SIMPLE IRA is terminating at year end and a Safe Harbor 401(k) beginning the next year. All notices have been provided to employees and both the terminationm and subsequest establishment are in good order.. HOWEVER, contribution cannot be made to a SIMPLE and a 401 in the same year.

Employees receive a paycheck FOR HOURS WORKED from 12/15 throgh 12/27 2008 - however these 2008 hours worked are cut to the employees on January 2, 2009, and it doesn't hit their SIMPLE accounts until January 9, 2009. With a 401(k) being established for the 2009 calendar year, how do we avoid any potential problems or 'red flags' with the IRS, since a contribution to both a SIMPLE and a 401 in the same year is not allowed...????

We were informed of a DRO from 1983 (maybe even before QDRO guidelines) that was never handled by lawyer, plan administrator or recordkeeper. Participant balance has just recently been rolled over to an IRA. Ex-spouse is finally bringing up that part of it belongs to her.

Has she waited too long to get this handled? Is there a time frame in which she must act to claim an alternate payee benefit?

A question has arisen for a client regarding when Health FSA must be offered through COBRA. We were always under the assumption that it would have to be a benefit for the terminated employee to be offered. If the employees would have to pay more through COBRA premiums into their FSA account to get a lesser amount, where would the benefit be? Does anymore have a link to the Federal Register where I can find this explanation as to when an employer must offer FSA through COBRA?

Finally, if an COBRA particiapnt elects COBRA FSA, does the uniform coverage rule take effect?

We have implemented a new enrollment process where the newly eligible enrollment notice and all applicable SPD's are on a CD that is sent to eligible employees after one month of service. This mailing includes the initial COBRA notice in the health care SPD. As we read the regs, they specify that the initial notice must be sent within 90 days after enrollment. Since the CD and notice are sent PRIOR to enrollment is there any problem here?

As a practical matter, what is the difference between using the relief under the "limited amounts" section of notice 2008-113 and under the "certain other operational failures" section of the notice? The correction methods and penatlies seem to be the same for each, so what is the benefit of having a "limited amount" to correct.

Also, am i correct in saying that the only time insiders cannot get relief under the notice is in the year immediately after the failure (thus avoiding the tax penalties)?

thanks!!

I have a Safe Harbor 401(k) plan that also has a new comparability allocation provision

ER doesn't know whether they will make a 3% non elective SH or the basic match.

It is my understanding that the "maybe notice" serves as a notice letting the employees know that the ER may elect into safe harbor status.

This is used when the ER doesn't know whether it will elect safe harbor status...not when the employer can't make up it's mind between a SH match or the SH 3% non-elective. Right?

If the ER uses the "maybe notice"...the safe harbor contribution (if the ER decides to elect Safe Harbor) will be the 3% non-elective. The ER cannot decide to do a SH match mid year...right?

If the ER does decide to elect safe harbor, then the supplemental notice must be given to EEs no later than 30 days before the end of the plan year, and the plan must be amended as such.

This stuff confuses me...I just want to make sure I am understanding what I am reading.

Interesting question from a participant and I'm not sure where to look for the answer. The participant is $20,000 underwater on principal residence which they are trying to sell. Does this qualify as hardship to avoid foreclosure? Can the participant take a hardship in this case? The Plan uses the safe-harbor rules on what is allowed as hardship.

I haven't run into this before but with this combination of housing market and economy I have a feeling this might not be the last time I get this question.

The EE died without having affirmatively named a death beneficiary, and without spouse or children. The plan provides then that the EE's probate estate is by default the designated beneficiary.

The personal representative (PR) of the estate of the EE, one of 4 brothers of the EE, thought there would be an affirmative designation by the EE of the PR personally as the death beneficiary of the 401k benefits. He explained that if it goes through the estate, the 4 brothers share equally. Additional searches were made for a death beneficiary designation, but nothing turned up.

Distribution elections were prepared for the estate, as the default beneficiary and sent to the PR, with an explanation that again no death beneficiary designation by the EE has been found.

The PR turns back in the the Distribution Elections, signing them "as personal representative", but electing a rollover to an IRA entitled "IRA of [EE's name], deceased, FBO [PR's name], beneficiary".

It appears that the PR is attempting to have the benefits rolled over to himself, in his personal capacity, even though the default beneficiary is the EE's estate and the PR has explained to plan official that through the estate, it would go 1/4 each to the 4 brothers.

Any suggestions on how the plan ought to respond to the distribution elections turned back in by the PR?

A corporation is composed of only one person who is the only officer, CEO, CFO, employee, whatever you want to call him and it is very likely that he will never hire someone or partner with anyone else. Seems unlikely, but is there any way for this person to benefit from a cafeteria plan in this case?

Has anyone heard of an election a participant must make to either participate in the 401(k) or defined benefit plan? Any citation available?

Question - A 401(k) Plan that I am handling requires that in order for employees to receive matching contributions, they work 1,000 hours of service per year. The problem is that the Company has not enforced this rule and has matched all employees regardless of hours worked. My question is, how is this corrected? Can I do self correction and retroactively amend the plan or do I have to do VCP? If anyone is familiar with a situation like this please help!

Thanks!

CL

(cites are always nice)

I have a 2-group cross-tested plan - Group 1 is MGMT (and all are HCE); Group 2 is Anyone Not in Group 1 (and is made up of about 25% HCEs).

The employer was hoping to only need to fund 1/3 HCE gateway amount, but due to failing tests, it's taking about twice that amount.

Is this allowed:

I allocate the minimum gateway amount and fail the testing. So then I apply corrective amendment increasing the allocation rate for ONLY the NHCEs in Group 2, keeping the Group 2 HCEs at the original allocation?

Is there any basis for this?

thanks!

Annie

Are there any IRS pronouncements or other guidance (or inferences)--however obtuse--that would lead to the conclusion that the statutory/regulatory temporary safe harbor from coverage which applies to qualified plans in merger/acquisition situations (see IRC Section 410(b)(6)© & Treas. Reg. Section 1.410(b)-2(f)) also applies to self-insured MERPs when a merger/acquisition occurs?

We have an employee who made an election for their HCRA for 2009. They had one payroll deduction, but the employee was then fired. The employee incurred an expense prior to their termination which exceeded their YTD payroll deductions. We know we can't force the former EE to pay the remainder of their 2009 contribution, but we in HR need the actual IRS reg citation and can't seem to find it. Can anyone point us in the right direction? Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I have heard that for a brand new plan plan, say, effective 1/1/08, but established at the end of the year, the AFTAP is deemed to be 100%. Is that correct? Do we need to send the client anything? If so, what calculation do we show? Zero/Zero is certainly not a number.

Thanks.

Does anyone know of any marketing firms that sell such a list? I can get a CPA or accounting firm list but have not found one for investment people.

tx

rs

We recently terminated an employee. He, his spouse & dependents participated in the health plan. I am sending out a COBRA notice. Do I just send one to the former employee, or to each of his dependents & spouse?

Thanks.

This abridged disclaimer was at the bottom of an email I recently received. The gist: You paid us to develop this information but it is ours. However, if it is wrong, it is your's.

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When an employer makes an elective contribution to an employee's 403(b) or 457 account, it's my understanding the dollars are FICA taxable. If an employer makes a contribution to one of these accounts for a sick or vacation payout at the end of an employee's employment, is it still subject to FICA tax? Thus making it part of their earnings that should be reported on their W2. This is for a public school.

I have a cafeteria plan client that uses a fiscal plan year. As of 1/1/09, several employees were given ownership in the S-corporation so they are no longer eligible to defer. My question is what happens to the pre-tax deferrals that these new owners did not use prior to 1/1/09? Can they continue to submit claims for reimbursement or do they lose their remaining balances? Thanks for any help.