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ERSOPtm Plans FAQs
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What is an ERSOP Plan? |
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What is the IRSs attitude toward these plans? |
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What about IRAs? |
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Why cannot I use a self directed IRA? |
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What distinguishes the PLAN from the TRUST? |
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Will I need a 401(k) for my employees? |
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Why does SDCC charge a flat fee? |
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Why does SDCC neither pay nor accept commissions or finders fees? |
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Why does SDCC not serve as Trustee? |
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Why does not SDCooper Company sell investments? |
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What is an ERSOPtm Plan? |
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An ERSOP™ plan is an Internal Revenue Code tax-qualified profit sharing plan that allows for rollover money to be invested into the sponsoring business. It is a true employee benefit plan and must be operated as such. The plan contains a sophisticated profit sharing contribution formula and a 401(k) cash or deferred arrangement, but no mandatory match.
An ERSOP™ plan is an “eligible individual account plan”. Specifically a volume submitter profit sharing plan with IRS pre-approved enabling language that allows the plan to invest in “qualifying Employer securities”(stock). The plan is adopted by an Employer (which is a corporation and not an S Corporation) with a minor amendment stating that only rollover monies shall be used for such investments. The pre-qualified plan with the minor amendment along with full disclosure of the intended investment is then submitted to the IRS for an individualized favorable determination letter. The entrepreneur rolls over preexisting retirement funds into the plan and the money is used to purchase the stock of the adopting employer or an affiliate. The acquisition of “qualifying Employer securities” must be for “adequate consideration”, and no commission may be charged with respect thereto. An ERSOP™ Plan would be engaging in a “prohibited transaction” were it not for the statutory exemption IRC§4975(d)(13).
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What is the IRSs attitude toward these plans? |
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In 2004, after giving "the full disclosure" to a skeptical examiner in the IRS National Office, she responded "well OK; but I still don't like it." and then proceeded to issue Favorable Determination Letters to three of our clients whose applications she was reviewing. With that attitude in mind, this is an area of tax law that one would be well advised to tread carefully. Do not be too clever. Observe the black and white letter of the law. Document every related transaction well. Do not give the IRS cause.
We fully disclose to the IRS each of our clients' unique situation so that each will have reliance on their individual IRS Favorable Determination Letter. It is not the IRS favorable determination letter that the IRS would challenge, it is how closely you (the participant, the trustee, the employer) follow the IRS favorably determined plan.
That is what it is — a plan. A plan to be followed.
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What about IRAs? |
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Money in most IRAs may be rolled over into an ERSOP™ plan and then invested in “qualifying employer securities.”
Basically, only inheirited non-spousal accounts may not be rolled over into an "eligible individual account plan"
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Why cannot a “self-directed IRA” make these same investments, without the need of a C-corp or a ERSOPtm Plan? |
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Our clients are, as the name suggests, entrepreneurs. As such, each is “an officer, director (or an individual having powers or responsibilities similar to those of officers or directors)” and therefore a “disqualified person” as defined in Internal Revenue Code[4]. Further, since an IRA is specifically excluded from the definition of an “eligible individual account plan (as defined in [ERISA] section 407(d)(3))”, any entrepreneurial investment of funds held within “self-directed IRA” would not be exempted from being a prohibited transaction as defined in the Internal Revenue Code[5]. However, once those “self-directed IRA” funds are rolled over into an ERSOP™ Plan, those same funds may then be invested in any entrepreneurial way. “Self-directed IRA” investments must be passive or they are a distribution subject to taxes and penalties.
[4] IRC§4975(e)(2)(H)
[5] IRC §4975(c)
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What distinguishes the PLAN from the TRUST from the INVESTMENTS? |
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The Plan is the document setting forth rules of eligibility, participation, contributions, benefits, discrimination, vesting, distributions and retirement. The powers and duties of the Trustee may be included in the Plan document but are often in a separate TRUST document. The Trust Fund (or the INVESTMENTS) is(are) the sum of the contributed and rolled over money under the terms of the PLAN held by the Trustee. The TRUST document describes the permitted investments. The ERSOP™ plan TRUST document provides for the greatest variety of investments including “qualifying Employer securities.”
Millions of dollars in advertising are spent each year by investment houses to blur the line between the PLAN and the INVESTMENTS.
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Will I need a 401(k) for my employees? |
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Millions of dollars in advertising are spent each year by investment houses to blur the line between the PLAN and the INVESTMENTS. An ERSOP™ plan contains a 401(k). All that is required is that you as TRUSTEE establish individual investment accounts at your favorite bank, mutual fund, or broker. Each pay period your payroll service will calculate the 401(k) contributions of each eligible employee and issue you a report. You will then send a check covering those contributions along with the report to the broker who will happily deposit the correct amounts into each participants account. The ERSOP™ plan purposely does not contain 401(m) [mandatory match] language as a new business seldom has the cash flow. Employer discretionary matching is permitted.
The ERSOP™ plan provides all of the structure and forms necessary. We at SDCooper Company will coordinate with your investment house in the enrollment of your employees into the plan.
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Why does SDCC charge a flat fee? |
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Because ERISA[1] states that the transaction is exempt from being a prohibited transaction "if no commission is charged with respect thereto . . ." If we charged a variable fee, the IRS could assert that the variable fee was a commission, and therefore the investment of the funds into the stock of your new corporation was a distribution subject to taxes and penalties.
[1] ERISA 408(e)(2)
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Why does SDCC neither pay nor accept commissions or finders fees? |
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Because ERISA[1] states that the transaction is exempt from being a prohibited transaction "if no commission is charged with respect thereto . . ." to which the IRS adds “to or from a ‘disqualified person’.”[2] We are defined in the Internal Revenue Code[3] as a “disqualified person” because we provide services to the plan. If the IRS found during an examination of your plan that we had paid or received a commission by any name, the IRS could assert the investment of the funds into the stock of your new corporation was a distribution subject to taxes and penalties. A franchisor must disclose any commissions paid or received in its UFOC and if it is so disclosed in the UFOC it would therefore be disclosed to the IRS.
[1] ERISA 408(e)(2)
[2] IR Manual 4.72.11.3.7.2.3
[3] IRC§4975(e)(2)(B)
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Why does SDCC not serve as Trustee? |
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First a little history: In 1974 when ERISA was passed, Congress said that if a corporation adopted a plan then an individual could serve as the Trustee of the Plan's Trust. This was later in 1982 extended to Keogh plans (plans for the self employed and partners.) You should ask yourself "who is the most trustworthy person you know?" Answer: YOU.
There is a natural inclination not to incur the fiduciary responsibility of the other Plan Participant's money, especially the rank-and-file-employee Participants. However, they will of necessity have individual investment accounts. They will be responsible for their own investment return. You as Trustee will need to be bonded against non investment loss and these ERISA bonds cost a couple of hundred dollars per year. You as Trustee cannot be paid to serve as Trustee.
An outside Trustee charges fees from 1-2% of the whole Trust Fund. We feel this is just a disguised comission; and remember "no comission can be charged with respect thereto."
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Why does not SDCooper Company sell investments? |
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We believe that there is an irreconcilable conflict of interest between the design and administration of the PLAN and the sale of investments to the TRUST fund. |
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