When you offer an employer sponsored retirement plan, you gain key benefits like increased employee retention. However, there are also downsides to sponsoring a plan – notably the administrative burden.
These plans require sponsors to complete certain tasks throughout the year and file important paperwork with the IRS. If these tasks are not completed on time, you could owe penalties or lose tax advantages. That’s why we have put together a simple checklist that helps you ensure responsibilities are met.
Complete the form below to receive the downloadable checklist via email and continue reading for a discussion of important dates and tasks.
Key Dates in Q1 2025
There are two important dates that you need to keep in mind for the first quarter. The first is the deadline to provide Form 1099-R to employees, and the second is the tax filing deadline for certain companies.
January 31st: Provide 1099-R To Employees
You must provide IRS Form 1099-R to employees who took distributions in 2024 by January 31st. This information must also be filed with the IRS by February 28th if you are submitting on paper or March 31st if you are filing electronically.
March 17th: Partnership and S-Corp Tax Filing Deadline
Partnership and S-Corp taxes are typically due on March 15th. Because this date falls on a weekend in 2025, the deadline is extended until March 17th. This is also the last day to make deductible employer contributions to retirement plans. If you are unable to meet the deadline, you can apply for a 6-month extension.
Key Dates in Q2 2025
In the second quarter, you must process Required Minimum Distributions [RMDs] for certain participants. Additionally, the tax filing deadline for C-Corps falls in the second quarter.
April 1st: Process RMDs for Certain Employees
The deadline to process initial RMDs for employees is April 1st. This deadline only applies to participants who reached RMD age in 2024.
April 15th: Tax Filing Deadline For C-Corps
The tax filing deadline for C-Corps and individuals falls on April 15th. This is the last day to file prior year taxes and make deductible employer contributions to retirement plans. If you are unable to meet the deadline, you can apply for a 6-month extension.
Key Dates in Q3 2025
Several disclosures must be provided in the third quarter this year. Additionally, the tax filing deadline for partnerships and S-Corps who applied for an extension falls toward the end of this period.
July 29th: Provide Summary of Material Modifications to Participants
You must distribute the Summary of Material Modifications [SMM] to participants by July 29th. This document summarizes changes to the plan that occurred in 2024.
July 31st: File Forms 5500 and 8955-SSA
The last day to file Forms 5500 and 8955-SSA for the 2024 plan year is July 31st. If you cannot meet the deadline for either form, you can request an extension by filing Form 5558.
September 15th: Extended Tax Filing Deadline for Partnerships and S-Corps
Partnerships and S-Corps that requested more time to file their 2024 taxes must file by September 15th. This is also the last day to make employer retirement plan contributions for these companies.
September 30th: Distribute Summary Annual Report
The last day to distribute the Summary Annual Report [SAR] is September 30th. This one-page report summarizes the information on Form 5500. Therefore, if you filed an extension for Form 5500, the SAR deadline will also be extended.
Key Dates in Q4 2025
Year end is a busy time for employer plan sponsors. There are several deadlines that must be met in the fourth quarter and before the end of the year.
October 15th: Extended Tax Deadline For C-Corps, Extended Deadline for Forms 5500 and 8955-SSA
October 15th is the last day to file taxes and make deductible employer plan contributions if you had previously requested an extension. It is also the last opportunity to file Forms 5500 and 8955-SSA with an extension.
December 1st: Provide Key Notices to Participants
Many notices need to be provided to participants by December 1st. These include the annual safe harbor plan notice, automatic contribution arrangement notice, and the qualified default investment alternative notice.
December 15th: SAR Deadline with Extension
If you filed an extension for Form 5500, the last day to provide the SAR to participants is December 15th. Be sure to distribute this summary to meet your compliance requirements and help employees better understand the plan features.
December 31st: Process RMDs for Eligible Participants
The last day to process RMDs for most participants is December 31st. This deadline applies to all participants who are required to take RMDs except those who reached RMD age in 2025. As previously mentioned, those participants are able to delay their first RMD until April 1st.
The key dates in this article are some of the most common deadlines that you must meet. However, there are many more due dates that could apply in your situation.
Complete the form below to receive a downloadable copy of our checklist by email so you don’t miss any important dates in 2025.
Get Answers to Your Employer Sponsored Plan Questions with Meld Financial
The team of tax, legal, and investment professionals at Meld Financial has spent decades helping businesses manage their retirement plans. That experience allows us to answer your most pressing questions and provide invaluable experience with plan management.
Contact a member of our team today for answers to your employer sponsored plan questions or to inquire about how we can help you get the most from your plan.
