SECTION 4. DEFINITIONS

.01 Master Plan - A “master plan” is a plan (including a plan covering self-employed individuals) that is made available by a sponsor for adoption by employers and for which a single funding medium

(for example, a trust or custodial account) is established, as part of the plan, for the joint use of all adopting employers. A master plan consists of a basic plan document, an adoption agreement, and, unless included in the basic plan document, a trust or custodial account document.

.02 Prototype Plan - A “prototype plan” is a plan (including a plan covering self-employed individuals) that is made available by a sponsor for adoption by employers and under which a separate funding medium is established for each adopting employer. A prototype plan consists of a basic plan document, an adoption agreement, and, unless the basic plan document incorporates a trust or custodial account agreement the provisions of which are applicable to all adopting employers, a trust or custodial account document.

.03 Basic Plan Document - A “basic plan document” is the portion of a plan containing all the non-elective provisions applicable to all adopting employers. No options (including blanks to be completed) may be provided in the basic plan document, except as provided in section 12.03(1) of this revenue procedure regarding flexible plans.

.04 Adoption Agreement — An “adoption agreement” is the portion of the plan containing the options that may be selected by an adopting employer.

.05 Trust or Custodial Account Document ( Note: This definition does not apply if the basic plan document includes a trust or custodial account agreement the provi- sions of which apply to all adopting em- ployers .) - A “trust or custodial account document” is the portion of an M&P plan that contains the trust agreement or custodial account agreement and includes provisions covering such matters as the powers and duties of trustees, investment authority, and the kinds of investments that may be made. Except as provided in section 5.09 and below, all provisions of the trust or custodial account document must be applicable to all adopting employers and no options (including blanks to be completed) may be provided in the trust or custodial account document. With respect to prototype plans, an M&P sponsor or M&P mass submitter may provide up to five separate trust or custodial account documents that are intended for use with any single basic plan document. Thus, for exam

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(6) Any past service credit under the plan must meet the safe harbor in § 1.401(a)(4)–5(a)(3).

A plan will not fail to satisfy the coverage requirement for standardized plans merely because the plan provides, either as the result of an elective provision or by default in the absence of an election to the contrary, that individuals who become employees, within the meaning of section 5.13, as the result of a “§ 410(b)(6)(C) transaction” will be excluded from eligibility to participate in the plan during the period beginning on the date of the transaction and ending on a date that is not later than the last day of the first plan year beginning after the date of the transaction. A “§ 410(b)(6)(C) transaction” is an asset or stock acquisition, merger, or other similar transaction involving a change in the employer of the employees of a trade or business.

.10 Nonstandardized Plan - A “nonstandardized plan” is an M&P plan that is not a standardized plan.