defined benefit plan

The retirement industry eagerly received the IRS guidance on applying provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act with the issuance of Notice 2020-50 on June 19. It has provided important details on compliance with this legislation—which offers financial and tax relief to millions of Americans affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The CARES Act was signed into law on March, 27, 2020, as the largest emergency relief package in U.S. history. It offers a variety of potential benefits to those who participate in tax-favored retirement savings arrangements. The legislation not only grants special access to the tax-favored accounts of many who may need it, but also provides a pathway to later repayment. For amounts up to $100,000, there is an exemption from the 10 percent penalty tax for early distributions from a retirement plan, three-year ratable taxation of amounts distributed, and a three-year repayment option for those who qualify.

Although there has been comparable legislation for past disaster events—notably, Hurricane Katrina in 2005—still there has been some uncertainty as to how closely CARES Act procedures might ultimately mirror it. Notice 2020-50 now provides greater clarity and is to be followed in applying CARES Act provisions.

Following are some of the more significant highlights of Notice 2020-50.

CORONAVIRUS-RELATED DISTRIBUTIONS

Qualified Individual Definition Expanded

Notice 2020-50 broadened the definition of who is eligible for a coronavirus-related distribution (CRD)—and therefore eligible for CARES Act tax benefits.

Initial guidance defined a “qualified individual” as

• an individual (or the spouse or dependent of the individual) who is diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease or the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an approved test; or
• an individual who experiences adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, being furloughed or laid off or having work hours reduced due to such virus or disease, being unable to work due to lack of child care due to such virus or disease, closing or reduced hours of a business owned or operated by the individual due to such virus or disease, or other factors as determined by the Treasury Secretary.

Notice 2020-50 adds new circumstances to the definition of “qualified individual.”

• An individual who has experienced a reduction in pay (or self-employment income) due to COVID-19, or has had a job offer rescinded or a start date for a job delayed due to COVID-19.
• An individual whose spouse or a member of the person’s household has
  • been quarantined, furloughed or laid off, or had work hours reduced due to COVID-19;
  • been unable to work because of a lack of childcare due to COVID-19,
  • had a reduction in pay (or self-employment income) due to COVID-19; or
  • had a job offer rescinded or a start date for a job delayed due to COVID-19.
• An individual whose spouse or a member of the person’s household has experienced the closing or a reduction of hours of their business due to COVID-19.

For purposes of applying these additional factors, a member of the individual’s household is someone who shares the individual’s principal residence.

Timing

A CRD was defined in the statute as an amount distributed from a retirement account on or after January 1, 2020, and before December 31, 2020. Notice 2020-50 affirmed that a distribution taken on December 31, 2020, would not be a CRD. 

Who Can and Cannot Recontribute CRDs

A CRD can be taxed ratably over three years, and generally can be recontributed to an eligible retirement plan within three years. However, Notice 2020-50 makes clear that while beneficiaries of retirement plans and IRAs may be taxed in this manner, only spouse beneficiaries may make recontributions.

Employer May Choose Whether to Allow CRDs, Other CARES Act Options

Employers can choose to allow participants in their retirement plans (other than pension plans) to take CRDs even without otherwise having a distributable event, if they are qualified individuals, up to $100,000 of their vested balance. 

Notice 2020-50 makes clear that employers are not required to offer CRDs to participants. If they do, they are not required to implement all elements of CARES Act relief, such as enhanced retirement plan loan amount or available loan suspension options. 

Reliance on Employee Certification

Employers that offer retirement plan CRDs are allowed to rely on an employee-participant’s certification that he is a qualified individual, unless the employer has actual knowledge to the contrary. Notice 2020-50 states that an employer is under no obligation to “inquire into whether an individual has satisfied the conditions” of eligibility.

Sample Employee Certification Provided

Notice 2020-50 includes a sample of what the IRS considers “an acceptable certification.”

Reporting/Coding

If an employer has adopted provisions allowing CRDs, they will be reported on IRS Form 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. Notice 2020-50 states that for CRDs made to participants (other than beneficiaries) who are otherwise subject to the 10 percent early distribution penalty tax, Code 2, Early distribution, exception applies, may be used. Alternatively, Code 1, Early distribution, no known exception, may be used. (A qualified individual can claim exemption from the 10 percent penalty tax on his individual income tax return if he qualifies for a CRD, regardless of how Form 1099-R is coded.)

Reliance on Employee Certification for Recontributions

Employers that allow recontributions of CRDs are allowed to rely on an employee-participant’s certification that she is a qualified individual, unless the employer has actual knowledge to the contrary. 

Taxpayer Reporting

A qualified individual will report CRDs as distributions and as repayments—if made—on new Form 8915E, Qualified 2020 Disaster Retirement Plan Distributions and Repayments. This is a form in the same series used for certain prior disaster events, such as Hurricane Katrina. A taxpayer can claim CRD status even if distributions were received from a retirement plan whose sponsoring employer did not elect to add CRDs as a distributable event.

Examples of Tax Treatment

Notice 2020-50 provides several examples of tax impacts when both CRDs and repayments occur. These include amending a prior year’s tax return to account for recontributions made later in the three-year ratable taxation period, and choosing to carry forward or carry back—to future or prior years—the tax impact of a repayment that is made during the three-year ratable taxation period.

No Modification of Substantially Equal Periodic Payments

A CRD received by an eligible individual is not to be considered a modification of a series of substantially equal periodic payments as an exemption from the 10 percent early distribution penalty tax.

PLAN LOANS

Deadline to Take Plan Loan Confirmed

Notice 2020-50 confirmed that the final day to take a CARES Act retirement plan loan, including the enhanced loan amount, is September 22, not September 23.

Plan Loan Suspension Safe Harbor

Notice 2020-50 provides a safe harbor for loan repayment when a loan payment suspension is permitted by the employer under CARES Act provisions. Among its conditions: loan payments must resume at the end of the suspension period; the loan’s term may be extended up to one year from the date originally required to be repaid; interest accrued during the suspension period must be added to the remaining loan principal amount; and the loan must be reamortized and repaid in substantially level amounts over the remaining period of the loan.

Notice 2020-50 recognizes that there may be other reasonable interpretations of the CARES Act loan provisions in addition to the Notice’s safe harbor.

Participant Certification as Eligible Individual

Employers that adopt the CARES Act enhanced loan provisions are allowed to rely on an employee-participant’s certification that he is an qualified individual, unless the plan administrator has actual knowledge to the contrary.

Companion bills have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to provide additional capital to small businesses hardest hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program (P4) Act is sponsored in the Senate by Democrats Chris Coons (DE), Ben Cardin (MD), and Jean Shaheen (NH), and in the House by Democrats Angie Craig (MN), and Antonio Delgado (NY).

The P4 Act would authorize additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to businesses with 100 or fewer employees—including sole proprietorships and other self-employed—that have already expended the proceeds of a prior PPP loan or are on-pace to do so, and that can demonstrate a loss of business revenue of 50 percent or more due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PPP is a Small Business Administration lending program created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small employers meet payroll and other expenses as businesses and the nation deal with the economic effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Importantly, if certain conditions are met, PPP loans can be forgiven and treated as a grant. Payroll expenses can include employer contributions to defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, as well as providing group health care coverage, including payment of insurance premiums.

The IRS has issued Notice 2020-50, providing additional guidance on several aspects of the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, legislation enacted in March of this year in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A “qualified individual” who has experienced health or financial effects from the COVID-19 pandemic is eligible for certain retirement plan distribution, penalty exemption, plan loan and loan repayment, taxation, and repayment benefits.

Qualified Individual Further Defined

Initial guidance defines a “qualified individual” as

• an individual (or the spouse or dependent of the individual) who is diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease or the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an approved test; or
• an individual who experiences adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, being furloughed or laid off or having work hours reduced due to such virus or disease, being unable to work due to lack of child care due to such virus or disease, closing or reduced hours of a business owned or operated by the individual due to such virus or disease, or other factors as determined by the Treasury Secretary.

Notice 2020-50 adds new circumstances to the definition of “qualified individual.”

• An individual who has experienced a reduction in pay (or self-employment income) due to COVID-19, or has had a job offer rescinded or a start date for a job delayed due to COVID-19.
• A person whose spouse or a member of her household has
  • been quarantined, furloughed or laid off, or had work hours reduced due to COVID-19;
  • been unable to work because of a lack of childcare due to COVID-19,
  • had a reduction in pay (or self-employment income) due to COVID-19; or
  • had a job offer rescinded or a start date for a job delayed due to COVID-19.
• A person whose spouse or a member of her household has experienced the closing or a reduction of hours of their business due to COVID-19.

For purposes of applying these additional factors, a member of the individual’s household is someone who shares the individual’s principal residence.

CARES Act Loans

Notice 2020-50 provides examples of how to apply the special plan loan provisions of the CARES Act, and includes a safe harbor method. In addition, the Treasury Department and IRS recognize that there may be additional reasonable ways to administer loan repayments under the CARES Act.

This guidance is being further analyzed, and additional details will be shared.

Scheduled for publication in next Tuesday’s Federal Register is a Small Business Administration (SBA) interim final rule on the agency’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This guidance is being issued in response to enactment on June 5 of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, legislation that made enhancements to this SBA loan program intended to help small employers meet payroll and other expenses as they deal with the economic effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

If certain conditions are met, PPP loans can be forgiven and treated as a grant. Payroll expenses can include not only wages and salary, but also employer contributions to defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, as well as providing group health care coverage, including payment of insurance premiums.

The SBA issued a previous interim final rule in April 2020 to provide guidance in implementing PPP. But with the program changes made by the June 5 legislation, that April rule no longer reflects certain important features of PPP as it now exists, requiring the issuance of a new interim final rule. These important PPP changes include the following.

• Extends from 8 to 24 weeks from a loan’s origination the period in which expenses paid with a PPP loan could be eligible for loan forgiveness (not to extend beyond December 31, 2020)
• Reduces from 75 percent to 60 percent the portion of a loan that must be used for payroll expenses (vs. overhead, etc.) and remain fully eligible for loan forgiveness
• Extends from 2 to 5 years the period for loan repayment for borrowed amounts that are not forgiven (applies to loans made on or after June 5, 2020)
• Allows a borrower who received a PPP loan before enactment of the June 5 legislation to elect that the covered period run for 8 (vs. 24) weeks

The SBA notes that this interim final rule is effective without advance notice and public comment because of its time sensitivity and specific authorization by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the legislation that created the PPP lending program. Nonetheless, comments are invited and must be submitted within 30 days of the guidance’s publication in the Federal Register.

President Trump signed into law Friday, June 5, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, legislation that the Senate approved Wednesday night. The legislation extends elements of and makes certain other adjustments to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This Small Business Administration lending program was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to help small employers meet payroll and other expenses as businesses and the nation deal with the economic effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Importantly, if certain conditions are met, PPP loans can be forgiven and treated as a grant. Payroll expenses can include employer contributions to defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, as well as providing group health care coverage, including payment of insurance premiums.

Among its provisions, this legislation will have the following effects.

• Extends from 8 to 24 weeks from the time of loan origination the period in which expenses paid with a PPP loan could be eligible for loan forgiveness (not to extend beyond December 31, 2020)
• Reduces from 75 percent to 60 percent the portion of a loan that must be used for payroll expenses (vs. overhead, etc.) and remain eligible for loan forgiveness
• Extends from 2 to 5 years the period for loan repayment for borrowed amounts not forgiven
• Provides no impediment to loan forgiveness for the documented inability to hire similarly qualified placement employees or to rehire former employees
• Allows a borrower who received a PPP loan before enactment of this legislation to elect that the covered period run for 8 (vs. 24) weeks

On Wednesday night, the U.S. Senate approved by voice vote H.R. 7010, the House-passed Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020. The legislation extends elements of and makes certain other adjustments to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This Small Business Administration lending program was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to help small employers meet payroll and other expenses as businesses and the nation deal with the economic effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Importantly, if certain conditions are met, PPP loans can be forgiven and treated as a grant. Payroll expenses can include employer contributions to defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, as well as providing group health care coverage, including payment of insurance premiums.

Among its provisions, the legislation now presented to President Trump—who is expected to sign it into law—would have the following effects.

• Extend from 8 to 24 weeks from the time of loan origination the period in which expenses paid with a PPP loan could be eligible for loan forgiveness (not to extend beyond December 31, 2020) 
• Reduce from 75% to 60% the portion of a loan that must be used for payroll expenses (vs overhead, etc.) and remain eligible for loan forgiveness
• Extend from 2 to 5 years the period for loan repayment for borrowed amounts not forgive
• The documented inability to hire similarly qualified placement employees or to rehire former employees will not be an impediment to loan forgiveness
• A borrower who received a PPP loan before enactment of this legislation may elect that the covered period run for 8 (vs 24) weeks

On May 28, 2020, the IRS issued limited additional relief that extends deadlines for certain time-sensitive actions related to tax-advantaged savings arrangements. Most awaited was an extension for providing information returns for IRAs, health savings accounts (HSAs), Archer medical savings accounts (MSAs), and Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs). These information returns are Form 5498, IRA Contribution Information, Form 5498-SA, HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA Information, and Form 5498- ESA, Coverdell ESA Contribution Information.

Deadlines for providing these information returns to the IRS and to account owners had previously been extended by IRS Notice 2020-23 through July 15, 2020, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The deadline for annual contributions to these accounts was also extended to July 15, 2020. This presented custodial organizations and service providers to these accounts with the dilemma of reporting contributions that could be received as late as the deadline for their reporting.

Notice 2020-35 now provides a six-week window after the July 15, 2020, contribution deadlines in which organizations can prepare and provide these information returns to the IRS and to account owners.

Other Deadlines Not Extended

Notice 2020-23 extended many other deadlines to July 15, 2020, including completing rollovers, making retirement plan loan payments, filing Form 5500, Annual Return, Report of Employee Benefit Plan, as well as numerous others. These deadlines are not extended by the latest guidance in Notice 2020-35.

Extensions Granted by Notice 2020-35

The following are among the limited number of deadlines extended by Notice 2020-35.

• Providing Form 5498-series information returns for IRAs, ESAs, HSAs, and MSAs. (Providing these information returns after August, 31, 2020, will be subject to IRS penalty, which will be calculated from September 1, 2020, through the date the information returns are actually provided.)
• Close of the 403(b) plan remedial amendment period remains at June 30, 2020, this guidance making official an earlier IRS website announcement.
• Adoption by a defined benefit pension plan of a pre-approved plan document, filing a request for a determination letter under the second six-year cycle, or certain other actions with respect to disqualifying provisions have a deadline of July 31, 2020.

Notice 2020-35 also extends to July 15, 2020 (not August 31), several items not previously granted extensions. These include the following.

• Application for a funding waiver by a defined benefit pension plan that is not a multi-employer (union) plan.
• Filing IRS Form 5330, Return of Excise Taxes Related to Employee Benefit Plans, and paying these excise taxes.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed by a 417-1 margin on Thursday, May 28, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020. This legislation would modify certain core terms of this Small Business Administration (SBA) emergency lending program. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020. Under the program, qualifying small businesses may apply for loans from the SBA to retain employees on their payrolls, and—especially attractive to business owners—the loans are forgiven if certain conditions are met.

As provided in the CARES Act, PPP loans taken to cover 8 weeks of program-eligible expenses can be forgiven (no repayment required). Although mortgage, rent, and other business expenses are included, to be eligible for forgiveness, 75 percent of a loan amount must—under current rules—be used for employee payroll expenses. Certain employee benefits, including defined contribution and defined benefit plan employer contributions, health insurance benefits (including premium payments), and certain employee leave benefits can be considered payroll expenses.

Today’s House-passed legislation would extend the 8-week period to 24 weeks, and would change the 75 percent payroll requirement to 60 percent.

The legislation would also relax certain loan forgiveness provisions in recognition that an employer may be unable to rehire some former employees or to find similarly qualified employees. Loan amounts not forgiven could be repaid over a period of 5 years instead of 2 years as under current rules.

Members of the U.S. Senate have been discussing a similar bill, one said to expand the 8-week period to 16, not 24 weeks. If the Senate is unable to pass its version of PPP revisions this week, which seems likely, its bill could be taken up when the Senate returns to Washington, D.C., next week.

The House of Representatives late Friday passed H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, providing additional aid to many who are adversely affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The bill also contained non-COVID-19-related provisions considered likely to prove controversial in the Senate.

Unlike the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—both of which moved fairly rapidly through Congress—the HEROES Act has been called “dead on arrival” by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who—with Republican colleagues—envisions a much less comprehensive bill. Sen. McConnell has also expressed a desire to move slowly and gauge the effectiveness of earlier relief. Most expect no additional COVID-19-related legislation to be enacted before sometime in June.

As announced last week, the House bill contains provisions for the following.

• Continued financial assistance to unemployed workers
• Financial assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities
• Waiver of 2019 required minimum distributions (RMDs)
• Waiver of the 60-day and one-rollover-per-12-month rules for otherwise-required RMDs waived for 2019 and 2020
• Amendments to the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act
• Relief for participants in health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs)
• Codifying the ability of employers to deduct certain expenses covered by loans that are forgiven under the SBA Paycheck Protection Program
• Providing money purchase pension plans the early distribution and loan relief that the CARES Act provided to other qualified retirement plans
• A new retirement “composite plan,” with features that include those of 401(k) and defined benefit (DB) pension plan
• Relief for multiemployer (collectively-bargained) DB pension plans
• Amortization relief for single employer DB pension plans
• Further funding relief (beyond that provided by the SECURE Act) to certain community newspaper DB plans
• Aid to certain federal agencies affected by the pandemic, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Interior, Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Education
• Enhanced Medicare and Medicaid benefits
• Medical supply chain enhancement
• Testing and reporting enhancement
• National strategic stockpile for pandemic response
• Bankruptcy protections for homeowners
• Certain student loan relief and protections
• Additional aid to veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Federal election early and by-mail voting procedure

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has issued a pre-publication version of highly-anticipated final regulations on default electronic delivery of retirement plan disclosures. These regulations become effective 60 days following their publication in the Federal Register, currently scheduled for Wednesday, May 27.

Retirement plan administrators and service providers have been awaiting these final regulations since they were issued in proposed form in October 2019. This guidance is expected to enhance the ability of retirement plans and their service providers to deliver required disclosures to participants and beneficiaries by electronic means.