The Form 5500 is an information-only return–that means no tax payments are made with the filing mandatory for almost every retirement plan. It reports annual financial and headcount activity of your organization’s plan to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL).
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Nearly every company offering a retirement benefit plan must fill out Form 5500 by the last day of the seventh month following the end of the plan year – unless an extension or exemption is granted. Plans that may qualify for a Form 5500 exemption (but are not guaranteed to do so) include:
Form 5500 was jointly developed by the Department of Labor, the IRS, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to satisfy annual reporting requirements under the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
Plans not covered by ERISA are exempt from filing Form 5500, which may include:
Retirement plans covering only a business owner (and, potentially, a spouse) are usually exempt from filing Form 5500. However, if there are eligible employees improperly excluded from the plan, then the form must be filed. If the assets of the one-participant plan go above or below $250,000 from one year to the next, or if other employees are added on, the exemption may not apply.
Not all 403b plans are exempt, but yours may be if you are naturally exempt from ERISA and have limited employer involvement. Churches and government institutions frequently sponsor retirement plans that are exempt from Form 5500 filing requirements.
ERISA welfare plans with less than 100 participants at the start of the year can be exempt from Form 5500 if they are fully insured or “unfunded” — meaning paid from the general account. Even large plans can qualify for exemption if they are unfunded. However, if the cost of the plan is deducted from a trust where participant contributions are separated from general assets, the exemption won’t be granted. Plans subject to Form M-1 filing requirements under Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements will need to file as well.
Tax-exempt employers sponsoring deferred compensation plans under Code Section 457 may meet Form 5500 exemption requirements. Daycare centers, apprenticeship and training programs, union plans, and plans for a select group of elite management or Highly Compensated Employees can be exempt when there are only certain specified benefits, even if the plan has a large number of participants.
Failure to comply with ERISA filing requirements and file on-time can result in:
These penalties also apply to situations where Form 5500 is rejected by the government.
Most commonly, plan sponsors miss the deadline because:
As a 401(k) plan administrator, Ubiquity ensures that Form 5500 is prepared appropriately when necessary. We can explain why a particular exemption does or does not apply to your case. Our team of retirement planning experts proactively handles recordkeeping responsibilities to keep your company on track.
Check out our extensive 401(k) resources to have your retirement savings plan questions answered, and call Ubiquity to start setting up your low-cost plan today!
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We will fully customize your plan to meet the specific needs of your small business.
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© 2023 Ubiquity Retirement + Savings
Privacy Policy
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94104