How do you describe why the plan terminated the services of the plan's accountant or actuary in Part III of Form 5500, Schedule C?

Did the plan miss the filing deadline and you need to make a decision about which box to check on Line D of Form 5500 or Line C of Form 5500-SF. Does the plan qualify for a Special Extension? What information should you enter on Line D of Form 5500 or Line C of Form 5500-SF?

How do you describe the purposes of Fees or Other Commissions Paid on Line 3(d) of Form 5500, Schedule A?

Is my plan the only plan that....?

Suzanne Wynn, an ERISA attorney with more than 25 years of experience including working for the Internal Revenue Service in IRS Employee Plans, has struggled with completing the many lines on Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF which require the preparer to write a description or explanation, and has written this practical guide on how to complete Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF with hundreds of examples of how to write these, and many other, tricky descriptions and explanations, along with charts showing the number of plans responding "Yes" or "No" to certain questions.

In preparing to write this book, Suzanne analyzed 10 years of Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF data that she obtained from the Dept. of Labor through electronic Freedom of Information Requests, and distilled that information into this easy-to-use guide.

A Practical Guide to Completing Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF is divided into 3 separate volumes which walk you through how to complete each Form and Schedule, including:

-- Detailed line-by-line explanations for each Form and Schedule;

-- Extensive charts containing the exact wording other filers have entered on particular lines in the past so you can see examples when trying to write a particular required explanation or detailed description; and

-- Cautions and Warnings are included for specific lines on the Forms and Schedules on areas where the IRS or Dept. of Labor can use the information entered on a Form or Schedule to perform targeting data analytics.

Volume 1 walks you through completing Form 5500-SF.

Volume 2 provides practical advice and examples on how to complete Form 5500, Schedule A, and Schedule C.

Volume 3 walks you through completing Schedules D, G, H, I, R, SB, and MB.