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PART I. PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINATION LETTER REQUESTS

SECTION 4. ON WHAT

Internal Revenue Bulletin 2015-1 · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States

ISSUES MUST WRITTEN GUIDANCE BE REQUESTED UNDER DIFFERENT PROCEDURES?

(b) An amendment that merely adjusts the maximum limitations under § 415 to reflect annual cost-of-living increases under § 415(d), other than an amendment that adds an automatic cost-of-living adjustment provision to the plan; and

(c) An amendment solely to include language pursuant to § 403(c)(2) of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) concerning the reversion of employer contributions made as a result of mistake of fact.

(4) This section applies to determination letter requests with respect to plans that combine an ESOP (as defined in § 4975(e)(7) of the Code) with retiree medical benefit features described in § 401(h) (HSOPs).

(a) In general, determination letters will not be issued with respect to plans that combine an ESOP with an HSOP with respect to:

(i) whether the requirements of § 4975(e)(7) are satisfied;

(ii) whether the requirements of § 401(h) are satisfied; or

(iii) whether the combination of an ESOP with an HSOP in a plan adversely affects its qualification under § 401(a).

(b) A plan is considered to combine an ESOP with an HSOP if it contains ESOP provisions and § 401(h) provisions.

(c) However, an arrangement will not be considered covered by section 3.02(4) of this revenue procedure if, under the provisions of the plan, the following conditions are satisfied:

(i) No individual accounts are maintained in the § 401(h) account (except as required by § 401(h)(6));

(ii) No employer securities are held in the § 401(h) account;

(iii) The § 401(h) account does not contain the proceeds (directly or otherwise) of an exempt loan as defined in § 54.4975–7(b)(1)(iii) of the Pension Excise Tax Regulations; and

(iv) The amount of actual contributions to provide § 401(h) benefits (when added to actual contributions for life insurance protection under the plan) does not exceed 25 percent of the sum of: (1) the amount of cash contributions actually allocated to participants’ accounts in the plan and (2) the amount of cash contributions used to repay principal with respect to the exempt loan, both determined on an aggregate basis since the inception of the § 401(h) arrangement.

.03 The Service will accept applications for determination letters for the second Cycle E submission period from February 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016. The Service’s review will take into account the qualification requirements, and other items identified on the 2014 Cumulative List in Notice 2014–77.

TE/GE .01 Other procedures for obtaining rulings, determination letters, opinion letters, etc., on matters within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, TE/GE are contained in the following revenue procedures:

Sec. 4.01 January 2, 2015 200 Bulletin No. 2015–1

Chief Counsel’s revenue procedure

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