SECTION 12. M&P MASS — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2015-27

SUBMITTERS

.01 Opinion Letters Issued to M&P Mass Submitters

(1) The IRS will, upon request by a M&P mass submitter, issue an opinion letter as to the acceptability of the form of the mass submitter’s M&P plan and any related trust or custodial account documents under §§ 401(a), 403(a), 4975(e)(7), and 501(a). With respect to its plan, the M&P mass submitter must submit a completed Form 4461 or 4461-A, and Attachment I to Form 4461 or Attachment I-A to Form 4461-A, as applicable, to the address in section 20. The first page of the Form 4461 or 4461-A must be typed. In the case of an initial submission of a basic plan document under this revenue procedure, the M&P mass submitter’s application must also be accompanied by applications for opinion letters filed on behalf of the requisite number of identical

adopters (as determined under section 4.08), unless the M&P mass submitter has already satisfied this requirement in connection with a previous application under this revenue procedure involving another basic plan document. Any plan submitted by a M&P mass submitter must include language designating the M&P mass submitter as agent for the sponsor for purposes of making plan amendments. The M&P request must be accompanied by the required user fee submitted with Form 8717-A, and a signed certification that all necessary amendments required by the IRS to retain the qualified status of the M&P mass submitter’s plan have been made and communicated to all adopting sponsors. These forms and attachments may be downloaded from the Internet at the following address: http://www.irs. gov/Retirement-Plans/Preapproved-Plan- Submission-Procedures.

(2) After satisfying the requirement as to the number of adopting sponsors, the M&P mass submitter may submit additional applications on behalf of other sponsors that wish to adopt a word-forword identical plan or a plan that contains minor modifications from the mass submitter plan, as provided in section 12.03(2). In addition, the M&P mass submitter may then submit requests for opinion letters under this section 12.01 for its other plans, regardless of the number of identical adopters of such other plans.

(3) The IRS intends to issue opinion letters to M&P mass submitters and sponsors (as well as advisory letters to VS mass submitters and VS practitioners) at approximately the same time within the applicable six-year cycle. In the interim, the IRS will send a notification to the applicable M&P or VS mass submitter, sponsor, or VS practitioner, if the IRS determines that the plan appears to be in full compliance with the applicable qualification requirements based on the submissions and the completed review. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this notification only provides assurance that the IRS believes the plan appears to meet the applicable qualification requirements under review as of the date of the notification. This notification is for the convenience of the applicable sponsor, VS practitioner, or mass submitter, but does not constitute an official opinion or advisory

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letter. Until issuance of the official opinion or advisory letter, no reliance exists. The IRS reserves the right to require changes after the notification is sent, in its sole discretion.

.02 Reduced Procedural Requirements for Sponsors That Use Mass Submitter Plans - A sponsor of a M&P plan of a mass submitter must obtain an opinion letter. For qualification, or if the sponsor’s plan includes modifications, the M&P mass submitter must submit on behalf of the sponsor a completed Form 4461-B which contains a declaration by the M&P mass submitter under penalty of perjury that the sponsor has adopted a M&P plan that is word-for-word identical to a plan of the M&P mass submitter, or a M&P plan that is a minor modification of the mass submitter’s plan. The Form 4461-B must be typed. If the sponsor is sponsoring a word-for-word identical plan (including a flexible plan), a copy of the plan need not be submitted. If the M&P mass submitter submits a plan with minor modifications, it must comply with the requirements of section 12.03(2). The request must be accompanied by the required user fee submitted with Form 8717-A and a signed certification that all necessary amendments required by the IRS to retain the qualified status of the sponsor’s plan have been made and communicated to all adopting employers. Upon receipt of the request for an opinion letter, the IRS will, as soon as administratively feasible, issue an opinion letter with respect to the sponsor’s plan (provided that an opinion letter has been issued with respect to the M&P mass submitter’s plan).

.03 Definitions - (1) Flexible Plan (a) In general - A “flexible plan” is a plan submitted by a M&P mass submitter that contains optional provisions (as defined in (b) below). Sponsors that adopt the flexible plan may include or delete any optional provision that is designated as such in the M&P mass submitter’s plan, provided the inclusion or deletion of specific optional provisions conforms to the M&P mass submitter’s written representation to the IRS concerning the choices available to sponsors and the coordination of optional provisions. A M&P mass submitter must bracket and identify the optional provisions when submitting such plan, and must also provide the IRS a

written representation describing the choices available to sponsors and the coordination of optional provisions. Thus, such a representation must indicate whether a sponsor’s plan may contain only one of a certain group of optional provisions, may contain only a specific combination of provisions, or may exclude the provisions entirely. Similarly, if the inclusion (or deletion) of a specific optional provision in a sponsor’s plan will automatically result in the inclusion (or deletion) of any other optional provision, this must be set forth in the M&P mass submitter’s representation. A flexible plan may contain only optional provisions that meet the requirements of (b) below, and must be drafted so that the qualification of any sponsor’s plan will not be affected by the inclusion or deletion of optional provisions. For example, if a sponsor’s defined contribution plan contains an optional provision that allows a portion of a participant’s account to be invested in life insurance, then under the terms of the sponsor’s plan, the application of the proceeds must meet the requirements of §§ 401(a)(11) and 417. A flexible plan adopted by a sponsor that differs from the M&P mass submitter plan only because the sponsor has deleted certain optional provisions from its plan in conformance with the M&P mass submitter’s representation described in this paragraph will be treated as a word-for-word identical plan to the M&P mass submitter plan. The IRS encourages M&P mass submitters to limit the number of optional provisions described in (b)(i) and (ii) below, that they provide under a flexible plan to six investment provisions and six administrative provisions.

(b) Optional Provisions - A flexible plan may contain optional provisions that comply with the requirements set forth in this paragraph. The optional provisions may be arranged as separate optional articles or as separate optional provisions within a single article. A flexible plan may also contain optional provisions in the adoption agreement. For example, if a M&P mass submitter flexible plan basic plan document contains an optional provision that would allow for loans under a sponsor’s M&P plan, the adoption agreement could also include an optional provision that would enable an adopting em

ployer to elect whether loans will be available under the plan it adopts. If the sponsor does not wish to enable adopting employers to make loans available under their plans, both the basic plan document optional provision and the adoption agreement optional provision would be deleted from the sponsor’s M&P plan. Sponsors may include or delete optional provisions of M&P mass submitter plans, but once the sponsor has decided to include an optional provision, it must offer that provision to all adopting employers. Any optional provision that the IRS determines does not meet the requirements of this section will have to be changed to a nonoptional provision or deleted from the M&P mass submitter’s plan. The following is an exclusive list of the allowable optional provisions that a flexible plan may contain:

(i) Investment Provisions - A M&P mass submitter may offer a variety of investment provisions in its plan for sponsors to include or delete from their version of the plan. However, the plan as adopted by the sponsor must provide some method for investing trust assets. Investment provisions are those provisions that describe the plan’s methods of investing the trust or custodial funds, including provisions such as the availability of loans and investments in insurance contracts or other funding media, and self-directed investments. (Also see sections 4.05 and 5.09 regarding flexibility permitted in trust or custodial account documents.)

(ii) Administrative Provisions - A M&P mass submitter may offer a variety of administrative provisions in its plan for sponsors to include or delete from their version of the plan. However, the plan as adopted by the sponsor must describe how the plan will be administered. Administrative provisions are those provisions that describe the administration of the plan, including the powers, duties, and responsibilities of a plan’s custodian, trustee, administrator, employer, and other fiduciaries. Administrative provisions include the allocation of responsibilities among fiduciaries, the resignation or replacement of fiduciaries, claims procedures under the plan, and record-keeping requirements. However, procedural provisions that are required for plan qualification are not administrative provisions under this section.

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For example, provisions that provide for the notice to participants required by § 417 and record-keeping required by regulations under §§ 401(k) and (m) are not administrative provisions for purposes of this revenue procedure, and may not be optional provisions.

(iii) Cash or Deferred Arrangement - A M&P defined contribution mass submitter (other than an ESOP) may include a selfcontained cash or deferred arrangement (as defined in § 401(k)) for sponsors to include or delete.

(c) Addition of Optional Provisions by the M&P Mass Submitter - A M&P mass submitter may add additional optional provisions to its plan after a favorable opinion letter is issued. Generally, the addition of such optional provisions will not be treated as a plan amendment for purposes of this revenue procedure, Rev. Proc 2015–6, and Rev. Proc. 2015–8, 2015–1 I.R.B. 235. Accordingly, sponsors and adopting employers will not be required to obtain new opinion and determination letters in order to preserve reliance. However, the addition of a cash or deferred arrangement or any change to the language of the adoption agreement subsequent to the issuance of an opinion letter will be treated as a plan amendment to the M&P mass submitter’s plan, and the requirements of subsection .04 of this section 12 will then apply. The M&P mass submitter must submit such additional optional provisions to the IRS, along with a completed Form 4461 or 4461-A, as applicable, and a check or money order in the amount specified in section 6.04(6) of Rev. Proc. 2015–8. No opinion letter will be issued to the M&P mass submitter or any adopting sponsor with respect to the addition of these optional provisions. Instead, a letter will be issued to the M&P mass submitter notifying it that the addition of such optional provisions will not affect the status of favorable opinion and determination letters issued to sponsors and adopting employers.

(d) Notification to Employer - If a M&P mass submitter adds optional provisions, as described in the preceding paragraph, all adopting sponsors who wish to include the additional optional provisions must furnish each adopting employer with a copy of the plan that includes such additional provisions. If a sponsor decides to

include or delete an optional provision after it initially adopted the plan, it must also furnish each adopting employer with a copy of the new plan. However, if such inclusion or deletion results in a change to the language of the adoption agreement, such change will be treated as a plan amendment and the sponsor and its adopting employers may not continue to rely on previously issued opinion letters.

(2) Minor Modifications (a) A “minor modification” is a minor change to an otherwise word-for-word identical plan of the M&P mass submitter that does not require an in-depth technical review. For example, a change from fiveyear 100% vesting to three-year 100% vesting is a minor modification. On the other hand, a change in the method of accrual of benefits in a defined benefit plan would not be considered a minor modification. A minor modification must be submitted by the M&P mass submitter on behalf of the sponsor that will adopt the modified plan. Subject to sections 12.05 and 21.03 and the provisions of this section, submissions with respect to minor modifications will be reviewed on an expedited basis and opinion letters will be issued to the sponsor as soon as possible.

(b) The IRS reserves the right to determine if such changes are actually minor. If it is determined that the changes are extensive or require an in-depth technical review, the plan submitted under the next paragraph will not be entitled to expedited review and will otherwise be treated as a non-mass submitter plan. In the event the plan is treated as a non-mass submitter plan, the IRS will notify the M&P mass submitter in writing of its determination. Within 30 days following the date of such communication, either the M&P mass submitter may revise the plan so that the modifications are minor and resubmit the revised plan, or the sponsor may submit Form 4461 or 4461–A, whichever is applicable, and an additional user fee in an amount equal to the difference between a non-mass submitter plan application user fee and a minor modifier application user fee. If, after such 30 day period neither action has been taken, the application may be considered withdrawn.

form must be typed. When the IRS sends a notification to the applicable sponsor with respect to the lead plan indicating that the IRS has determined that the plan appears to be in full compliance with the applicable qualification requirements, as described above, the M&P mass submitter must submit a copy of the M&P mass submitter’s plan with the modifications highlighted, as well as a statement indicating the location and effect of each change. The M&P mass submitter must certify under penalty of perjury that the plan of the sponsor, except for the delineated changes, is word-for-word identical to the plan for which the M&P mass submitter received a favorable opinion letter. If a M&P mass submitter fails to identify each modification, such failure will be considered a material misrepresentation, and an employer may not rely on any opinion letter that may be issued with respect to the plan. If a M&P mass submitter repeatedly fails to identify such modifications, the IRS may deny permission to that M&P mass submitter to submit additional modifications.

.04 Amendments of M&P Mass Submitter Plans - If a M&P mass submitter amends the plan, the mass submitter must provide copies of the amendment to sponsors who have adopted the plan. Any sponsor that does not wish to make the amendments made by a M&P mass submitter may switch to another M&P mass submitter or may submit an application for an opinion letter on its own behalf during the next applicable on-cycle submission period for pre-approved plans. A M&P mass submitter should not submit an application for an opinion letter with respect to plan amendments. The IRS will not issue an opinion letter with respect to amendments made between the applicable on-cycle submission periods, and the M&P mass submitter should submit a restated plan, including the amendments, during the next six-year cycle.

.05 Expeditious Processing Accorded M&P Mass Submitter Plans - Subject to section 21.03, all M&P mass submitter plans, including the adoption of approved M&P mass submitter plans by sponsors, will be accorded more expeditious processing than M&P plans submitted by non-mass submitters, to the extent administratively feasible.

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