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Pension News in 2021

The following list tracks important guidance that were released during 2021.

Last Updated: February 1, 2024

Legislative Developments

  • Pension provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act provide funding relief for multiemployer and single-employer pension plans [Citation: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2 (March 11, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr1319/BILLS-117hr1319enr.pdf
  • Infrastructure Act makes clarifying amendments to IRC §7508A regarding applicable disasters and calculation of the 60-day mandatory postponement period, adds language to apply relief to significant fires; extends 95%-105% corridor for interest rate stabilization to 2030 under IRC §430(h)(2)(C)(iv) [Citation:Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, P.L. 117-58 (November 15, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684/text

Treasury Regulations

  • Regulations define qualified plan loan offsets eligible for extended rollover period [Citation: Treas. Reg. §1.402(c)-3, 86 F.R. 464 (January 6, 2021)]
    Text available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-06/pdf/2020-27151.pdf
  • Final regulations clarify how extensions under IRC §7508A are applied, implement IRC §7508A(d), and eliminate ambiguity in legislative language referring to disaster declarations [Citation: Treas. Reg. §§1.165-11(b)(1) and (h) and 301.7508A-1(g) and (h), 86 F.R. 2607 (June 11, 2021)]
    Text available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-13/pdf/2021-00185.pdf
  • IRS proposes to reduce the minimum return requirement from 250 to 10 for mandatory electronic filing on many plan-related reporting forms, effective in 2023 [Citation: Prop. Treas. Reg. §§54.6011-3, 301.6011-2, 301.6011-10, 301.6033-4, 301.6057-3, 301.6058-2, 301.6059-2, 301.6721-1, 86 F.R. 39910 (July 23, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-07-23/pdf/2021-15615.pdf

IRS Guidance

  • 2021 annual update of general procedures for obtaining Employee Plans private letter rulings and determination letters, user fees for Employee Plans submissions, including VCP [Citation: Rev. Proc. 2021-4, 2021-1 I.R.B. (January 4, 2021)]
    Text available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb21-01.pdf
  • IRS issues 2021 covered compensation table [Citation: Rev. Rul. 2021-3, 2021-5 I.R.B. (February 1, 2021; advance release on January 15, 2021)]
    Text available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-21-03.pdf
  • IRS guidance on legislative changes applicable to cafeteria plans [Citation: Notice 2021-15, 2021-10 I.R.B. (March 8, 2021); advance publication on February 18, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-15.pdf
  • IRS website provides FAQs regarding the partial termination relief enacted as part of Consolidated Appropriations Act [Citation: Partial Termination of a Qualified Retirement Plan Under Section 209 of the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, Coronavirus-related relief for retirement plans and IRAs questions and answers, www.irs.gov (April 27, 2021)]
    Text available at:
    https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/coronavirus-related-relief-for-retirement-plans-and-iras-questions-and-answers#partial-termination
  • Temporary relief that waives physical presence requirement for spousal consent if certain conditions are met is extended to June 30, 2022 [Citation: Notice 2021-40, 2021-?, modifying Notice 2021-03, 2021-2 (January 11, 2021; advance notice on December 22, 2020), and Notice 2020-42, 2020-26 I.R.B. (June 22, 2020)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-40.pdf
  • Latest update of EPCRS procedure allows for expanded SCP to increase benefits, rights, and features, extends SCP correction period for significant failures to 3 years, extends the special 9-1/2 month correction rule for Elective Deferral Failures under auto-enrollment plans through December 31, 2023, raises de minimis failure threshold to $250, and replaces Anonymous VCP submissions in 2022 with pre-submission no-fee conference option [Citation: Rev. Proc. 2021-30, 2021-31 (August 2, 2021; advance release July 16, 2021)]
    Text available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-21-30.pdf
  • IRS guidance on the pension provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act provide funding relief for single-employer pension plans [Citation: Notice 2021-48, 2021-33 I.R.B. (August 16, 2021; advance release on July 30, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-48.pdf
  • Cycle 2 opinion letter procedures for §403(b) Pre-approved Plans; procedure modified to more closely resemble procedures for pre-approved qualified plans [Citation: Rev. Proc. 2021-37, 2021-38 I.R.B. (September 21, 2021; advance release on September 1, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-21-37.pdf
  • Interim amendment deadlines for Pre-approved Plans modified to adopt uniform deadline no longer linked to adopting employer’s tax return due date [Citation: Rev. Proc. 2021-38, 2021-38 I.R.B (September 21, 2021; advance release on September 1, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-21-38.pdf
  • IRS updates process of issuing FAQs new tax legislation and addresses reliance concerns [Citation: IR-2021-202 (October 15, 2021)]
    Text available at:
    https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-updates-process-for-frequently-asked-questions-on-new-tax-legislation-and-addresses-reliance-concerns
  • Adjusted dollar limits for 2022 [Citation: Notice 2021-61,2021-47 I.R.B. (November 22, 2022) (advanced release on November 4, 2021) (pension-related adjustments)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-61.pdf
  • Taxpayer granted extension of 60-day rollover period when institution rolled over his designated Roth funds into a traditional IRA [Citation: PLR 202147015 (released November 26, 2021)]
    Text available at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/202147015.pdf
  • 2021 remedial amendment list [Citation: Notice 2021-64, 2021-50 (December 13, 2021) (advance release on November 30, 2021)]
    Text available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-64.pdf
  • IRS will issue Form 8915-F to handle all qualified disaster distribution reporting after 2020 [Draft Form 8915-F/Draft Instructions for Form 8915-F (Rev. January 2022)]
    Text available at:
    https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f8915f--dft.pdf (Form 8915-F)
    https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/i8915f--dft.pdf (Instructions to Form 8915-F)

DOL Regulations

DOL Formal Guidance/Prohibited Transaction Exemptions

PBGC Regulations and Other Guidance

EBSA Advisory Opinions, Field Assistance Bulletins and other informal guidance from the DOL

ERISA Litigation

Miscellaneous Guidance

Pension News Quick Links

 


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