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Contribution limits with combined DB/DC plans

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“I am meeting with a new client who has a defined benefit (DB) plan and would like to add an “individual k” plan. Can he do this and, if so, what are the contribution limitations?”

ERISA consultants at the Retirement Learning Center Resource Desk regularly receive calls from financial advisors on a broad array of technical topics related to IRAs, qualified retirement plans and other types of retirement savings and income plans, including nonqualified plans, stock options, and Social Security and Medicare. We bring Case of the Week to you to highlight the most relevant topics affecting your business.

A recent call with a financial advisor from Rhode Island is representative of a common inquiry related to an employee covered by two plans.

Highlights of the Discussion

There are several layers to consider in your client’s situation. First, keep in mind that an individual k plan is a type of 401(k) plan that is designed to cover only small business owners and their spouses, (i.e., businesses without eligible common-law employees).

To answer your question, yes, a business owner can have both a 401(k)/profit sharing plan and a DB plan. The question on contribution limitations depends on whether the DB plan is covered by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBCG—the governmental entity that insures private sector DB plans). If a sponsor has a question about coverage, it can ask the DOL to make the call: Requesting a coverage determination

The PBGC insures most private-sector (i.e., non-governmental) DB plans [ERISA 4021(a)]. There are some notable exceptions to coverage, however ([ERISA 4021(b)].

Among others, the PBGC does not insure the following types of plans:

  • Governmental plans;
  • Small professional service plans;
  • Substantial owner plans;
  • Certain Puerto Rico plans;
  • Certain church plans.

Please see the PBGC’s definitions for the above listed exemptions on the PBGC’s website at PBGC Insurance Coverage.    

Where a DC and DB plan are combined, and the DB plan is covered by the PBGC, then there is no combined contribution limit. The deduction limits for contributions to DC and DB plans apply separately. A business owner, in this case, can fully contribute to both a DC and a PBGC-covered DB plan within the prescribed limits for each.

In the case at hand, one must be mindful of the substantial owner exemption from PBGC coverage. A private-sector DB plan is exempt from PBGC coverage if it is established and maintained exclusively for substantial owners of the plan sponsor (i.e., if all participants are substantial owners).

A participant is a substantial owner if, at any time during the last 60 months, the participant:

  • Owned the entire interest in an unincorporated trade or business, or
  • In the case of a partnership, is a partner who owned, directly or indirectly, more than 10 percent of either the capital or profits interest in such partnership, or
  • In the case of a corporation, owned directly or indirectly more than 10 percent in value of either the voting stock or all the stock of that corporation.

Where a DC and DB plan are combined, and the DB plan is not covered by the PBGC, as would be the case in an owner-only situation, then there is a combined contribution limit as follows:

If there is an employer contribution to the DC plan, then the maximum deductible contribution to both types of plans combined is the greater of

  • 25 percent of the aggregate compensation of all participants; or
  • the amount necessary to meet the minimum funding standard for the defined benefit plan.

Consequently, the plan sponsor would fund the DB plan up to the required amount, then fund the DC plan if there is still room.

For this purpose, the IRS says the first six percent of deductible contributions made to the DC plan is ignored for the above limits; and salary deferrals to the 401(k) plan are not counted toward the deduction limit.

Conclusion

Determining the maximum deductible contribution that a plan sponsor can make to a DB and DC plan that are combined can be tricky. Business owners should always seek advice from their tax advisors when calculating plan contribution limits.

© Copyright 2024 Retirement Learning Center, all rights reserved
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Universal Availability Rule

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“Can you explain the universal availability rule and does that apply to 401(k) plans?”

ERISA consultants at the Retirement Learning Center Resource Desk regularly receive calls from financial advisors on a broad array of technical topics related to IRAs, qualified retirement plans and other types of retirement savings and income plans, including nonqualified plans, stock options, and Social Security and Medicare. We bring Case of the Week to you to highlight the most relevant topics affecting your business.

A recent call with a financial advisor from Illinois is representative of a common inquiry related to 403(b) plans.

Highlights of the Discussion

The universal availability requirement is a rule that relates to eligibility to make elective deferrals in 403(b) plans—not 401(k) plans. It is the nondiscrimination test for 403(b) elective deferrals. Universal availability requires that if the sponsor of a 403(b) plan allows any employee to make elective deferrals to the plan, it must permit all employees to make elective deferrals as well [Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.403(b)-5(b)]. There are a few limited exceptions explained next.

The IRS allows a 403(b) plan sponsor to disregarding the following excludable employees when applying the universal availability test to their plans:

  • Nonresident aliens with no U.S. source income;
  • Employees who normally work fewer than 20 hours per week (or a lower number if specified in the plan document);
  • Student workers performing services as described in Treas. Reg. Sec. 31.3121(b)(10)–2 (note that medical residents are not considered to be students for this purpose);
  • Employees whose maximum elective deferrals under the plan are less than $200; and
  • Employees eligible to participate and make elective deferrals under another 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b) plan sponsored by the same employer.

Under the fewer-than-20-hours-per-week and student worker exclusions listed above, if any employee who would be excluded under either exclusion is permitted to participate, then no employee may be excluded under that exclusion [ Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.403(b)-5]. Consequently, if the plan allows an employee working fewer than 20 hours per week to participate, the plan cannot exclude any employee using the fewer-than-20-hours-per-week exclusion.

A 403(b) plan may not exclude employees based on a generic classification such as the following:

  • Part-time,
  • Temporary,
  • Seasonal,
  • Substitute teacher,
  • Adjunct professor or
  • Collectively bargained employee.

However, if these employees fall under the fewer-than-20-hours criterion, then they may be excluded on that basis. For examples on the application of the exclusion, please see IRS 403(b) Universal Availability. The key to this exclusion is that a plan must determine eligibility for making 403(b) elective deferrals based on whether the employee is reasonably expected to normally work fewer than 20 hours per week and has actually never worked more than 1,000 hours in the applicable 12-month period.

And don’t forget, an employee is not considered to have had the right to make a deferral election unless he or she has had what the IRS calls an “effective opportunity” to make such an election. Effective opportunity is a facts-and-circumstances test. Essentially, at least once during a plan year, employees must receive a deferral notice and have a window of time to make or change a deferral election.

If a plan violates the universal availability rule, the effect can be loss of IRC 403(b) status. In that extreme case, contributions to the plan would become subject to income tax, employment tax and withholding. But the IRS wants to avoid that, so it provides correction remedies in its Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (See the IRS’s 403(b) Fix-It Guide and Rev. Proc. 2019-19 for remedies.)

Conclusion

The ability to make elective deferrals in a 403(b) plan must be universally available to all eligible employees of a 403(b) plan sponsor. Be aware of the subtle nuances and follow IRS guidance on applying this important rule.

© Copyright 2024 Retirement Learning Center, all rights reserved
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Valuing employer stock in an ESOP

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“My client has an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). How does he value the stock within the plan if it is not traded on a securities market?”

ERISA consultants at the Retirement Learning Center Resource Desk regularly receive calls from financial advisors on a broad array of technical topics related to IRAs, qualified retirement plans and other types of retirement savings and income plans, including nonqualified plans, stock options, and Social Security and Medicare. We bring Case of the Week to you to highlight the most relevant topics affecting your business.

A recent call with a financial advisor from Wisconsin is representative of a common inquiry related to valuing stock of the sponsoring employer in qualified retirement plans.

Highlights of the Discussion

For employer securities that are not readily tradable on an established securities market, the IRS requires the shares be valued by an independent appraiser [IRC 401(a)(28)(C)]. Valuation by an independent appraiser is not required in the case of employer securities that are readily tradable on an established securities market.

There are a number of factors to consider when determining the value of an asset within a qualified retirement plan. In its examination guidelines, the IRS supports the use of Revenue Ruling 59-60, which relates to valuing assets for estate tax and gift tax purposes, for valuing assets in qualified retirement plans as well.

In valuing the stock of closely held corporations or the stock of corporations where market quotations are not available, all available financial data, as well as all relevant factors affecting the fair market value must be considered. For example, some factors to consider include the following:

  • Nature and history of the business issuing the security;
  • General economic outlook and the outlook for the specific industry;
  • Book value of the securities and the financial condition of the business;
  • Company’s earning capacity;
  • Company’s dividend paying capacity;
  • Goodwill value; and
  • Recent stock sales.

The list of factors to consider in Rev. Rul. 59–60 is not an exclusive list for valuing closely-held employer securities. It may be necessary to consider other factors when appropriate. Also, not all of the listed factors will be relevant to all companies and transactions. The IRS’ examination guidelines note that the independent appraisal will not, in and of itself, be a good faith determination of value unless all relevant factors are considered.

IRS examiners will look at Form 5500 (Schedule R, line 12) to the question: Does the ESOP hold any stock that is not readily tradable on an established securities market? If the answer is yes, examiners are directed to determine if the securities were valued that year and by whom in order to confirm it was done by an independent, third-party auditor.

Conclusion

An ESOP that holds employer securities that are not readily tradable on an established securities market must follow specific guidelines for annual asset valuation. The valuation requires the use of an independent auditor who observes the requirements of Rev. Rul. 59-60.

 

© Copyright 2024 Retirement Learning Center, all rights reserved