Notice 2020-50

PURPOSE

This notice provides guidance relating to the application of section 2202 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (2020) (CARES Act) for qualified individuals and eligible retirement plans. The CARES Act was enacted on March 27, 2020. Under section 2202 of the CARES Act, qualified individuals receive favorable tax treatment with respect to distributions from eligible retirement plans that are coronavirus-related distributions. A coronavirus-related distribution is not subject to the 10% additional tax under § 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) (including the 25% additional tax under § 72(t)(6) for certain distributions from SIMPLE IRAs), generally is includible in income over a 3-year period, and, to the extent the distribution is eligible for tax-free rollover treatment and is contributed to an eligible retirement plan within a 3-year period, will not be includible in income. Section 2202 of the CARES Act also increases the allowable plan loan amount under § 72(p) of the Code and permits a suspension of payments for plan loans outstanding on or after March 27, 2020, that are made to qualified individuals. The guidance in this notice is intended to assist employers and plan administrators, trustees and custodians, and qualified individuals in applying section 2202 of the CARES Act, including by providing guidance on how plans may report coronavirus-related distributions and how individuals may report these distributions on their individual federal income tax returns.

BACKGROUND

A. Distributions

Under § 402(c)(8), an eligible retirement plan includes an individual retire

ment arrangement (IRA) under § 408(a) or (b), a qualified plan under § 401(a), an annuity plan under § 403(a), a § 403(b) plan, and a governmental deferred compensation plan under § 457(b). Distributions from these plans generally are includible in the distributee’s gross income in the year of the distribution. For example, for qualified plans, § 402(a) provides that any amount actually distributed to a distributee is taxable to the distributee in the taxable year of the distribution under § 72. Similar rules apply to § 403(b) plans under § 403(b)(1), governmental § 457(b) plans under § 457(a), and IRAs under § 408(d)(1).

Section 402(c)(4) provides that any distribution of all or a portion of the balance to the credit of an employee under a qualified plan is an eligible rollover distribution with certain exceptions. These exceptions include substantially equal periodic payments over a specified period of at least 10 years, or for the life or the life expectancy of the employee (or the employee and the employee’s designated beneficiary); minimum distributions required under § 401(a)(9); and any distribution that is made upon the hardship of an employee. This same definition of eligible rollover distribution applies to distributions from § 403(b) plans under § 403(b)(8) and governmental § 457(b) plans under § 457(e)(16). Generally, any distribution from an IRA is eligible for rollover except a required minimum distribution or certain distributions from inherited IRAs. Section 2203 of the CARES Act provides that, for eligible retirement plans other than defined benefit plans, no minimum distributions under § 401(a)(9) are required for 2020.

Under § 401(a)(31)(A), if a distributee elects to have an eligible rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan and specifies the eligible retirement plan to receive the distribution, a qualified plan must pay the distribution to that eligible retirement plan in a direct rollover. Similar rules apply to § 403(b) plans under § 403(b)(10) and governmental § 457(b) plans under § 457(d)(1). Q&A-14 of § 1.401(a)(31)-1 provides that if a plan accepts an invalid rollover contribution, for purposes of applying the

qualification requirements to the receiving plan, the contribution will be treated as if it were a valid rollover contribution if two conditions are satisfied. First, when accepting the amount from the employee as a rollover contribution, the plan administrator of the receiving plan reasonably concludes that the contribution is a valid rollover contribution. Second, if the plan administrator later determines that the rollover contribution was an invalid rollover contribution, any amount attributable to the invalid rollover contribution (including earnings) must be distributed to the employee within a reasonable amount of time after the determination.

Under § 402(c), if an eligible rollover distribution is contributed to an eligible retirement plan in a direct rollover or within 60 days from the date of distribution as a rollover contribution, the amount rolled over is not includible in the distributee’s gross income. In certain situations, the 60day rollover period is extended; for example, under § 402(c)(3), the rollover period for qualified plan loan offsets is extended to the federal income tax return deadline for the year of the distribution.

Section 401(k)(2)(B)(i) generally provides that amounts attributable to elective contributions under a qualified cash or deferred arrangement may not be distributable to participants or beneficiaries earlier than severance from employment, death or disability, plan termination, attainment of age 59½, hardship of the employee, entitlement to a qualified reservist distribution, or, for amounts held in lifetime income investments, 90 days prior to the date that the lifetime income investment is no longer held by the arrangement. Similar rules apply to custodial accounts under § 403(b)(7)(A)(i), to annuity contracts under § 403(b)(11), and to governmental § 457(b) plans under § 457(d)(1)(A).

Section 72(t)(1) imposes an additional tax on early distributions from eligible retirement plans (other than governmental § 457(b) plans, unless a distribution is attributable to an amount that was transferred to the § 457(b) plan from a plan that was subject to § 72(t)). In general, this additional tax is equal to 10% of the portion of the distribution that is includi

Bulletin No. 2020–28 35 July 6, 2020

ble in income. For any amount distributed from a SIMPLE IRA during the 2-year period described in § 72(t)(6), the rate of the additional tax is increased from 10% to 25%. Section 72(t)(2) provides a number of exceptions to this additional tax, including, for example, exceptions for distributions made on or after the date on which the employee attains age 59½, distributions made to a beneficiary on or after the employee’s death, distributions made because of the employee’s disability, and distributions that are part of substantially equal periodic payments made over the employee’s life or life expectancy.

Section 402(f) provides that a plan is required to provide a distributee, within a reasonable period of time before an eligible rollover distribution is made, a written explanation of the distributee’s rollover rights and the tax and other potential consequences of the distribution or rollover.

B. Plan loans

Section 72(p) imposes certain requirements relating to plan loans. Unless these requirements are satisfied, an amount received by a participant as a loan is treated as having been received as a distribution from the plan (deemed distribution). Deemed distributions are includible in income and are subject to the 10% additional tax under § 72(t), unless an exception applies.

Under § 72(p)(2)(A), a plan loan (when added to the outstanding balance of all other loans outstanding) must not exceed the lesser of (1) $50,000, reduced by the excess of the highest outstanding balance of loans from the plan during the 1-year period ending on the day before the date on which the loan is made over the outstanding balance of loans from the plan on the date that the loan is made, or (2) the greater of $10,000 or one-half of the present value of the participant’s nonforfeitable accrued benefit under the plan. Section 72(p)(2)(B) provides that a loan must be repaid within 5 years. However, an exception to the 5-year repayment rule applies for loans used to acquire any dwelling unit that will be used (determined at the time the loan is made) as the participant’s principal residence. Section 72(p)(2)(C) requires substantially level amortization of a plan loan (with pay

ments not less frequently than quarterly) over the term of the loan.

Q&A-10(a) of § 1.72(p)-1 provides that the failure to make any installment payment when due, in accordance with the terms of a loan, violates § 72(p) (2)(C) and, accordingly, results in a deemed distribution at the time of the failure. However, the plan administrator may allow a cure period, and § 72(p)(2) (C) will not be considered to have been violated if the installment payment is made not later than the end of the cure period, which cannot continue beyond the last day of the calendar quarter following the calendar quarter in which the required installment payment was due. If there is a failure to pay the installment payments required under the terms of the loan (taking into account any cure period allowed under Q&A-10(a)), then the amount of the deemed distribution equals the entire outstanding balance of the loan (including accrued interest) at the time of the failure. Under Q&A13(b) of § 1.72(p)-1 and Q&A-9(b) of § 1.402(c)-2, a distribution of a plan loan offset amount occurs when, under the terms governing a plan loan, the accrued benefit of a participant or beneficiary is reduced (or offset) in order to repay the loan (including the enforcement of the plan’s security interest in the accrued benefit). In the event of a plan loan offset, including a qualified plan loan offset described in § 402(c)(3) (C), the amount of the account balance that is offset against the loan is an actual distribution, not a deemed distribution.