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Amending (or Terminating) Deferred Compensation Plans Without Penalties

By Lawrence L. Bell
December 01, 2022

Section 409A of the IRS code covers virtually any contractual deferral of compensation other than under a qualified retirement plan or a vacation, sick leave, compensatory time, disability pay, or death benefit plan. Thus, traditional nonqualified deferred compensation plans are subject to §409A.

If a plan subject to §409A fails to meet its requirements (i.e., there is a plan failure), §409A imposes a 20% penalty, income acceleration of deferred amounts, and interest on the accelerated payments (1% above the underpayment rate).

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