SIMPLE IRA Plans – Exclusive-Plan Requirement
Our company has a calendar-year profit-sharing plan that we are terminating. The contribution for 2012 to the profit-sharing plan will be allocated as of December 31, 2012, but won’t be deposited until 2013. We set up a SIMPLE IRA plan effective January 1, 2013. Do we meet the exclusive-plan requirement for SIMPLE IRA plans?
Yes, your company may have a SIMPLE IRA plan for 2013 if you:
- met the other SIMPLE IRA plan requirements (for example, giving notice to your employees before their 60-day election period); and
- don’t allocate any profit-sharing contribution to your employees for 2013. (Your profit-sharing contribution that will be allocated as of December 31, 2012, is a contribution for 2012, although it will be deposited in 2013.)
Exclusive-plan requirement
Generally, an employer can’t make SIMPLE IRA plan contributions for a calendar year if the employer (or its predecessor) has a qualified plan (other than the SIMPLE IRA plan) under which any employee:
- receives an allocation of contributions in a defined contribution plan, or
- has an increase in a benefit accrued in a defined benefit plan,
for a plan year of the qualified plan that begins or ends in that calendar year.
Internal Revenue Code Section 408(p)(2)(D) contains both the exclusive-plan requirement and also exceptions for other plans in which:
- The only participants in the other plans are employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement (IRC Section 408(p)(2)(D))
- The other plans result from the employer’s involvement in an acquisition, disposition or similar transaction (IRC Section 408(p)(10))
Examples
Calendar-year plan made contributions for later year
If you make a contribution in 2013 that is based on employees’ compensation for any part of 2013, then:
- your employees will receive an allocation of profit-sharing contributions for 2013, and
- you can’t have a SIMPLE IRA plan for 2013.
Non-calendar-year plans
For non-calendar-year profit-sharing plans, you have to consider 2 years in determining whether employees receive an allocation of contributions. You can’t have a SIMPLE IRA plan for either the 2012 or 2013 calendar year if:
- your profit-sharing plan year runs from July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013, and
- any employee receives an allocation of contributions for the plan year ending June 30, 2013.
Additional Resources
- SIMPLE IRA plans
- Profit-sharing plans
- Notice 98-4, SIMPLE IRA Plan Guidance
