5500 Forms

5500 reporting requirements are essential for all businesses sponsoring retirement savings plans and certain employer-sponsored health and welfare plans.

Employer sponsored welfare benefit plans, with fewer than 100 fully insured, covered participants, are exempt from the Form 5500 filing requirement.

For calendar 

year plans, Form 5500 is typically due by July 31st and must file electronically through the Department of Labor’s EFAST2 filing system. If a plan needs extra time to file, it can submit Form 5558 (Application for Extension of Time to File Certain Employee Plan Returns) to request a one-time extension of up to 2.5 months.

Employers must ensure they file their Form 5500 series returns on time to avoid penalties and maintain compliance with ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.