Never miss a story — sign up for PLANSPONSOR newsletters to keep up on the latest retirement plan benefits news.
Compliance December 15, 2025
Federal Agencies Release 2025 Benefits Plan Reporting Forms With Key Updates
Changes affect terminated multiemployer defined benefit plans; plans using a variable annuity benefit formula; and terminated single-employer PBGC-covered plans.
Reported by James Van Bramer
The U.S. Department of Labor, in coordination with the Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, published informational copies of the 2025 annual benefits plan reporting forms and instructions.
The release includes Form 5500, Form 5500-SF, IRS Form 5500-EZ, IRS Form 5558 and related instructions, now accessible online.
The forms are required by federal law to be filed each year for pension and welfare benefit plan administrators to report on financial conditions, investments and operations. Notably, the 2025 forms feature several important updates, such as new and revised plan characteristic codes to better identify plan types and circumstances, including codes specific to multiemployer plan terminations and variable annuity benefit formulas.
The IRS will provide paper copies of 2025 Form 5500-EZ and its instructions separately after January 1, 2026.
The latest notice comes after a string of recent updates provided by the IRS. Other notable changes recently announced by the IRS include: guidance on new tax benefits for health savings account participants authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; required amendments for qualified plans; and details on newly created Trump Accounts.
« Recordkeepers Brace for ‘Roth-Only’ Catch-Ups: What 2026 Rollout Might Look Like