IRS Issues Guidance on Midyear Changes to Safe Harbor Plans

I. PURPOSE

This notice provides guidance on mid-year changes to a safe harbor plan under §§ 401(k) and 401(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. The notice provides that a mid-year change either to a safe harbor plan or to a plan's safe harbor notice does not violate the safe harbor rules merely because it is a mid-year change, provided that applicable notice and election opportunity conditions are satisfied and the mid-year change is not a prohibited mid-year change, as described in the notice. In addition, the notice requests comments on additional guidance that may be needed, in particular with respect to mid-year changes to safe harbor plans in cases in which a plan sponsor is involved in a merger or acquisition.

II. BACKGROUND

As an alternative to satisfying the annual ADP and ACP test, a plan may be structured to use a safe harbor plan design. For purposes of this notice, a "safe harbor plan" is a plan that includes a cash or deferred arrangement described in § 401(k)(12) (traditional § 401(k) safe harbor) or § 401(k)(13) (qualified automatic contribution arrangement ("QACA") 401(k) safe harbor), or a matching contribution described in § 401(m)(11) (traditional matching safe harbor) or § 401(m)(12) (QACA matching safe harbor).

For purposes of this notice, §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3 are referred to as the "safe harbor plan regulations." The safe harbor plan regulations set out requirements for a § 401(k) or 401(m) plan to be a safe harbor plan, including requirements regarding contributions, requirements that certain plan provisions remain in effect for a 12-month plan year (subject to certain exceptions), and requirements regarding the provision of safe harbor notices.

The safe harbor plan regulations set out several exceptions to the requirement that plan provisions satisfying the rules of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3 be adopted before the first day of the plan year and continue for an entire 12-month plan year. These include exceptions for (i) a short first plan year, (ii) a change in the plan year, (iii) a short final plan year, (iv) a delayed adoption of safe harbor plan nonelective contributions (if notice of this possibility is provided before the beginning of the plan year), and (v) a mid-year reduction or suspension of safe harbor contributions (which results in loss of safe harbor plan status). See §§ 1.401(k)-3(e), (f), and (g) and 1.401(m)-3(f), (g), and (h). ¹ In addition, exceptions to the prohibition against mid-year amendments may be provided in guidance of general applicability published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. See §§ 1.401(k)-3(e) and 1.401(m)-3(f).

To meet the content requirements, a safe harbor notice must be sufficiently accurate and comprehensive to inform an employee of the employee's rights and obligations under the plan, and written in a manner calculated to be understood by the average employee eligible to participate in the plan. Under the safe harbor plan regulations, a notice is not considered sufficiently accurate and comprehensive unless the notice accurately describes certain information specified in those regulations, including the plan's safe harbor contributions, any other plan contributions, the type and amount of compensation that may be deferred under the plan, how to make cash or deferred elections (including any administrative requirements that apply to the elections), the plan's withdrawal and vesting provisions, and specified contact information. See §§ 1.401(k)-3(d) and 1.401(m)-3(e). In addition to satisfying the general content requirements for a safe harbor notice, a safe harbor notice for a QACA must describe certain additional items, including the level of elective contributions that will be made on the employee's behalf if the employee does not make an affirmative election and how contributions will be invested. See § 1.401(k)-3(k).

Requirements for providing safe harbor notices on a timely basis are set out in § 1.401(k)-3(d). A safe harbor notice generally must be provided within a reasonable period before the beginning of the plan year. Whether this timing requirement is met is based on all of the relevant facts and circumstances, but the timing requirement is deemed to be satisfied if a safe harbor notice is provided at least 30 days (and not more than 90 days) before the beginning of the plan year. Special timing rules apply for employees who become eligible during the plan year. These requirements for delivery of safe harbor notices also apply under § 1.401(m)-3(e). Section 1.401(k)-3(k) provides additional notice timing rules for QACAs.

III. GUIDANCE ON MID-YEAR CHANGES TO SAFE HARBOR PLANS AND NOTICES

Section III.C of this notice sets out special conditions that must be satisfied for a mid-year change that alters the plan's required safe harbor notice content. Not every mid-year change to a safe harbor plan alters information required to be provided in a plan's safe harbor notice (for example, information about a plan's entry date is not required to be provided in a plan's safe harbor notice). Similarly, information required to be included in a plan's safe harbor notice can change mid-year even if no change is made to the safe harbor plan (for example, a change in contact information).

Section III.D of this notice lists prohibited mid-year changes, and section III.E of this notice provides examples illustrating certain aspects of the guidance provided under this notice.

The following mid-year changes are not subject to the provisions in the first paragraph of this section III.B, but instead would violate the requirements of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3 unless the applicable regulatory conditions corresponding to each specified change are satisfied:

Example 2: The employer sponsoring Plan N, a traditional § 401(k) safe harbor plan, makes a mid-year plan amendment to decrease safe harbor nonelective contributions from 4% to 3% for all eligible employees. If the reduction meets the requirements of § 1.401(k)-3(g), the plan is no longer a safe harbor plan and is required to satisfy ADP testing or other nondiscrimination standards. If the reduction does not meet the requirements of § 1.401(k)-3(g), the plan as amended does not satisfy § 401(k)(3).

Example 3: The employer sponsoring Plan O, a traditional § 401(k) and traditional matching safe harbor plan with a calendar year plan year and match calculated on a payroll-period basis, makes a mid-year amendment on August 31 to increase the safe harbor matching contribution from 4% to 5% retroactive to January 1 and to amend the plan to change from a payroll-period match calculation to an entire-plan-year match calculation. Due to the retroactive effective date of the change, it is not practicable for the plan to provide an updated safe harbor notice and additional election opportunity to employees prior to the January 1 effective date. On September 3, the first date that an updated notice and additional election opportunity can practicably be provided, employees otherwise required to be provided a safe harbor notice are provided an updated notice that describes the increased contribution percentage and an additional 30-day election period starting September 3 in accordance with section III.C of this notice. The mid-year change does not violate the provisions of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3.

Example 4: The employer sponsoring Plan P, a safe harbor plan, makes a mid-year amendment to add an age 59 1/2 in-service withdrawal feature. Employees otherwise required to be provided a safe harbor notice are provided both an updated notice that describes the withdrawal feature and an additional election opportunity in accordance with section III.C of this notice. The mid-year change does not violate the provisions of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3.

Example 5: The employer sponsoring Plan Q, a QACA safe harbor plan with multiple investment options, makes a mid-year change in the plan's default investment fund from Fund X to Fund Y. Employees otherwise required to be provided a safe harbor notice are provided both an updated notice that describes Fund Y as the default investment fund and an additional election opportunity in accordance with section III.C of this notice. The mid-year change does not violate the provisions of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3.

Example 6: The employer sponsoring Plan R, a traditional § 401(k) safe harbor plan, makes a mid-year amendment to change the design to a QACA safe harbor plan. Section III.D.3 of this notice prohibits the change. The plan as amended does not satisfy § 401(k)(3). However, if the employer had made a mid-year amendment to add an automatic contribution feature (but not an amendment changing the design to a QACA safe harbor plan) and employees otherwise required to be provided a safe harbor notice had been provided both an updated notice that described the automatic contribution arrangement and an additional election opportunity in accordance with section III.C of this notice, then the mid-year change would not have violated the provisions of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3.

Example 7: The employer sponsoring Plan S, a safe harbor plan, makes a mid-year amendment to change the entry date for commencement of participation of employees who meet the plan's minimum age and service eligibility requirements from monthly to quarterly. The amendment also changes plan rules regarding arbitration of disputes. The amendment is effective with respect to employees who are not already eligible to participate in the safe harbor plan. The safe harbor notice is not required to include the plan entry date or information on arbitration procedures; therefore, an updated notice and additional election opportunity are not required. The mid-year change does not violate the provisions of §§ 1.401(k)-3 and 1.401(m)-3.

IV. SECTION 403(b) PLANS

Section III of this notice applies on similar terms to § 403(b) plans that apply the § 401(m) safe harbor rules pursuant to § 403(b)(12).

V. COMMENTS

Comments are requested on additional guidance that may be needed with respect to mid-year changes to safe harbor plans. Specific comments are requested as to whether additional guidance is needed to address mid-year changes relating to plan sponsors involved in mergers and acquisitions or to plans that include an eligible automatic contribution arrangement under § 414(w).

Comments may be submitted in writing no later than April 28, 2016. Comments should be submitted to Internal Revenue Service, CC:PA:LPD:PR (Notice 2016-16, Room 5203, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044, or electronically to Notice.Comments@irscounsel.treas.gov. Please include "Notice 2016-16" in the subject line of any electronic communications. Alternatively, comments may be hand delivered between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday to CC:PA:LPD:PR (Notice 2016-16), Courier's Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. All comments will be available for public inspection and copying.

VI. EFFECTIVE DATE

This notice is effective for mid-year changes made on and after Jan. 29, 2016.

VII. EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS

Announcement 2007-59 is revoked.

VIII. PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

The collection of information contained in this notice has been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. § 3507) under control number 1545-2191.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control number.

The collection of information in this notice is in section III of this notice. The collection of information relates to the updated notice requirements in the case of a mid-year change. The collection of information is mandatory for those plan sponsors making these elections.

The likely recordkeepers are businesses and other for-profit institutions and nonprofit institutions. Currently, it is estimated that any effect on burden, as previously reported to OMB, will not be significant. Any potential changes on burden will be reported through the renewal of the current OMB approval number. Estimates of the annualized cost to respondents are not relevant, because each collection of information in this notice is a one-time collection.

Books or records relating to a collection of information must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any internal revenue law. Generally, tax returns and tax return information are confidential, as required by § 6103.

IX. DRAFTING INFORMATION

The principal author of this notice is Cynthia A. Van Bogaert of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities). For further information regarding this notice, contact Cynthia A. Van Bogaert at (202) 317-4102 (not a toll-free call).

² As described in section III.B of this notice, adoption of safe harbor plan status on or after the beginning of the plan year is permitted only as described in §§ 1.401(k)-3(f) and 1.401(m)-3(g) and a mid-year change to reduce or suspend safe harbor contributions is permitted only as described in §§ 1.401(k)-3(g) and 1.401(m)-3(h).