Free Form 8397 (Rev. 3-2006) - Federal

Department of the Treasury ­ Internal Revenue Service

Date

Form (Rev. March 2006)

8397

Employee Plan Deficiency Checksheet Attachment #7 Top-Heavy Plans Please furnish the amendment(s) requested in the section(s) checked below.
Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide for the use of a vesting schedule at least as favorable as three-year 100% vesting or six-year graded vesting for a plan year for which the plan is topheavy. IRC section 416(b) and Regs. section 1.416-1, V-1 through V-7. A defined benefit plan must, for a year that the plan is top-heavy, provide a minimum annual benefit equal to the lesser of 20%, or 2% per year of service, of each non-key employee's average compensation from the employer for the five highest consecutive years. Section __________ of the plan should be amended accordingly. Regs. section 1.416-1, M-1 through M-6. Each non-key employee who is a plan participant and who has completed at least 1,000 hours of service (or the equivalent) during an accrual computation period must accrue a minimum benefit in accordance with the top-heavy rules regardless of the non-key employee's level of compensation. Section __________ of the plan should be amended accordingly. Regs. section 1.416-1, M-1 through M-6. Each non-key employee who is a plan participant and who has completed at least 1,000 hours of service (or the equivalent) during an accrual computation period must accrue a minimum benefit in accordance with the top-heavy rules regardless of whether a non-key employee declines to make a mandatory contribution to a plan that generally requires such contributions. Section __________ of the plan should be amended accordingly. Regs. section 1.416-1, M-1 through M-6. Each non-key employee who is a plan participant and who has completed at least 1,000 hours of service (or the equivalent) during an accrual computation period must accrue a minimum benefit in accordance with top-heavy rules regardless of whether a non-key employee is employed on a specified date, such as the last day of the year. Section __________ of the plan should be amended accordingly. Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-1 through M-6. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to preclude the forfeiture of a minimum benefit due to the withdrawal of a mandatory employee contribution. Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-1 through M-6.

For IRS Use
707 II.a. 710, 711 II.b.(i)(a) and (b)

713 II.b.(ii)(a)

714 II.b.(ii)(b)

715 II.b.(ii)(c)

716 II.b.(iii) 718 II.c.(1)

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide for a minimum contribution (i.e., allocation) for a year in which the plan is top-heavy of not less than 3% of compensation per year (within the meaning of section 415), or, if less than 3%, the highest rate allocated (including elective deferrals) to any key employee. Regs.sections 1.416-1, M-7, M-10, and M-11. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that for a year in which the plan is topheavy, each non-key employee will receive a minimum contribution if the participant has not separated from service at the end of the plan year, regardless of whether the non-key employee has less than 1,000 hours of service (or the equivalent). Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-7, M-10, and M-11.

721 II.c.(2)(a)

722 II.c.(2)(b)

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that for a year in which the plan is topheavy, each non-key employee will receive a minimum contribution if the participant has not separated from service at the end of the plan year, regardless of the non-key employee's level of compensation. Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-7, M-10, and M-11. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that for a year in which the plan is topheavy, each non-key employee will receive a minimum contribution if the participant has not separated from service at the end of the plan year, regardless of whether the employee declines to make a mandatory contribution to the plan that generally requires such a contribution. Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-7, M-10, and M-11. (page 1) www.irs.gov Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service

723 II.c.(2)(c)

Form

8397 (Rev.3-2006)

724 II.c.(3)

S ection __________ of the plan s hould be amended to preclude the forfeiture of account balances attributable to required minimum contributions if a non-key employee withdraws mandatory contributions. R egs. s ections 1.416-1, M-7, M-10, and M-11.

760, 761 II.d.

Compensation to be used for determining a minimum benefit or a minimum contribution is the compensation described in the regulations under section 415. Compensation includes amounts contributed by the employer pursuant to a salary reduction arrangement and any amount which is contributed or deferred by the employer at the election of the employee and which is not includible in the gross income of the employee by reason of section 125, 132(f)(4) or 457. Section ____________of the plan should be amended to properly define compensation. IRC section 416(c)(2)(A), 416(i)(1)(D).

731 III.a.(1)

S ection __________ of the plan s hould be amended to properly define determination date. A determination date is the las t day of the preceding plan year, or in the cas e of the firs t plan year, the las t day of s uch year. Key employee and top-heavy tes ts are made with reference to the determination date. IR C section 416(g)(4)(C ) and R egs. s ections 1.416-1, T-22, and T-23.

732 III.a.(2)

S ection __________ of the plan should be amended to properly define valuation date.A valuation date is the annual date on which plan as s ets mus t be valued for the purpos e of determining the value of account balances or the date on which liabilities and assets of a defined benefit plan are valued.F or the purposes of the topheavy tes t, the valuation date for a defined benefit plan mus t be the s ame valuation date us ed for computing plan cos ts for minimum funding. T he valuation date for a defined contribution plan mus t be the mos t recent valuation date within a 12-month period ending on the determination date. R egs. s ections 1.416-1, T-24, and T-25.

733 III.a.(3)

S ection __________ of the plan should be amended to properly define required aggregation group.E ach plan of an employer in which a key employee participates (in the plan year containing the determination date or a ny of the four preceding plan years) and each other plan which, during this period, enables any plan in which a key employee participates during the period tested to meet the requirements of section 401(a)(4) or 410(b), are required to be aggregated for top-heavy tes ting purpos es and are cons idered the required agg regation group. All employers aggregated under C ode sections 414(b), (c), or (m) are considered a single employer for this purpose. IRC section 416(g)(2)(A)(i), R egs. s ections 1.416-1, T-6, T-9, and T-10.

734 III.a.(4)

S ection __________ of the plan should be amended to properly define permissive aggregation group.A permis s ive aggregation group is one or more plans that are not required to be aggregated but which may be aggregated with a required aggregation group. A plan may be permis s ively aggregated only if the res ulting aggregation group s atis fies the requirements of s ections 401(a)(4) and 410. IR C s ection 416(g)(2)(A)(ii), R egs. s ections 1.416-1, T-7, T-8, and T-11.

735, 736 III.a.(5)

S ection __________ of the plan should be amended to properly define top-heavy ratio.A defined benefit plan is top-heavy when the ratio of the present value of accrued benefits for key employees to the present value of accrued benefits for all employees exceeds 60%.A defined contribution plan is top-heavy when the ratio of account balances for key employees to account balances for all employees exceeds 60%.If there is more than one plan, the top-heavy ratios must be consolidated by adding together the numerators and then adding together the denominators to form one ratio. IR C s ection 416(g)(1) and R egs. s ections 1.416-1, T-1, T-23 through T-32, and T-39.

Form 8397 (Rev. 3-2006) (Page 2)

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Department of the Treasury-Internal Revenue Service

763, 764 III.a.(6)

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to properly define key employee. As defined in IRC section 416(i), a key employee is any employee or former employee who at any time during the plan year containing the determination date, is or was: (1) an officer of the employer having annual compensation greater than $130,000 (as adjusted under section 416 (i)(1) for plan years beginning after 12/31/02.) (2) a five-percent owner of the employer; or (3) a one-percent owner of the employer who has annual compensation of more than $150,000. For purposes of determining five-percent and one-percent owners, the rules of subsections (b), (c) and (m) of section 414 do not apply. Beneficiaries of an employee acquire the character of the employee who performed service for the employer. Also, inherited benefits will retain the character of the benefits of the employee who performed services for the employer. IRC section 416(i), Regs. sections 1.416-1, T-12 through T-21.

739 III.a.(7) 740 III.b. 741 III.c. 742 III.d. 743 III.e.

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to properly define non-key employee. A non-key employee is any employee who is not a key employee. Non-key employees include employees who are former key employees. IRC section 416(i)(2), Regs. sections 1.416-1, T-1 and T-12. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that the accrued benefits and account balances that are to be taken into account in determining top-heaviness relate to the proper determination date. IRC section 416(g), Regs. sections 1.416-1, T-22 through T-25. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to specify the actuarial assumptions used to determine the present value of accrued benefits for purposes of the top-heavy test. Regs. section 1.416-1, T-26. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that if an aggregation group includes two or more defined benefit plans, the same actuarial assumptions must be used with respect to all such plans and must be specified in such plans. Regs. section 1.416-1, T-26, T-36. Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that proportional subsidies are ignored when testing for top-heaviness in a defined benefit plan. Regs. sections 1.416-1, T-26 and T-27.

744 III.f. 745 III.g.

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that non-proportional subsidies are considered when testing for top-heaviness in a defined benefit plan. Regs. sections 1.416-1, T-26 and T-27.

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that, for purposes of determining whether the plan is top-heavy, a participant's accrued benefit in a defined benefit plan will be determined under a uniform accrual method which applies in all defined benefit plans maintained by the employer or, where there is no such method, as if such benefit accrued not more rapidly than the slowest rate of accrual permitted under the fractional rule of section 411(b)(1)(C). IRC section 416(g)(4)(F).

746 IV.a.

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide the appropriate top-heavy minimums. If an employer maintains more than one plan, non-key employees covered under only a defined benefit plan must receive the defined benefit minimum. Non-key employees covered only by a defined contribution plan must receive the defined contribution minimum. Where all plans involved are defined contribution plans, only one plan need provide the minimum contribution for all participants of the required aggregation group. IRC section 416(f), Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-8, and M-12.

Form 8397 (Rev. 3-2006) (Page 3)

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Department of the Treasury-Internal Revenue Service

747, 748, 749 IV.b., c. and d.

Section __________ of the plan should be amended to provide that if an employer maintains more than one plan covering non-key employees the top-heavy minimums must be properly coordinated by a specified approach . If both defined contribution and defined benefit plans exist, the top-heavy minimums may be coordinated by one of the approaches described below: 1. Provide appropriate minimums in each plan, IRC section 416(f) and Regs. section 1.416-1, M-8, M-12; or 2. Provide a defined benefit minimum in the defined benefit plan, which is offset by the benefits provided under the defined contribution plan, Regs. section 1.416-1, M-12 and Rev. Rul. 76-259, 1976-2 C.B. 111; or 3. Make a comparability analysis to prove that the plans are providing benefits at least equal to the minimum defined benefit, Regs. section 1.416-1, M-12; or 4. Provide a safe harbor minimum defined contribution. If contributions and forfeitures under the defined contribution plan equal 5 percent of compensation for each year the plan is top-heavy, such minimum will be presumed satisfy the section 416 minimum. Regs. sections 1.416-1, M-12, M-13, and M-15.

Form 8397 (Rev. 3-2006) (Page 4)

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Department of the Treasury-Internal Revenue Service