IRS Letters

[Guest Billy D.]

Has anyone else had a sudden influx of IRS letters requesting 5500s for plan numbers that do not exist. Many of our plans are getting letters requesting information for the 2005 plan year for plan #002.

[david rigby]

Any chance this is phishing, and the letters are not really from the IRS?

[Belgarath]

We got one yesterday with a plan # of 333! But everything else on the form was legit, as well as the telephone #'s etc.

We worked our way through the earlier batch of letters where forms were filed timely, (there weren't all that many) but I sure hope this isn't the start of some new screw-up on their part. I'm suspicious, because the earlier batch was 2004 forms, and the one we got yesterday was 2005.

I sure wish we had the privilege of screwing up with impunity the way the IRS/DOL seems to be able to...

[Lori Friedman]

We got one yesterday with a plan # of 333

I've had the same thing happen...several times. Some years ago, plan number 333 was used by a multi-employer plan sponsored by a participating employer. I'm guessing that DOL received Form 5500's for plans with those characteristics and automatically key-punched plan number 333 (even though the correct plan number was 001, or 002, etc.). I took care of each incident with a brief explanatory letter to DOL.

[JanetM]

We have received a few letters for plans that we terminated years ago. Most recent one was for plan termed and filed final 1998. IRS says they are confused because - they say- we filed the plan 5500 in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 and all were marked final.

Have spent quite a few hours trying to get this one sorted out.

[Ron Snyder]

That seems like a good idea: file the 5500 each year and mark them all final. Maybe that will get IRS off our backs.

Seriously, why is IRS writing about filings that go to the DOL? Should the DOL be following up on missing 5500s?

[Belgarath]

We just got a 2005 kickback today. They said they never received a 2005 form. Only problem is they somehow got the Trust id# on the form, rather than the employer id#! We checked, and of course NO 5500 form was ever filed using the Trust id#, so it appears that somehow their retarded system must have pulled a Trust id# off the Schedule P, and produced a kickback for a 5500 form?

This is starting to frazzle my normally good humor. But, since I'm on vacation until January 2, I'm in a much more tolerant mood than I otherwise might be. Happy holidays to y'all.

[david rigby]

We just got a 2005 kickback today.

We know what you mean, but you may wish to consider avoiding the word "kickback" in the future.