For more stories like this, sign up for the PLANSPONSOR NEWSDash daily newsletter.
Compliance September 2, 2020
IRS Requests Comments on Form 5500 Changes/Obligation
There are two proposed changes, and comments are also requested about ways to enhance the information collected and to minimize the burden of the collection of information.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
The IRS is soliciting comments concerning the Form 5500 Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan.
Proposed changes include adding a new checkbox to Form 5500, Form 5500-SF and Form 5500-EZ for an initial plan retroactively adopted as permitted by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act Section 201 and adding checkboxes for requesting an extension of time.
Comments are also invited on:
- whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility;
- the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the collection of information;
- ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected;
- ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information or other forms of information technology (IT); and
- estimates of capital or startup costs and costs of operation, maintenance and purchase of services to provide information.
The comment period is 60 days.
You Might Also Like:
IRS Releases 2026 Covered Compensation Tables
The documents enable plan sponsors to determine additional benefits for employees whose compensation exceeds certain thresholds.
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.
Recordkeepers Brace for ‘Roth-Only’ Catch-Ups: What 2026 Rollout Might Look Like
The handoff will likely begin with plan sponsors and payroll providers, but the process becomes more complex after that.
« Inflation Is Not All Bad. In Fact It Is Essential for Growth.