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Reportable Events and Large Unpaid Contributions
Note: Important Information for Small Plans
PBGC is providing reporting relief to certain small plans that fail to make a required quarterly contribution for plan year
2009. This relief applies in cases where the failure is not motivated by financial inability.
See Technical Update 09-3 (April 30, 2009).
Section 4043 of ERISA requires that plan administrators and sponsors notify PBGC of the occurrence of certain events that may signal problems with a pension plan or business. PBGC’s regulation on reportable events and large cumulative funding underpayments describes the events and notice requirements in detail (see 29 CFR Part 4043). PBGC also issues Technical Updates and informal guidance in our What’s New for Practitioners Web page about these events.
Each event is listed below. For more information about an event, click on the cited regulation. In certain cases involving nonpublic companies with large underfunding (see 29 CFR §4043.61), advance notice of certain events must be given to PBGC.
Reportable Event |
Post-Event Notice |
Advance Notice (Form 10-Advance) |
Active participant reduction |
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Failure to make required funding payments |
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Inability to pay benefits when due |
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Distribution to a substantial owner |
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Change in contributing sponsor or controlled group |
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Liquidation of contributing sponsor or controlled group member |
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Extraordinary dividend or stock redemption |
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Transfer of benefit liabilities |
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Application for minimum funding waiver |
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Loan default |
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Bankruptcy or similar settlement |
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Large Cumulative Funding Underpayments |
10 days after the due date (Form 200) |
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Total underpayments, with interest, exceed $1 million |
The forms and instructions provided below explain which events must be reported to PBGC, when they must be reported, what information PBGC requires, and where and how to file the report.
Post-Event Notice of Reportable Events (Small plans and small plan sponsors should review Technical Update 09-3, in which PBGC provides a waiver (for certain very small plans) and a simplified alternative compliance method (for certain other small plans) for reporting of missed quarterly funding contributions for plan year 2009.)
Advance Notice of Reportable Events
Notice of Failure to Make Required Contributions Over $1 Million
Technical Updates on 4043 reporting
Other useful information may be found on the What’s New for Practitioners Web page.
Enrolled Actuaries Meeting Bluebooks - 4043 reporting
In connection with Enrolled Actuaries Meetings, PBGC staff has met with representatives of the Enrolled Actuaries Program Committee to discuss a number of questions relating to these reporting requirements. Summaries of the questions and answers (in PDF format) discussed at the meetings are available here as a public service.
The summaries reflect the views of individual staff members and do not represent the official position of PBGC.
2009 Question & Answer Summary (Questions 17-19) [PDF]
2008 Question & Answer Summary (Question 9) [PDF]
2007 Question & Answer Summary (Questions 3, 14-16) [PDF]
2006 Question & Answer Summary (Questions 12-15) [PDF]
2005 Question & Answer Summary (Question 17-19) [PDF]
2004 Question & Answer Summary (Question 11-13) [PDF]
2001 Question & Answer Summary (Question 15-16) [PDF]
2000 Question & Answer Summary (Question 19-20) [PDF]
1998 Question & Answer Summary (Question 20-34) [PDF]
For assistance, contact PBGC by sending an e-mail to post-event.report@pbgc.gov, advance.report@pbgc.gov, or form200@pbgc.gov (whichever applicable), or by calling our toll-free practitioner number at 1-800-736-2444 (ext. 4070) or 202-326-4070 (DC area). TTY/TDD users may call the federal relay service toll-free at 1-800-877-8339 and ask to be connected to the appropriate number.
PBGC regularly monitors plan compliance with Part 4043 using, among other methods:
PBGC’s current penalty policy applies to failure to timely file information required by Part 4043 (see also ERISA §4071 and 29 CFR Part 4071).