26 U.S.C. § 419A
Qualified asset account; limitation on additions to account
No addition to any qualified asset account may be taken into account under section 419(c)(1)(B) to the extent such addition results in the amount in such account exceeding the account limit.
The account limit for any taxable year with respect to SUB or severance pay benefits is 75 percent of the average annual qualified direct costs for SUB or severance pay benefits for any 2 of the immediately preceding 7 taxable years (as selected by the fund).
In the case of any new plan for which SUB or severance pay benefits are not available to any key employee, the Secretary shall, by regulations, provide for an interim amount to be taken into account under paragraph (1).
For purposes of paragraph (3), any SUB or severance pay benefit payable to any individual shall not be taken into account to the extent such benefit is payable at an annual rate in excess of 150 percent of the limitation in effect under section 415(c)(1)(A).
Unless there is an actuarial certification of the account limit determined under this subsection for any taxable year, the account limit for such taxable year shall not exceed the sum of the safe harbor limits for such taxable year.
In the case of short-term disability benefits, the safe harbor limit for any taxable year is 17.5 percent of the qualified direct costs (other than insurance premiums) for the immediately preceding taxable year with respect to such benefits.
In the case of medical benefits, the safe harbor limit for any taxable year is 35 percent of the qualified direct costs (other than insurance premiums) for the immediately preceding taxable year with respect to medical benefits.
In the case of SUB or severance pay benefits, the safe harbor limit for any taxable year is the amount determined under paragraph (3).
In the case of any long-term disability benefit or life insurance benefit, the safe harbor limit for any taxable year shall be the amount prescribed by regulations.
For purposes of this subsection, the term “applicable account limit” means an account limit for a qualified asset account with respect to medical benefits provided through a plan maintained by a bona fide association (as defined in section 2791(d)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–91(d)(3))).
For purposes of section 415, any amount attributable to medical benefits allocated to an account established under paragraph (1) shall be treated as an annual addition to a defined contribution plan for purposes of section 415(c). Subparagraph (B) of section 415(c)(1) shall not apply to any amount treated as an annual addition under the preceding sentence.
For purposes of this section, the term “key employee” means any employee who, at any time during the plan year or any preceding plan year, is or was a key employee as defined in section 416(i).
No reserve may be taken into account under subsection (c)(2) for post-retirement medical benefits or life insurance benefits to be provided to covered employees unless the plan meets the requirements of section 505(b) with respect to such benefits (whether or not such requirements apply to such plan). The preceding sentence shall not apply to any plan maintained pursuant to an agreement between employee representatives and 1 or more employers if the Secretary finds that such agreement is a collective bargaining agreement and that post-retirement medical benefits or life insurance benefits were the subject of good faith bargaining between such employee representatives and such employer or employers.
Life insurance benefits shall not be taken into account under subsection (c)(2) to the extent the aggregate amount of such benefits to be provided with respect to the employee exceeds $50,000.
The term “medical benefit” means a benefit which consists of the providing (directly or through insurance) of medical care (as defined in section 213(d)).
The term “life insurance benefit” includes any other death benefit.
For purposes of this section, the amount of the qualified asset account shall be the value of the assets in such account (as determined under regulations).
This subpart shall not apply in the case of any welfare benefit fund which is part of a 10 or more employer plan. The preceding sentence shall not apply to any plan which maintains experience-rating arrangements with respect to individual employers.
The account limit for any of the first 4 taxable years to which this section applies shall be increased by the applicable percentage of any existing excess reserves.
For purposes of subparagraph (A)—
In the case of: | The applicable percentage is: |
|---|---|
The first taxable year to which this section applies | 80 |
The second taxable year to which this section applies | 60 |
The third taxable year to which this section applies | 40 |
The fourth taxable year to which this section applies | 20. |
This paragraph shall apply only to a welfare benefit fund which, as of
In the case of any welfare benefit fund which is not an organization described in paragraph (7), (9), or (17) of section 501(c), the employer shall include in gross income for any taxable year an amount equal to such fund’s deemed unrelated income for the fund’s taxable year ending within the employer’s taxable year.
For purposes of paragraph (1), the deemed unrelated income of any welfare benefit fund shall be the amount which would have been its unrelated business taxable income under section 512(a)(3) if such fund were an organization described in paragraph (7), (9), or (17) of section 501(c).
For purposes of subsections (c)(4), (d)(2), and (e)(2), all welfare benefit funds of an employer shall be treated as 1 fund.
For purposes of this section (other than the provisions specified in subparagraph (A)), at the election of the employer, 2 or more welfare benefit funds of such employer may (to the extent not inconsistent with the purposes of this subpart and section 512) be treated as 1 fund.
Rules similar to the rules of subsections (b), (c), (m), and (n) of section 414 shall apply.
The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subpart. Such regulations may provide that the plan administrator of any welfare benefit fund which is part of a plan to which more than 1 employer contributes shall submit such information to the employers contributing to the fund as may be necessary to enable the employers to comply with the provisions of this section.
2018—Subsec. (c)(6)(B). Pub. L. 115–141, § 401(a)(96), substituted “(42 U.S.C. 300gg–91(d)(3)))” for “(42 U.S.C. 300gg–91(d)(3))”.
Subsec. (g)(1), (2). Pub. L. 115–141, § 401(b)(21)(B), (C), substituted “or (17)” for “(17), or (20)”.
2006—Subsec. (c)(6). Pub. L. 109–280 added par. (6).
1996—Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 104–188 substituted “severance” for “severence” in heading.
1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–647, § 1018(u)(12), made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(6)(B). See 1986 Amendment note below.
Subsec. (f)(5). Pub. L. 100–647, § 1018(t)(2)(A), repealed Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(4). See 1986 Amendment note below.
Pub. L. 100–647, § 1018(t)(1)(C), substituted “account” for “accounts”.
1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(6)(B), as amended by Pub. L. 100–647, § 1018(u)(12), inserted “and section 512” after “this subpart”.
Subsec. (c)(5)(A). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(5), substituted “under this subsection” for “under paragraph (1)”.
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(2)(B), inserted “The requirements of this paragraph shall apply to the first taxable year for which a reserve is taken into account under subsection (c)(2) and to all subsequent taxable years.”
Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(2)(A), inserted “Subparagraph (B) of section 415(c)(1) shall not apply to any amount treated as an annual addition under the preceding sentence.”
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(3)(A), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1), benefits must be nondiscriminatory, read as follows: “No reserve may be taken into account under subsection (c)(2) for post-retirement medical benefits or life insurance benefits to be provided to covered employees unless the plan meets the requirements of section 505(b)(1) with respect to such benefits.”, and par. (2), taxable life insurance benefits not taken into account, read as follows: “No life insurance benefit may be taken into account under subsection (c)(2) to the extent—
“(A) such benefit is includible in gross income under section 79, or
“(B) such benefit would be includible in gross income under section 101(b) (determined by substituting ‘$50,000’ for ‘$5,000’).”
Subsec. (f)(5). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(13), amended par. (5) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (5) read as follows: “
Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(4), which directed amendment of par. (5) by substituting “welfare benefit fund maintained pursuant to” for “welfare benefit fund established under”, was repealed by Pub. L. 100–647, § 1018(t)(2)(A).
Subsec. (f)(7)(C), (D). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(7), added subpars. (C) and (D) and struck out former subpar. (C) which read as follows: “For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘existing excess reserve’ means the excess (if any) of—
“(i) the amount of assets set aside for purposes described in subsection (a) as of the close of the first taxable year ending after the date of the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1984, over
“(ii) the account limit which would have applied under this section to such taxable year if this section had applied to such taxable year.”
Subsec. (g)(3). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(9), added par. (3).
Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 99–514, § 1851(a)(6)(A), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “At the election of the employer, 2 or more welfare benefit funds of such employer may be treated as 1 fund.”
Pub. L. 109–280, title VIII, § 843(b),
Amendment by Pub. L. 100–647 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Pub. L. 99–514, to which such amendment relates, see section 1019(a) of Pub. L. 100–647, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.
Amendment by Pub. L. 99–514 effective, except as otherwise provided, as if included in the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1984, Pub. L. 98–369, div. A, to which such amendment relates, see section 1881 of Pub. L. 99–514, set out as a note under section 48 of this title.
For provisions that nothing in amendment by section 401(b)(21)(B), (C) of Pub. L. 115–141 be construed to affect treatment of certain transactions occurring, property acquired, or items of income, loss, deduction, or credit taken into account prior to
For provisions directing that if any amendments made by subtitle A or subtitle C of title XI [§§ 1101–1147 and 1171–1177] or title XVIII [§§ 1800–1899A] of Pub. L. 99–514 require an amendment to any plan, such plan amendment shall not be required to be made before the first plan year beginning on or after
Pub. L. 99–514, title XVIII, § 1851(a)(3)(B),