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Retirement Plan Dreams May Go Up in Smoke for Marijuana Companies

Companies in the medical and recreational marijuana industry continue to face an uphill battle for access to financial services.   Although a number of states have legalized the medicinal and/or recreational use of marijuana, marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I drug subject to the federal Controlled Substances Act.  As such, financial services companies that wish […]

MS
Former Partner

Form 5500 Penalty Relief Deadline Approaching for MEPs

On July 24, 2019, the Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2019-01 (the “Bulletin”), which provides transition relief to multiple employer plans (“MEPs”) that failed to comply with certain annual reporting requirements.  The Bulletin focuses on a Form 5500 reporting requirement added by the Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act, […]

The Ninth Circuit Reverses Itself and Enforces ERISA Mandatory Arbitration Clause

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit recently decided that Charles Schwab Corp. can require a proposed class action to arbitrate its claim that Schwab breached its fiduciary duties by including Schwab-affiliated investment funds in the Plan, despite the funds’ poor performance, to generate fees for Schwab and its affiliates.  In doing so, the Ninth […]

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MS
Former Partner

To Err is Human – To Forgive is Up to the IRS in Rev Proc 2019-19

The IRS recently issued its latest version of the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”) in Rev. Proc. 2019-19.  The EPCRS is the IRS program that assists employers in correcting both operational and document failures with respect to qualified retirement plans.  There are several welcome changes to the new EPCRS, including: Certain plan loan failures […]

MS
Former Partner

Reopening the Floodgates: IRS Announces Expanded Determination Letter Program

As we previously reported, the Internal Revenue Service (the “Service”) scaled back its determination letter program for individually designed retirement plans effective as of January 1, 2017. In the intervening years, the Service received a multitude of comments requesting the reopening of the program. Now, the Service has decided to offer a limited expansion of […]

IRS Changes Course on Lump Sums to Retirees

In Notice 2019-18, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) changed its position and now will permit employers to offer lump sum payments to retirees who are currently receiving annuity payments from a defined benefit plan.  This is a reversal from its position in Notice 2015-49, in which the Treasury Department and the IRS stated that […]

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AM

IRS Issues Updated Tax Notice for Qualified Retirement Plan Distributions

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) recently released guidance that contains two updated safe harbor notices that retirement plans may use to satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) to provide an advance notice to a participant prior to the date on which the participant receives a distribution that meets the requirements for […]

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AM

IRS Updates Retirement Plan Correction Procedures

On September 28, 2018, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2018-52. The Revenue Procedure makes changes to the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”), which is the IRS’ comprehensive correction program for qualified retirement plans.  The primary purpose of the Revenue Procedure is establishing the process for filing correction applications and paying the applicable user fee through […]

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GG

A New Perspective on Student Loan Repayment Benefits

On August 17, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (the “Service”) published a Private Letter Ruling (the “PLR”) describing a unique student loan repayment program in the context of a qualified retirement plan. Proposed Student Loan Repayment Program As described in the PLR, an Employer sponsors a Section 401(k) defined contribution plan that permits elective deferrals. […]

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Congress Eases Restrictions on Hardship Distributions

We previously reported on certain changes made to the hardship distribution rules for qualified retirement plans by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  Since then, Congress has made additional and significant changes to those same hardship distribution rules by the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act (the “BBA”).  The BBA loosens various restrictions on a […]

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