n-03-20.pdf

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Eligible Deferred Compensation Plans under Section 457
Notice 2003-20

I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This notice describes the withholding and reporting requirements applicable to
eligible deferred compensation plans described in § 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code
("' 457(b) plans") for periods after December 31, 2001.
Specifically, this notice addresses --
$ income tax withholding and reporting with respect to annual deferrals made to a
' 457(b) plan;
$ income tax withholding and reporting with respect to distributions from a
' 457(b) plan, including changes for a § 457(b) plan established by a state or local
government employer enacted in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), Pub. L. No. 107-16;
$ Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payment and reporting with respect
to annual deferrals under a ' 457(b) plan;
$ employer identification numbers (EINs) used in connection with trusts
established under § 457(g); and
$ the application of annual reporting requirements to ' 457(b) plan administrators
and trustees holding assets of a ' 457(b) plan in accordance with § 457(g).
The rules provided in this notice apply to deferrals and distributions from eligible
' 457(b) plans made after December 31, 2001. This notice addresses only reporting and
withholding rules that apply to ' 457(b) plan participants who are or were employees of
state and local governments or tax-exempt organizations and does not cover special
reporting rules that may apply to § 457(b) plan participants who are or were independent

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contractors. Notice 2000-38, 2000-2 C.B. 174, applies to ' 457(b) plan distributions
made before January 1, 2002, but see Section IX of this notice concerning its effective
date provisions.

II. BACKGROUND
Section 457 provides rules for nonqualified deferred compensation plans
established by eligible employers. State and local governments and tax-exempt
organizations are eligible employers. They can establish either eligible plans that meet
the requirements of § 457(b) or plans that do not meet the requirements of § 457(b) and
that are therefore subject to § 457(f).
EGTRRA made numerous revisions to § 457, most of them effective after
December 31, 2001. EGTRRA § 641(a)(1)(D)(i) added new § 3401(a)(12)(E) which
provides that remuneration paid to an employee or beneficiary from a § 457(b) plan
maintained by a state or local governmental employer (a governmental § 457(b) plan) is
no longer treated as wages for purposes of income tax withholding under section
3402(a), but is now subject to income tax withholding under section 3405. This change
is effective for distributions made after December 31, 2001. However, EGTRRA did not
revise the provision of Chapter 21 of the Internal Revenue Code treating amounts
deferred under a § 457(b) plan as subject to FICA taxes. See § 3121(v)(2) and (3).
FICA taxes include both the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) tax
and the Hospital Insurance (HI) tax, which are referred to in federal tax forms as social
security and Medicare tax, respectively. This notice includes guidance under these new
provisions regarding income tax withholding and reporting upon distributions from
governmental § 457(b) plans.
Section 1448 of the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 ("SBJPA"), Pub. L.
104-188, 1996-3 C.B. 155, 212, amended § 457 by adding § 457(g), which requires that

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governmental § 457(b) plans hold all plan assets and income in trust, or in custodial
accounts or annuity contracts described in § 401(f), for the exclusive benefit of
participants and their beneficiaries. Section 457(g) does not apply to a ' 457(b) plan
established by a tax-exempt organization that is not a state or local governmental entity.
Notice 2000-38 provided guidance in response to inquiries concerning withholding and
reporting upon § 457(b) plan distributions in light of this SBJPA amendment and certain
changes made by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Pub. L. No. 105-34.
This notice updates and supersedes Notice 2000-38 for contributions and
distributions made after December 31, 2001.

III. INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING AND REPORTING ON ANNUAL
DEFERRALS

As amended by EGTRRA, § 457(a)(1)(A) provides that annual deferrals under a
governmental ' 457(b) plan and any income attributable to the amounts so deferred are
not includible in a participant=s gross income until that amount is paid to the participant or
beneficiary. Section 457(a)(1)(B) retains the pre-EGTRRA rule that annual deferrals
under a ' 457(b) plan of a tax-exempt entity and any income attributable to the amounts
so deferred are not includible in a participant=s gross income until that amount is paid or
made available to the participant or beneficiary. Therefore, annual deferrals under a
§ 457(b) plan are not subject to income tax withholding at the time of the deferral.
However, a participant’s annual deferrals during the taxable year under a ' 457(b) plan
are reported on Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, in the manner described in the
instructions to that form. “Annual deferrals,” as used in this notice, means the amount of
compensation deferred under the plan in accordance with § 457(b), and in compliance

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with the annual maximum deferral limitation under the plan, whether by elective deferral
or nonelective employer contribution, during a taxable year. Deferrals in a single
employer’s eligible plan or plans in excess of the § 457(b) limitations are not annual
deferrals and thus are subject to income tax withholding rules.

IV. INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING AND REPORTING ON GOVERNMENTAL §
457(b) PLAN DISTRIBUTIONS

A. Income Tax Withholding on Governmental § 457(b) Plan Distributions
“Distributions” from a governmental § 457(b) plan to a participant or beneficiary
(including an alternate payee) include all amounts that are paid from the governmental
§ 457(b) plan. See Section V for provisions regarding income tax withholding on
distributions from a § 457(b) plan of a non-governmental tax-exempt organization.
EGTRRA revises Chapter 24 of the Code, to provide that, effective after
December 31, 2001, distributions to an individual from a governmental ' 457(b) plan are
subject to income tax withholding in accordance with the income tax withholding
requirements of ' 3405 applicable to distributions from qualified plans, annuities, and
individual retirement arrangements (IRAs). Thus, EGTRRA extends the § 3405(c) direct
rollover and mandatory 20 percent withholding rules to governmental § 457(b) plan
distributions that qualify as eligible rollover distributions as defined under § 402(c)(4).
In addition, EGTRRA provides that the § 3405(a) and (b) elective withholding
rules applicable to distributions from qualified plans, § 403(b) annuities, and IRAs that
are not eligible rollover distributions are also extended to distributions from governmental
§ 457(b) plans. Thus, periodic distributions from governmental § 457(b) plans that are

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not eligible rollover distributions are subject to withholding under § 3405(a) as if the
distribution were wages, and nonperiodic distributions from such plans that are not
eligible rollover distributions are subject to withholding under § 3405(b) at a 10-percent
rate. In either case (periodic or nonperiodic distributions), the recipient may elect not to
have withholding apply under § 3405(a) or (b) to a distribution that is not an eligible
rollover distribution from a governmental § 457(b) plan. For additional information
regarding the provisions of § 3405 and related sections, see § 35.3405-1 of the
Employment Taxes and Collection of Income Tax at Source Regulations under the Tax
Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, § 31.3405(c)-1 of the Employment Taxes
and Collection of Income Tax at Source Regulations, and §§ 1.401(a)(31)-1, 1.402(c)-2,
and 1.402(f)-1 of the Income Tax Regulations.

B. Person Responsible for Income Tax Withholding on Distributions
EGTRRA amended § 3405(d) of the Code to make plan administrators of eligible
governmental plans, rather than the payor of the designated distribution, generally liable
for withholding under § 3405 upon distributions from such plans. However, under
§ 3405(d)(2)(A), a plan administrator is not liable for withholding if the administrator
directs the payor to withhold income tax under § 3405 and provides the payor with the
necessary information required by regulations at § 35.3405-1T, E 2 - 5. In that case, the
payor is liable for withholding income tax. Subsections C, D, and E of this Section IV
provide additional information on the withholding, deposit, and reporting obligations of
the plan administrator or payor.

C. Reporting Governmental § 457(b) Plan Distributions on Form 1099-R
Distributions to an individual during a taxable year under a governmental ' 457(b)
plan are reported on Form 1099-R, Distributions from Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or

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Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc., in the manner described in the
instructions to that form. Income tax withheld from governmental § 457(b) plan
distributions is reported annually on Form 945, Annual Return of Withheld Federal
Income Tax.

D. EINs and Income Tax Deposits for Section 457(g) Trust Accounts
Generally, the income tax withheld on distributions should be reported on the
Form 945 of the person responsible for withholding, usually the plan administrator, as
described in section IV-B of this notice. The income tax withheld must be aggregated
with other amounts reported by that person on Form 945 to determine the frequency of
federal tax deposits under § 31.6302-4. This is the same as the first alternative
described in Announcement 84-40, 1984-17 IRB 31. Alternatively, the IRS will permit the
plan administrator (or payor) of § 457(g) trusts, or custodial accounts or insurance
contracts treated as trusts under § 457(g)(3) to use the other two alternatives contained
in Announcement 84-40 for the tax administration of such withholdings:
1. The plan administrator or payor may request and use an EIN solely for
the purpose of reporting the aggregated withholding from the distributions of every
§ 457(g) trust, custodial account, or annuity contract under its control, making
deposits and filing Form 945 accordingly.
2. The plan administrator or payor may request and use a separate EIN for
each § 457(g) trust (or custodial account or insurance contract), making deposits
and filing Form 945 accordingly.
The plan administrator or payor exercising any of the above alternatives for
depositing and reporting the tax withheld from § 457(g) trust distributions must also
follow the same option in filing the related information returns, such as Forms 1099-R
and Form 945. That is, the plan administrator or payor must use the same name and

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EIN on Forms 1099-R as that under which the tax was deposited and the annual Form
945 return filed. The plan administrator or payor must aggregate and deposit all taxes
pursuant to § 31.6302-4 under the EIN chosen. The above-described options relate
only to trusts, annuity contracts, or custodial accounts established pursuant to § 457(g)
for amounts deferred under a governmental § 457(b) plan. For information on the
remittance of social security, Medicare, and FUTA taxes by the employer, see section VI-
D below.

V. INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING AND REPORTING ON TAX-EXEMPT
EMPLOYERS’ § 457(b) PLAN DISTRIBUTIONS

A. Income Tax Withholding on Tax-Exempt Employer’s § 457(b) Plan
Distributions
“Distributions” from a § 457(b) plan of a non-governmental tax-exempt entity to a
participant include all amounts that are paid or made available under the § 457(b) plan.
Distributions to a participant from a tax-exempt employer’s ' 457(b) plan are wages
under § 3401(a) that are subject to income tax withholding in accordance with the
income tax withholding requirements of § 3402(a). The pension withholding rules of
§ 3405 do not apply to distributions from a tax-exempt employer’s ' 457(b) plan. See '
35.3405-1T, Q&A-23. See Section IV of this notice for provisions regarding income tax
withholding on distributions from a governmental ' 457(b) plan.
Income tax withholding on distributions to a participant under a tax-exempt
employer’s ' 457(b) plan is calculated in the same manner as withholding on other types
of wage payments. For guidance on the use of the flat rate withholding method as a
supplement to regular wage withholding in cases where the tax-exempt employer or its
agent is paying wages to the participant in addition to the distribution from the ' 457(b)

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plan, see § 31.3402(g)-1(a) and Rev. Rul. 82-46, 1982-1 CB 158. If an eligible payor
uses the flat rate of withholding as an alternative to regular wage withholding on a lump
sum payment, § 101(c)(11) of EGTRRA provides that this flat rate became 27 percent in
2002, then becomes 26 percent in 2004, and 25 percent in 2006 and thereafter.

B. Person Responsible for Income Tax Withholding on Distributions
When distributions are made under a tax-exempt employer’s ' 457(b) plan, the
tax-exempt organization or other person having control of the payment of the
distributions, as determined under § 3401(d)(1), is responsible for income tax withholding
on the distributions.
C. Reporting Tax-Exempt Employer’s § 457(b) Plan Distributions on Form W-2
Distributions to a participant during a taxable year under a tax-exempt employer’s
' 457(b) plan are wages and are reported on Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, in
the manner described in the instructions to that form. See also Rev. Rul. 82-46, supra.
Income tax withheld from a tax-exempt employer’s § 457(b) plan distributions is
deposited in accordance with § 31.6302-1 and reported quarterly on Form 941,
Employer=s Quarterly Federal Tax Return.

D. Reporting Death Benefit Payments
Distributions to a beneficiary of a deceased participant under a ' 457(b) plan are
reported on Form 1099-R, Distributions from Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-
Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. See Rev. Rul. 86-109, 1986-2 C.B. 196.
No income tax withholding is required for distributions from ' 457(b) plans to
beneficiaries. See Rev. Rul. 59-64, 1959-1 C.B. 31. The instructions for Form 1099-R
describe how this form is completed for distributions made to a beneficiary from a
nonqualified deferred compensation plan, such as a ' 457(b) plan.

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VI. FICA AND FUTA TAXES AND REPORTING

A. Scope
The rules described in this Section VI relating to FICA (social security and
Medicare) tax apply to employees of state and local governments only if they are subject
to social security or Medicare tax under § 3121(u) (relating to Medicare), § 3121(b)(7)(E)
(relating to agreements entered into pursuant to section 218 of the Social Security Act),
or other provisions of the Code, such as § 3121(b)(7)(F) (relating to state and local
government employees who are not members of a state or local retirement system). As
previously noted, EGTRRA did not revise the provision of Chapter 21 of the Internal
Revenue Code treating § 457(b) plan distributions as “wages” for purposes of subjecting
them to social security and Medicare taxes. The FICA rules discussed in this section
generally apply to employees of tax-exempt organizations, unless a specific exclusion is
applicable. The FICA tax discussed in this section includes the employer’s share of the
FICA tax imposed under § 3111 as well as the employee’s share imposed under § 3101.
Any FICA tax imposed on an employee’s § 457(b) plan deferrals or distributions must be
reported on a Form W-2 for that employee.
The rules described in this Section VI relating to the Federal Unemployment Tax
Act (FUTA) do not apply to service for a state or local governmental entity because
§ 3306(c)(7) provides a FUTA exemption for service performed in the employ of a state
or any political subdivision thereof or any instrumentality of any one or more of the
foregoing. The rules described in this section relating to FUTA apply to service for a tax-
exempt organization other than a tax-exempt organization described in § 501(c)(3). See
§ 3306(c)(8).

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B. Timing of Social Security, Medicare, and FUTA Taxes

Sections 3121(a) (relating to social security and Medicare) and 3306(b) (relating
to FUTA) define Awages@ as all remuneration for employment, unless specifically
excluded (see section VI-A, above). If social security, Medicare, or FUTA taxes apply,
§§ 3121(v)(2) and 3306(r)(2) contain special timing rules that apply in determining when
amounts deferred under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (including
employers’ contributions) are required to be taken into account. Under these sections,
an amount deferred under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, including a
' 457(b) plan, is required to be taken into account for purposes of social security,
Medicare, and FUTA taxes as of the later of when the services are performed or when
there is no substantial risk of forfeiture of the rights to such amount.
Thus, to the extent a ' 457(b) plan provides that annual deferrals are immediately
vested, the annual deferrals are subject to social security, Medicare, and FUTA taxes at
the time of deferral. However, to the extent the annual deferrals are subject to a
substantial risk of forfeiture, the annual deferrals (plus earnings thereon) are generally
taken into account for purposes of social security, Medicare, and FUTA at the time such
amounts are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. For purposes of social
security, Medicare, and FUTA taxes, the determination of whether a substantial risk of
forfeiture exists is made in accordance with the principles of § 83 and the regulations
thereunder. See '' 31.3121(v)(2)-1(e)(3) and 31.3306(r)(2)-1.
If amounts deferred under a ' 457(b) plan are properly taken into account as
social security, Medicare, and FUTA wages when deferred (or, if later, when they cease
to be subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture), the amounts subsequently paid or made
available to a participant or beneficiary under the ' 457(b) plan that are attributable to
those deferrals generally are not subject to social security, Medicare, or FUTA taxes.

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See §§ 3121(v)(2)(B) and 3306(r)(2)(B) and '' 31.3121(v)(2)-1(a)(2)(iii) and
31.3121(v)(2)-1(d)(2). If an amount deferred for a period is not properly taken into
account, distributions attributable to that amount, including income on the amounts
deferred, may be wages for FICA purposes when paid or made available. See
' 31.3121(v)(2)-1(d)(1)(ii). Additional special rules apply to ' 457(b) plans in which
benefits are not based solely on a participant’s account balance. See ' 31.3121(v)(2)-
1(e)(4).

C. Examples
The application of social security and Medicare tax is illustrated by the following
examples:
Example 1. (i) State R’s ' 457(b) plan provides for elective deferrals from current
salary, as well as a one percent of salary nonelective contribution for each employee
who participates in the plan and who is employed with State R during the plan year. All
employees who participate in the plan are covered by an agreement under section 218
of the Social Security Act. All deferrals and contributions, including the state’s
contribution, are fully and immediately vested.
(ii) Because these contributions are not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture
(and the services to which they relate have already been performed), the elective
deferrals are required to be taken into account as wages at the time of the deferral and
State R’s nonelective contribution is required to be taken into account as wages at the
time of the contribution for purposes of the social security and Medicare tax.

Example 2. (i) Assume the same facts as in Example 1, except that the plan has
three-year vesting for State R’s nonelective contribution. Therefore, an employee=s
rights to the nonelective contributions (and the associated earnings) are subject to a

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substantial risk of forfeiture until the employee has been employed by State R for three
years.
(ii) State R’s nonelective contributions (and earnings thereon) are not wages for
purposes of the social security and Medicare tax until the employee has completed three
years of service. At that time, the aggregate amount of State R’s nonelective
contributions, plus earnings thereon, is required to be taken into account as wages for
purposes of the social security and Medicare tax. Once an individual has met the
vesting requirements, future nonelective contributions by State R are required to be
taken into account as wages for purposes of the social security and Medicare tax at the
time of the contribution. Because the elective deferrals are not subject to a substantial
risk of forfeiture (and the services to which they relate have already been performed), the
elective deferrals are required to be taken into account as wages at the time of deferral.

D. Deposit and Reporting of Social Security, Medicare and FUTA Taxes
The employer must aggregate and deposit social security and Medicare taxes
associated with a ' 457(b) plan (including the employer’s share of social security and
Medicare taxes under § 3111) with all other social security and Medicare taxes and
withheld income taxes paid on behalf of its employees in accordance with ' 31.6302-1
and must report these taxes on Form 941. Employers subject to FUTA must aggregate
and deposit FUTA amounts associated with a ' 457(b) plan with all other FUTA amounts
paid on behalf of its employees in accordance with ' 31.6302(c)-3 and must report these
payments on Form 940.

VII. ANNUAL REPORTING FOR § 457 PLANS
A. § 457(g) Trusts

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A trust described in § 457(g) is not required to file Form 990, Return of
Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates
and Trusts, Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, or Form 5500, Annual
Return/Report of Employee Benefits Plans. See, for example, Rev. Proc. 95-48, 1995-2
C.B. 418, which provides that governmental units and affiliates of governmental units
that are exempt from federal income tax under § 501(a) are not required to file annual
information returns on Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. A
trust described in § 457(g) may be required to file Form 990-T, Exempt Organization
Business Income Tax Return. See §§ 1.6012-2(e) and 1.6012-3(a)(5) for the
requirements for filing Form 990-T.
B. Section 457(b) Plans of Tax-Exempt Organizations
Annual deferrals and payments to certain participants in a § 457(b) plan of a tax-
exempt organization are reported on the organization’s Form 990 in the manner
described in the instructions to that form.

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE
Further information regarding the reporting, payment and deposit of employment
taxes such as social security, Medicare, FUTA, and withheld income tax can be found in
Publication 15, Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide; Publication 15-A, Employer’s
Supplemental Tax Guide; and Publication 963, Federal-State Reference Guide: Social
Security Coverage and FICA Reporting by State and Local Government Employers.
These publications will be revised, as appropriate, to reflect the revisions enacted in
EGTRRA.

IX. EFFECTIVE DATE

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This notice is applicable with respect to deferrals and distributions made after
December 31, 2001. However, for deferrals or distributions made after December 31,
2001, and before January 1, 2004, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will not assert that
there has been a failure to comply with applicable reporting and withholding
requirements if the applicable reporting and withholding requirements set forth in Notice
2000-38 have been satisfied. Thus, for example, in any case in which a series of
distributions commenced before January 1, 2002 and the distributions are eligible
rollover distributions (as defined in § 402(f)(2)(A)) that are payable over a specified
period of less than 10 years, the IRS will not assert that there has been a failure to
comply with applicable withholding requirements through December 31, 2003, if the
applicable withholding requirements set forth in Notice 2000-38 have been satisfied.

X. REQUEST FOR COMMENTS
The IRS requests comments concerning this notice, and welcomes comments on
any other useful approaches the Service might consider regarding the administration of §
457(b) plans. Comments can be addressed to the Internal Revenue Service, Office of
Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (TEGE), CC:TEGE:EB:QP2, Room 5201,
1111 Constitution Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20224. In addition, comments may be
submitted electronically via the Internet by sending them in an e-mail to:
notice.comments@irscounsel.treas.gov and specifying that the comments concern
Notice 2003-20.

DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this notice is John Tolleris of the Office of the Division
Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (Tax Exempt and Government Entities). However,
other personnel from the IRS and Treasury participated in its development. For further

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information regarding this notice, contact John Tolleris at (202) 622-6060 (not a toll-free
number).