Category Archives: Employee Benefits
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules for Tax-Indifferent Entities (Section 457A)
Maximum Benefits and Contributions Limits
(Posted on November 1, 2023 by Carol V. Calhoun)
SECURE 2.0 Roth Catch-up Requirement Notice – Effect on Governmental Plans
(Posted on August 28, 2023 by Carol V. Calhoun)
On August 25, 2023, the IRS issued Notice 2023-62, dealing with the SECURE 2.0 requirement that any age 50 catch-up contributions by an employee with prior-year FICA wages over $145,000 (to be indexed with inflation) be made on a Roth basis, rather than a pre-tax basis. The guidance had two effects:
- The requirement that catch-up contributions for individuals over age 50 with prior-year FICA wages over $145,000 be made in the form of Roth contributions was delayed until 2026.
- The language of the statute had suggested that no catch-up contributions could be made at all beginning in 2024. The IRS has confirmed that it will continue to treat catch-up contributions as permissible.
While the guidance applies to 401(k) plans, most governmental entities are not permitted to have 401(k) plans. However, it also affects governmental 457(b) plans, along with 403(b) plans for those governmental entities that are permitted to have 403(b) plans (governmental instrumentalities that also have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3), and public schools and universities). It is particularly significant for governmental entities which maintain both 403(b) and 457(b) plans, since an employee is able to double the usual amount of catch-ups by making a catch-up election with respect to both plans.
The IRS also announced its intention to issue further guidance in three areas:
- In determining whether an individual has $145,000 in FICA wages, wages exempt from FICA will not be counted. Among other things, this would mean that state and local government entities not subject to Social Security would not have to comply with the new rules at all.
- For a participant in a multiple employer plan with compensation from two or more participating employers, the determination of whether the Roth catch-up rule applies would be made on an employer-by-employer basis. So for example, in a statewide plan, compensation that an individual received from one governmental employer would not have to be combined with that from another in applying the $145,000 limit.
- When the new rules become effective in 2026, a plan may treat a pre-tax catch-up election for a participant subject to the Roth catch-up rule as though it were a Roth catch-up election, without the need to obtain an updated election from the participant. For example, suppose that a participant over age 50 with compensation of $145,000 elects to make a contribution of 25% of compensation. The maximum for 2023 (without catch-ups) would be $22,500. Assuming this limit were still in effect in 2026 (it rises with inflation), the employer would not need to get a separate election in order to have an additional $7,500 taken from the participant’s compensation and contributed on a Roth basis.
While these three points would be helpful to impacted plan sponsors, they are not yet the IRS’s formal position.
General information on the effect of the notice (for nongovernmental as well as governmental plans) can be found at this link. Information on the amount of regular and catch-up contributions can be found at this link.
Fifth Edition of the Governmental Plans Answer Book Published
(Posted on June 9, 2023 by Carol V. Calhoun)
The Fifth Edition of the Governmental Plans Answer Book has now been published. The Governmental Plans Answer Book is the only full-length treatise on the law governing the retirement plans that federal, state, and local governments maintain for their employees. The law has changed a lot since the Fourth Edition was published in 2017, and the new edition has been updated to reflect them.
The Fifth Edition of Governmental Plans Answer Book gives subscribers the most relevant, current, and practice-oriented answers to the issues faced daily by plan administrators, attorneys, actuaries, consultants, accountants, and other pension professionals as they navigate the requirements and procedures involved in administering their plans. It examines the following significant changes and case law in this area: Read more.
Governmental Plans Answer Book, Fifth Edition
(Posted on June 9, 2023 by Carol V. Calhoun)
Comparison of 457(b) Plans, 401(k) Plans, 403(b) Plans, and Deemed IRAs
(Posted on November 24, 2022 by Carol V. Calhoun)
The attractiveness of a 457(b) plan as compared with a 403(b) plan or a 401(k) plan may vary greatly depending on the circumstances. Read more
Comparison of 457(b) Plans, 401(k) Plans, 403(b) Plans, and Deemed IRAs Updated
(Posted on November 24, 2022 by Carol V. Calhoun)
The Comparison of 457(b) Plans, 401(k) Plans, 403(b) Plans, and Deemed IRAs chart has now been updated to reflect recent developments, including:
- 2023 limits on contributions and benefits
- Changes in the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS)
- Changes in the IRS determination letter program for 401(k) plans
- Addition of an IRS determination letter program for individually designed 403(b) plans
- The IRS opinion letter program for pre-approved 403(b) plans
457 Answer Book, Eighth Edition
(Posted on June 22, 2022 by Carol V. Calhoun)
New IRS Correction Rules for Retirement Plans
(Posted on October 13, 2021 by Carol V. Calhoun)
A recent Strafford CLE webinar provided employee benefits counsel, plan sponsors, and administrators guidance on identifying critical retirement plan issues and correction methods. The panel discussed new IRS self-correction rules and procedures.
The PowerPoint slides for the portion of the presentation given by Carol V. Calhoun are below.
IRS Revenue Procedure Eases Correction Procedures
(Posted on July 16, 2021 by Carol V. Calhoun)
The IRS has just issued a new revenue procedure, Rev. Proc. 2021-30, which limits the number of plans that have to make IRS filings under the Voluntary Correction Program (“VCP”) in order to correct past errors.
The guidance expands the Self-Correction Program (“SCP”), which does not require an IRS filing, in two ways:
- Significant operational failures: The correction period for self-correction of significant operational failures is extended from two to three years.
- Retroactive plan amendments: The revenue procedure removes the requirement that all participants in the plan benefit from the retroactive amendment, making it easier to use retroactive plan amendments to correct operational failures under SCP.
The revenue procedure also adds new options with regard to correction of overpayments.
Read more.