RGDP

I'm an auditor myself. A lot of the replies have addressed some great points. I recommend also ensuring that you have prior years' information available. If the plan has never been audited, the auditor will generally need to go back a couple of years. Each auditor is different so how many years they go back will vary. Also, if you have any issues during the year being audited or in prior years, make sure you have the correction information handy. The auditor will most likely ask for that information. We're actually co-hosting a webinar February 24th called "Pitfalls of a 401(k) Audit: What You Need to Know". We will be talking about audit readiness, some of the more common issues we note during the audit, and other topics. The link is here and it's free: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6794741519587475289. I think it'll answer some of your questions. You'll have an opportunity to ask questions during the session. I hope it helps.

In addition to making sure the dates correspond you'll want to make sure that you're comparing numbers using the same basis of accounting (accrual, cash, modified cash). On the Form 990, the realized gain (loss) is usually reported on Part VIII. Unrealized gain (loss) is usually reported on Part XI, Line 5 (and not necessarily part of revenue). Depending on the situation, Part IX, Line 4 may also include those benefits provided to Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees and other Employees and therefore not reflected in Part IX, Line 9. Part IX, Line 9 could include several other items such as employee events. With that said you probably won't reconcile between the two just by looking at the forms. I'm not saying that it's impossible but you're going to need more information to be able to reconcile. I hope this helps.