IRS Saves Trees, Goes Paperless for 401k Filing Correction Program

401k, retirement, IRS, Wagner Law Group

A better way to fess up.

Since 2002, the Internal Revenue Service has allowed plan sponsors to voluntarily identify and correct certain various types of operational and document errors related to required filings.

Officially known as the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), it offers three programs for correcting plan errors, each available under specific circumstances, according to The Wagner Law Group:

  1. Self-Correction Program (SCP),
  2. Voluntary Correction Program (VCP) through a submission to IRS, and
  3. Audit Closing Agreement Program (Audit CAP).

“Since its inception, the IRS has updated EPCRS from time to time,” it notes. “On September 28, 2018, with the release of Revenue Procedure 2018-52, the IRS modified and superseded the most recent prior consolidated iteration of EPCRS, which was set forth in Revenue Procedure 2016-51.”

In a nod to paperless, the new EPCRS means that applicants will no longer be permitted to file paper submissions for the Voluntary Correction Program.

Generally effective on January 1, 2019, plan sponsors must use the www.pay.gov website to create a pay.gov account beginning on April 1, 2019.

Between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2019, applicants will have the option of either mailing under the procedures set forth in Rev. Proc. 2016-51 or using the www.pay.gov website.

While the same type of documents that are submitted under the current program will continue to be required, there are procedural differences under the new electronic filing procedure:

“We note that the new EPCRS does not address concerns that VCP user fees, which were recently increased effective January 2, 2018, are a barrier to small employers from taking advantage of the program, who may choose to utilize the SCP component of EPCRS instead,” Wagner adds. “Other modifications were made to reflect changes in IRS programs, such as the Pre-Approved Plan Program for Qualified Plans and Pre-Approved 403(b) plans. A number of technical changes and clarifications were also made.”

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