Hi - I wasn't sure where to post this question. Is there a better place to go to for questions regarding FMLA and MMLA?

Here is my question.

If we have someone going out on FMLA and there is a holiday coming up, how does that count towards the leave? For example, we are a Jewish institution and are closed for a 2 week period for Passover starting next Monday. We have someone going on FMLA leave sometime this week. How do we count the holiday time? Is it included as part of the alloted time off, but it is paid because we pay for holidays? Or is it not counted at all as a part of leave meaning that she can use an additional 2 weeks of leave after the holiday break?

Any other helpful tips would be much appreciated as we are new at this FMLA thing.

Thanks!

So if we distribute the new annual funding notice for 2008 timely (by April 30th, since it's a calendar year plan), what do we do if we elect to change the actuarial assumptions for 2008 and re-do the 2008 annual valuation after April 30th? Do we do a revised annual funding notice? Or are we considered "late" since the final information was not included in the April 30th notice? Any ideas?

Maybe I missed it, but I was wondering if there is a forum here for exchanging information on job opportunities. I actually have an available Retirement Plan Administration position available in my Firm (Long Island, NY) that I am looking to fill. I usually post on Craigslist and monster.com but figured I would look within our own industry first. Any suggestions on where to post the details?

I've just started a new job and my first project is creating or updating SPDs for all of the benefit plans.

One of the SPDs I'm working on is for a defined benefit pension plan. Over the years, this plan has had different plant sites or divisions that participated in it, and other pension plans were combined into it. Each group apparently had differing benefit formulas. Over time, most these sites/divisions either closed or were sold. Right now only one site actively participates (still accrues a benefit). The only remaining participants in the plan are from this one active division, or vested terms/in-pay status retirees from the former locations/divisions.

To keep it clean, I was going to do one SPD for the active group.

For the others, I wanted to somehow combine them into a single spd. However, I cannot locate documentation that indicates what all the differing benefit formulas were over time, and I cannot find the details on how certain sites came to no longer be part of the plan (did they close or were they sold, or whatever). I can't really even determine how many different sites were once in this plan. I only have the most recent plan doc restatement, which only shows 2 groups in it, but I know from the current third-party administrator, that there were once many other groups. I can't locate a copy of the prior plan doc.

the 3-rd party administrator has only had the plan for a few years, so isn't really a source for history. The former administrator before that is no longer in business.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to approach this? Has anyone ever done an SPD for just vested terms and retirees and if so, would the requirements be different? Would I need to describe the varying formulas involved for each of the one time participants in the plan?

The Plan allows an in-service withdrawal to Participant A for $50,000. Participant A is only 40 years old and the Plan only allows in-service withdrawals at age 59 1/2. First question - is this a prohibited transaction? Second question - assuming it is, Form 5330 must be completed and filed, correct?

Scenario - qualifed plan, male participant age 60 died, spouse is sole beneficiary. She wants to keep the account in the plan. Plan does not have J&S.

Document allows spouse beneficiary to postpone payments until spouse would have been 70 1/2.

Questions:

1. Document requires that if spouse beneficiary wants to be exempted from 5-year distribution rule, they must make election in writing. Does anyone know if there is a form for this or what it should say?

2. I believe that we should still keep account in the participant's name, not put in spouse's name. Does that sound right?

Thanks!

Due to the economy, a company can no longer make the Safe Harbor Match Contribution effective 5/1/09.

The 30 day notice was given to all participants.

Are the Safe Harbor Match Contributions that were given from 1/1/09 to 4/30/09 100 % vested?

Its a new world with all the negative earnings!

Everything I know and have read on correcting Missed Deferrals and Match says to "include earnings" but my question is: does this also include losses?

I have a plan where a person was missed from 7/1/08-12/31/08...obviously an "earnings" would be in the negative...do I calculate and have the client reduce the QNEC due to the plan?

Thanks.

We have a Plan that terminated in 2000. The Plan had many issues and our Firm worked closely with the DOL and the bankruptcy court to correct all plan defects, restore participants and finally terminate the plan.

So the plan has been terminated since 2000. All participants (and there were hundreds) were reported at some point on a schedule ssa. None were ever deleted on a form SSA. As those participants reach retirement age, they are now receiving a benefit statement from the DOL.

Is there a way to remove anyone reported on an SSA now - with the plan having been terminated for 8+ years?

Thanks for your help.

I have a partnership with the following groups identified in their plan document:

Group A = All Partners > 10% ownership

Group B = All Partners < 10% ownership

Group C = all non-partner attorneys

Group D = all remaining staff

Per the Plan Doc, determination of group status is made at the time of allocation.

Group A is receiving a 10% contribution. All other groups are receiving a 5% contribution. Testing passes.

We have one partner who is a 14% owner. He would like to receive a 5% contribution. Is there any way I can accomodate his request?

Thanks for your help.

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I was negligent and failed to fund my Money Purchase for 2003-2006. I funded for 2007 and am about to fund it for 2008. I was then thinking of converting the Money Purchase and Profit Sharing accounts to a SEP-IRA to reduce reporting requirements, etc.

I talked to a Retirement Specialist at Fidelity that was very good. She pointed out that I had a "Funding Deficiency in my Money Purchase Plan" and that I should clear it up. She suggested that I could work this out with the IRS on my own using:

EPCRS-Employee Plan Compliance Resolution System (an IRS website)

EGTRAA-to ammend the Plan before terminating

ERISA-more advice, all complicated.

I've spent hours Googling all of that, but I think it's too complicated for me. I think I should have an easy case, since I'm the only employee, my mistake only affected me (negatively), and that I'm not being audited.

I think I should pay somebody who knows this stuff to fix it for me. I'd like to minimize penalties and get back on good footing with the IRS. Any advice?Is it possible that this won't cost me any penalties? Or should I just continue funding the MP and PS plans and not worry about it?

Thanks for any help, including names of people that are in the business of addressing this problem.

What is tax treatment of following situation:

Employer maintains profit sharing plan. Participant is a fully vested participant whose plan account receives annual allocation.

Participant and Employer have agreed that participant will reimburse employer every year for the amount of contribution that Employer makes to plan on participant's behalf.

Would this be unreimbursed business expense for participant?

Would this offset income that participant would othewise report?

Would this create some type of 'basis' for employee in profit sharing account?

As a result of PPA, distribution of excess contributions are now taxable in 2009 even if they are distributed within the first 2 ½ months of 2009. A participant had a $1,000 corrective distribution amount on which they had a loss of $100 so that the net distribution was $900. They will receive a 2009 Form 1099-R showing $900 in box 1 and in box 2a. What is the amount that they need to report as taxable for their 2009 taxes? Thanks for your assistance.

PAL

Here is a unique to me situation. I have one participant, catch-up eligible, that worked at two completely unrelated employers during 2008, Company A and Company B.

At Company A she defered $4320 and was a HCE. She quits Company A March of 2008 and begins work with Company B. At Company B she defers $15,500 as a NHCE. No 402(g) limit problems so everything looks great.

Company A fails ADP testing and she is due a refund of $2200.00. Refund at company A is reclassified as catch-up contributions. Company A is happy; no actual refunds for 2008.

Meanwhile, Company B also passes ADP testing since she is a NHCE.

Since we happen to do plan administration for both plans this is brought to our attention that she actually only had $680.00 eligible to be reclassified meaning she should be due a distribution from Company A's failed ADP test; since 402(g) and catch-up are an idividual limit and not a plan limit.

How would you handle this? We are almost of the persuasion that this probably happens all the time. Except for the fact that she went to Company B that we do admin for how would Company A or we have known that she deferred $15500 at Company B? She didn't exceed a 402(g) limit. Many are tempted to take the stance of oh well she got lucky; and let tested dogs lie where they may.

Any input?

Are separate annual funding notices required for each employer in a multiple employer plan?

An employee fits all qualifications for the subsidy with a term date of 11/28/08. No problem there but upon initial termination and election (11/28/09) she elected for 2 people. Her and a child. The child had aged out as of 12/31/2008 and was issued a standard election notice (loss of dependant status) without ever responding.

Would this child be eligible for ARRA? I think not, but others disagree with the thinking that since the original qualifying event was 11/28/08 the child should be given the chance to elect under ARRA.

If the child did elect as of 12/31/2009 she wouldn't be eligible for ARRA. I don’t think ARRA would jump over the loss of dependent status.

Opinions?

Thanks.

My company has a Safe Harbor plan (flat 3%) with a one year of service eligibility requirement. We hired employees last year (our plan year is the calendar year) and enrolled them immediately (at their choice) because our controller forgot about the one year eligibility. Then we laid them off late in the year in what qualifies as a partial plan termination. Have we risked disqualification of our plan? How do we fix this now? And are we supposed to make safe harbor contributions for them (we do a one-time contribution each year that hasn't been made yet but has to be made by April 15)?

Are contibutions to an HSA or HRA considered annual additions. I realize that the answer may be different for each type of plan. I have read that Cafeteria Plan contributions are not annual additions, however neither HSAs or HRAs are cafeteria plan, however an HSA can be used in conjunction with a cafeteria plan.

Thanks.

A congregation wants to set up a NQDC arrangement for its soon-to-be-retired clergyman.

I understand the substantial risk of forfeiture requirement, and I believe that the organization will fully satisfy it. The clergyman's future benefits are contingent upon him serving out the remainder of his contract and providing substantial services to the congregation. If he leaves early, or if he otherwise fails to satisfy his job duties, he'll receive $0.

I also believe that I'm ok on the distribution rule. Nothing will be paid until the clergyman separates from service.

What I can't figure out is the timing of the payouts. Do all of the distributions need to be made within 2-1/2 months after the end of the year when the clergyman retires? Or, can the NQDC document specify a fixed schedule of payouts over several years? Of course, the clergyman doesn't want to recognize any income before the actual cash flow (and the congregation doesn't need the administrative burdens of that sort of timing issue). I've tried to research Sec. 409A's provisions about payouts, but the literature is very confusing. Also, it appears that Sec. 409A has been modified, several times, since its adoption.

Thank you for your guidance.