Significant detriment; defined contribution plan; allocation of expenses. This ruling describes the application of the significant detriment rule in regulations section 1.411(a)-11(c)(2)(i) in relationship to the Department of Labor’s Field Assistance Bulletin 2003-3 pertaining to the allocation of expenses in a defined contribution plan.

Coverage; special rules; request for comments. This ruling describes the application of the special coverage rule for acquisitions and dispositions in section 410(b)(6)(C) of the Code in a situation involving a defined benefit plan and a profit-sharing plan that includes a qualified cash or deferred arrangement under section 401(k)(2). In addition, the ruling holds that a significant change in a plan or in the coverage of a plan during the transition period under section 410(b)(6)(C)(ii) curtails the period effective as of the date of the change and does not make the plan retroactively ineligible to apply section 410(b)(6)(C). Finally, the ruling also asks for comments as to other situations that may arise under section 410(b)(6)(C).

Plan qualification; rollovers. This ruling describes a situation where an eligible retirement plan separately accounts for amounts attributable to rollover contributions to the plan. As a result, distributions of those amounts are not subject to the restrictions on permissible timing that apply, under the applicable requirements of the Code, to distributions of other amounts from the plan.

Top-heavy status; special rules. This ruling describes four situations where a non-governmental profit-sharing plan contains a cash or deferred arrangement described in section 401(k) of the Code that provides for safe harbor matching contributions. In the first situation, the ruling holds that the requirements of section 416(g)(4)(H) are met for that year. In the other situations, the ruling holds that the contributions do not meet the requirements of section 416(g)(4)(H).

This document provides procedures under which a corporation’s S status will not be terminated by a direct rollover of stock from its employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to a participant’s individual retirement account (IRA). Rev. Proc. 2003-23 modified and superseded.

Minimum funding standards; waivers; notice. This procedure sets forth guidelines for requesting waivers of the minimum funding standards with respect to defined benefit and defined contribution plans subject to section 412 of the Code. Rev. Procs. 2004-4, 2004-5, 2004-6 modified. Rev. Proc. 94-41 superseded.