Code of Federal Regulations Title 26. Internal Revenue § 26.1.401(a)(26)–7 Testing methods

(a) Testing on each day of the plan year. A plan satisfies section 401(a)(26) for a plan year only if the plan satisfies section 401(a)(26) on each day of the plan year. An employee benefits on a day if the employee is a participant for such day and the employee benefits under the plan for the year under the rules in § 1.401(a)(26)–5.

(b) Simplified testing method. A plan is treated as satisfying the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section if it satisfies section 401(a)(26) on any single plan day during the plan year, but only if that day is reasonably representative of the employer's workforce and the plan's coverage. A plan does not have to be tested on the same day each plan year.

(c) Retroactive correction. If a plan fails to satisfy section 401(a)(26) for a plan year, the plan may be retroactively amended during the same period and under the same conditions as provided for in § 1.401(a)(4)–11(g)(3) through (g)(5) to satisfy section 401(a)(26). A plan merger that occurs by the end of the period provided in § 1.401(a)(4)–11(g)(3)(iv) is treated solely for purposes of section 401(a)(26) as if it were effective as of the first day of the plan year. The rule of this paragraph (c) may be illustrated by the following example.

Example. Assume that an employer with 500 employees maintains two defined contribution plans. Plan A benefits 45 employees. Plan B benefits 50 employees. Immediately before the end of the period provided for in § 1.401(a)(4)–11(g)(3)(iv), the employer expands coverage under Plan A to benefit 20 more employees retroactively for the plan year. Thus, Plan A satisfies paragraph (a) of this section for the plan year. Alternatively, before the end of the period provided for in § 1.401(a)(4)–11(g)(3)(iv), or later if a later period is applicable under section 401(b), the employer could merge Plan A with Plan B to satisfy section 401(a)(26).