Joint Notice”). IRS...more
On April 28, 2020, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) issued three documents related to COVID-19 relief: (i) EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2020-20 (EBSA Notice 2020-01); (ii) the text of a final rule...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Last Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) granted relief for a number of deadlines related to the administration of employee benefit plans, including furnishing notices and disclosures to plan...more
One aspect of the SECURE Act that many commentators failure to note is that it’s mor expensive to file a late Form 5500....more
On December 20, 2019, federal legislation approving spending limits for the 2020 fiscal year was signed into law. Included in the legislation is the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the...more
2019 will be a busy compliance year for companies’ human resource and finance leaders and other tasked with overseeing employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans. Compliance trends are coming into view, based on new IRS...more
When you get pulled over by the police while driving, the best way to handle is to be pleasant and not be argumentative. You listen to the officer as to why he pulled over. Being belligerent and non-cooperative will only lead...more
In July 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), the Internal Revenue Service, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation released proposed revisions to the Form 5500 Annual Return required for certain ERISA-covered...more