One new penalty tax exception is for the terminal illness of a retirement plan participant or IRA owner. The provision applies to terminally ill distributions made after December 29, 2022. The rationale for this new exception is the potential need of an individual to use retirement funds for expenses related to a terminal illness.
To assist Ascensus clients during the busy contribution and tax season, the 800 Consulting telephone lines will be open for extended hours.
Read MoreToday, many employers offer long-term incentives, such as employer matching contributions, to boost participation in their retirement plans. But, as of plan years beginning after December 29, 2022, a small immediate financial incentive can also be offered to entice those not deferring in their employer’s 401(k) or 403(b) plan to start contributing to the plan. Inevitably, this has generated questions—the most popular of which we will answer here.
Read MoreThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released final regulations that provide de minimis error safe harbor exceptions to penalties for failure to file correct information returns or furnish correct payee statements.
Read MoreThe SECURE 2.0 Act contains provisions that allow individuals to place more of their assets into Roth accounts. Implementing these provisions requires significant retooling for employers, third-party providers, and financial organizations.
Read MoreThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Notice 2024-02, which provides guidance in a question and answer format regarding several provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0). This article summarizes the guidance contained in Notice 2024-02.
Read MoreAn employer can design a plan and avoid worrying about ADP/ACP testing by offering an ADP/ACP safe harbor 401(k) plan.
Read MoreWhat is a Sarbanes-Oxley blackout notice? What is a blackout period? What information must be included in the blackout notice? What are the potential consequences of not providing a timely blackout notice?
Read MoreOn December 20, 2023, the IRS released Notice 2024-2, Miscellaneous Changes Under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. The so-called “Grab Bag” Notice provides guidance to multiple provisions of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022.
Read MoreIf you’re new to qualified retirement plans, or simply need a refresher on these common terms in the retirement plan industry, we’ve got you covered.
Read MoreThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released a proposed regulation reflecting statutory changes related to long-term, part-time (LTPT) employees made by the SECURE Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) and the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0).
Read MoreEligible employees must be given the opportunity to contribute deferrals or after-tax contributions, including catch up, for the period of military service.
Read MoreThe IRS has issued Notice 2023-75, which contains the 2024 cost-of-living increases for qualified retirement plan dollar limitations on benefits and contributions under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).
Read MoreThe Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a regulatory package that includes a proposed amendment to the regulations that define what constitutes an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (the “Retirement Security Rule”).
Read MoreThe top-heavy test in Internal Revenue Code Section (IRC Sec.) 416 compares the benefits that have accrued under the plan for key employees to those of nonkey employees.
Read MoreA safe harbor 401(k) is a specific 401(k) retirement plan design that allows sponsoring employers to avoid certain compliance testing. Many aspects of 401(k) plans are subject to compliance testing to ensure that higher paid employees and owners don’t benefit from the plan disproportionately in comparison with the rank-and-file employees. Put another way, the plan’s provisions must not unduly discriminate in favor of owners and the highly paid.
Read MoreIf deferrals are not deposited into participants’ accounts by the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) deposit deadline, the deposits are considered late. This failure may result in a prohibited transaction.
Read MoreYou’ve established your retirement plan. Contributions are coming in and distributions are going out. Everything seems to be running smoothly . . . until your recordkeeper sends an alert indicating that you may not be operating your plan according to all the terms of the document.
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