401kWhisperer

Thanks for your insight, Paul. The employer is not able to amend the W-2s - the payroll company they used wouldn't allow them to, so option 1 of the IRS corrections is not available. The second method (underlined below) - Since the deposits were actually made into the Roth source in 2022 and 2023, the only way I can see to include this in their income in the year it was transferred (2022 and 2023) would be to issue Form 1099-Rs (since the payroll company will not amend the W-2s). That still leads back to the participants forced to amend their taxes for 2022 and 2023. The employer includes the amount transferred from the pre-tax to the Roth account in Marcie’s compensation in the year it’s transferred (2014). If the employer elects, it may compensate Marcie for the additional amount she owes in income tax in 2014. This must be included in Marcie’s 2014 income.

Thank you! I think this a great idea. The payroll company I client used said it was too late to amend the W-2s for 2022 when this first came up in April 2023. So, it kind of got left...then of course I'm working on 2023 and I realize it continued and 2022 was still left uncorrected.

This issue started in 2022 (before my time at my company and is still lingering through 2023) and I just wanted to get some opinions on how to correct: Employer deducted several participants Roth as pretax (2022 W-2s reported as pretax) but deposited as Roth with recordkeeper. We discovered while working on 2022. On annual admin report, we reported as all Roth (tying to RK, but differing from W-2s). We gave them these options to correct 2022: · Employees can choose to maintain their Roth election. The employer has two options to report the mistake: o Issue corrected W-2s and the amount will be considered taxable to the employees for year 2022. o Include the amount that was incorrectly designated as a Pre-Tax deferral in each employee’s compensation in year 2023. Given it was an employer mistake, you may elect as the employer to compensate these employees for the additional amount owed in income tax (treated as current year income). This would be a complicated process, requiring an estimate of how much each employee would owe in taxes. You would need to reach out to your accountant for this. They have not amended the W-2s and do not intend to at this point, nor have they made up the taxable amount. This lingered into 2023, so they first few payrolls were also incorrect. The employer does not intend to amend the 2023 W-2s either and had indicated to use what was reported on the W-2s and make adjustments at the RK to match the W-2s (i.e. move money between sources). When we sent a correction to the RK to make these adjustments, they indicated since 2022 was not done this way, they didn't think 2023 should be either. We aren't sure how to handle - the IRS would surely be upset they are missing out on the taxes and the DOL would surely be upset the deferral elections were not processed correctly. Any insights on how you would handle?

sorry this is super late, but i think you can stop SHNEC as long as you have the language in your notice. It doesn't have to be for an economic loss. This is what ours says: Notwithstanding any language in this Notice to the contrary, we reserve the right to amend the Plan at any time during the Plan Year to reduce or suspend the safe harbor contribution. If we decide to reduce or suspend the safe harbor contribution, we will provide you with a supplemental notice at least 30 days prior to the effective date of such reduction or suspension describing the consequences of the amendment. Any amendment to reduce or suspend safe harbor contributions will not affect any contributions earned prior to the effective date of such amendment. Below is from Lord Abbett: Employer must have included in their safe harbor notice, which is required to be delivered annually to plan participants, a statement that the plan may be amended in the upcoming year to suspend or reduce safe harbor contributions and that the suspension or reduction will not apply until at least 30 days after all eligible employees receive an additional notice of the suspension or reduction. If this statement is included, the safe harbor contribution may be reduced or suspended for any reason.

ahhh I didn't catch that. For some reason when I searched component and 401(a)(4) testing, this thread came up. Thanks for your knowledge! I appreciate it. I started to question everything I ever learned. haha

Hi John, sorry for bringing this up several weeks later as I was just researching this subject for a plan of mine. I used component testing and ASC required the gateway to those in component 2 (run on contributions basis). It's a top heavy plan, so I figured I could just give those in C2 3% but the testing showed it failed gateway. While I was researching, I saw the below post from 2013 and you commented that those being tested on contributions basis DID need to get the gateway. There was also a post from 2012 where both you and Tome Poje both quoted from the regs: "In addition, the minimum allocation gateway of §1.401(a)(4)-8(b)(1)(vi) and the minimum aggregate allocation gateway of paragraph (b)(2)(v)(D) of this section cannot be satisfied on the basis of component plans." Am I missing something? Thanks!

3 software developers worked 10 years as independent contractors for “Business Software Company” that was 100% owned by “Investment company”. There were no Employees of Business Software company or “Investment company”. In 2022 the 3 developers, as a new partnership “Partnership” purchased 75% ownership of Business Software Company, each partner now owns 25% and the remaining 25% still owned by Investment Company. The Software company appears to be unrelated to Investment Company. The 3 independent contractors may/may not have had individual 401(k) Plan (we were told one possibly has one). One of the partners of the new partnership came to us looking to start a new plan. Should we be concerned about the successor plan rule? Thanks in advance!