What is a SARSEP?
A SARSEP is a simplified employee pension (SEP) plan set up before 1997 that includes a salary reduction arrangement. Under a SARSEP, employees can choose to have the employer contribute part of their pay to their Individual Retirement Account or Annuity (IRA) set up under the SARSEP (a SEP-IRA). A SARSEP may not be established after 1996. However, for SARSEPs set up before 1997, eligible employees hired after 1996 must be allowed to participate. See IRS Publication 560, Retirement Plans for Small Business (SEP, SIMPLE, and Qualified Plans) for detailed information. Note: The IRS has a system of correction programs for sponsors of retirement plans, including SEPs and SARSEPs, which are intended to satisfy Internal Revenue Code requirements but have not met the requirements for a period of time. This system, the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), permits employers to correct plan failures and thereby continue to provide their employees with retirement benefits on a tax
