Self Employed Ministers’ 403(b) Contributions’ Effect on Compensation
Experts from Groom Law Group and Cammack Retirement Group answer questions concerning retirement plan administration and regulations.
Reported by
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We are a church denominational 403(b)(9) plan which has not elected to be covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Our participants include self-employed ministers. In Publication 571,
Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans (403(b) Plans), the IRS instructs self-employed ministers that their includible compensation is net earnings from ministry minus contributions made to the retirement plan and the deductible portion of their self-employment tax. If the minister makes designated Roth or after-tax contributions to their 403(b) account do those contributions reduce includible compensation since these contributions do not reduce taxable income?”
457(b) Plan Contributions Based on Severance Pay
Experts from Groom Law Group and Cammack Retirement Group answer questions concerning retirement plan administration and regulations.
Reported by
“
I know from previous Ask the Experts column that you cannot make contributions to a 403(b) plan based on severance pay (payments to a former employee for NOT working). But what about 457(b) plans? Are the rules the same?”
Charles Filips, Kimberly Boberg, David Levine and David Powell, with Groom Law Group, and Michael A. Webb, vice president, Retirement Plan Services, Cammack Retirement Group, answer:
Good question, as the rules are indeed a bit different for 457(b) plans.
Retirement Plan Tax Deductions/Credits for Tax-Exempt Sponsors
Experts from Groom Law Group and Cammack Retirement Group answer questions concerning retirement plan administration and regulations.
Reported by
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Do the deductibility rules for employer contributions to a retirement plan under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 404 apply to 403(b) plans? And does it matter whether the contribution is nonelective or matching?”
Charles Filips, Kimberly Boberg, David Levine and David Powell, with Groom Law Group, and Michael A. Webb, vice president, Retirement Plan Services, Cammack Retirement Group, answer:
No. The rules under IRC Section 404 provide a tax deduction for retirement plan sponsors for employer contributions made to a retirement plan that otherwise qualify as ordinary and necessary business expenses. For defined contribution (DC) plans, deductions for contributions are generally limited to 25% of the compensation paid to beneficiaries of the plan during the taxabl