Testing benefits across company lines and payroll issues.

[Guest FredBaragona]

I am working with a Trust Company (A Holding Company) that is issuing a separate class of stock to a number of other smaller Trust Companies around the country that it is acquiring. We will be filing a consolidated tax return, but the acquired companies will maintain their idenity and operational control. The questions is can we maintain the separate benefit plans that these acquired companies presently have, and if so, do we have to aggregate them for testing purposes? What about employees; can they continue to be paid by their existing company, or do they have to go on the payroll of the Holding Company?