qualified plan
(2) Qualified salary reduction arrangement (A) In general For purposes of this subsection, the term “qualified salary reduction arrangement” means a written arrangement of an eligible employer under which— (i) an employee eligible to participate in the arrangement may elect to have the employer make payments— (I) as elective employer contributions to a simple retirement account on behalf of the employee, or (II) to the employee directly in cash, (ii) the amount which an employee may elect under clause (i) for any year is required to be expressed as a percentage of compensation and may not exceed a total of the applicable dollar amount for any year, (iii) the employer is required to make a matching contribution to the simple retirement account for any year in an amount equal to so much of the amount the employee elects under clause (i)(I) as does not exceed the applicable percentage of compensation for the year, (iv) the employer may make nonelective contributions of a uniform percentage (up to 10 percent) of compensation for each employee who is eligible to participate in the arrangement, and who has at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the year, but such contributions with respect to any employee shall not exceed $5,000 for the year, and (v) no contributions may be made other than contributions described in clause (i), (iii), or (iv). The compensation taken into account under clause (iv) for any year shall not exceed the limitation in effect for such year under section 401(a)(17). (B) Employer may elect 2-percent nonelective contribution (i) In general An employer shall be treated as meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A)(iii) for any year if, in lieu of the contributions described in such clause, the employer elects to make nonelective contributions of 2 percent of compensation for each employee who is eligible to participate in the arrangement and who has at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the year. If an employer makes an election under this subparagraph for any year, the employer shall notify employees of such election within a reasonable period of time before the 60-day period for such year under paragraph (5)(C). (ii) Compensation limitation The compensation taken into account under clause (i) for any year shall not exceed the limitation in effect for such year under section 401(a)(17). (iii) Special rule for electing larger employers In the case of an employer which had more than 25 employees who received at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the preceding year, and which makes the election under subparagraph (E)(i)(II) for any year, clause (i) shall be applied for such year by substituting “3 percent” for “2 percent”. (C) Definitions For purposes of this subsection— (i) Eligible employer (I) In general The term “eligible employer” means, with respect to any year, an employer which had no more than 100 employees who received at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the preceding year. (II) 2-year grace period An eligible employer who establishes and maintains a plan under this subsection for 1 or more years and who fails to be an eligible employer for any subsequent year shall be treated as an eligible employer for the 2 years following the last year the employer was an eligible employer. If such failure is due to any acquisition, disposition, or similar transaction involving an eligible employer, the preceding sentence shall not apply. (ii) Applicable percentage (I) In general Except as provided in subclause (IV), the term “applicable percentage” means 3 percent. (II) Election of lower percentage An employer may elect to apply a lower percentage (not less than 1 percent) for any year for all employees eligible to participate in the plan for such year if the employer notifies the employees of such lower percentage within a reasonable period of time before the 60-day election period for such year under paragraph (5)(C). An employer may not elect a lower percentage under this subclause for any year if that election would result in the applicable percentage being lower than the applicable percentage in more than 2 of the years in the 5-year period ending with such year. (III) Special rule for years arrangement not in effect If any year in the 5-year period described in subclause (II) is a year prior to the first year for which any qualified salary reduction arrangement is in effect with respect to the employer (or any predecessor), the employer shall be treated as if the level of the employer matching contribution was at the applicable percentage of compensation for such prior year. (IV) Special rule for electing larger employers In the case of an employer which had more than 25 employees who received at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the preceding year, and which makes the election under subparagraph (E)(i)(II) for any year, subclause (I) shall be applied for such year by substituting “4 percent” for “3 percent”. (D) Arrangement may be only plan of employer (i) In general An arrangement shall not be treated as a qualified salary reduction arrangement for any year if the employer (or any predecessor employer) maintained a qualified plan with respect to which contributions were made, or benefits were accrued, for service in any year in the period beginning with the year such arrangement became effective and ending with the year for which the determination is being made. If only individuals other than employees described in subparagraph (A) of section 410(b)(3) are eligible to participate in such arrangement, then the preceding sentence shall be applied without regard to any qualified plan in which only employees so described are eligible to participate. (ii) Qualified plan For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “qualified plan” means a plan, contract, pension, or trust described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 219(g)(5). (E) Applicable dollar amount; cost-of-living adjustment (i) In general For purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii), the applicable dollar amount is— (I) the adjusted dollar amount in the case of an eligible employer described in clause (iii) which had not more than 25 employees who received at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the preceding year, (II) the adjusted dollar amount in the case of an eligible employer described in clause (iii) which is not described in subclause (I) and which elects, at such time and in such manner as prescribed by the Secretary, the application of this subclause for the year, and (III) $10,000 in any other case. (ii) Adjusted dollar amount For purposes of clause (i), the adjusted dollar amount is an amount equal to 110 percent of the dollar amount in effect under clause (i)(III) for calendar year 2024. (iii) Cost-of-living adjustment (I) Certain large employers In the case of a year beginning after December 31, 2005 , the Secretary shall adjust the $10,000 amount under clause (i)(III) at the same time and in the same manner as under section 415(d), except that the base period taken into account shall be the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2004 , and any increase under this subparagraph which is not a multiple of $500 shall be rounded to the next lower multiple of $500. (II) Other employers In the case of a year beginning after December 31, 2024 , the Secretary shall adjust annually the adjusted dollar amount under clause (ii) in the manner provided under subclause (I) of this clause, except that the base period taken into account shall be the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2023 . (iv) Employer has not had another plan within 3 years An eligible employer is described in this clause only if, during the 3-taxable-year period immediately preceding the 1st year the employer maintains the qualified salary reduction arrangement under this paragraph, neither the employer nor any member of any controlled group including the employer (or any predecessor of either) established or maintained any plan described in clause (i), (ii), or (iv) of section 219(g)(5)(A) with respect to which contributions were made, or benefits were accrued, for substantially the same employees as are eligible to participate in such qualified salary reduction arrangement. (F) Matching contributions for qualified student loan payments (i) In general Subject to the rules of clause (iii), an arrangement shall not fail to be treated as meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A)(iii) solely because under the arrangement, solely for purposes of such subparagraph, qualified student loan payments are treated as amounts elected by the employee under subparagraph (A)(i)(I) to the extent such payments do not exceed— (I) the applicable dollar amount under subparagraph (E) (after application of section 414(v) ) for the year (or, if lesser, the employee’s compensation (as defined in section 415(c)(3)) for the year), reduced by (II) any other amounts elected by the employee under subparagraph (A)(i)(I) for the year. (ii) Qualified student loan payment For purposes of this subparagraph— (I) In general The term “qualified student loan payment” means a payment made by an employee in repayment of a qualified education loan (as defined in section 221(d)(1) ) incurred by the employee to pay qualified higher education expenses, but only if the employee certifies to the employer making the matching contribution that such payment has been made on such a loan. (II) Qualified higher education expenses The term “qualified higher education expenses” has the same meaning as when used in section 401(m)(4)(D). (iii) Applicable rules Clause (i) shall apply to an arrangement only if, under the arrangement— (I) matching contributions on account of qualified student loan payments are provided only on behalf of employees otherwise eligible to elect contributions under subparagraph (A)(i)(I), and (II) all employees otherwise eligible to participate in the arrangement are eligible to receive matching contributions on account of qualified student loan payments. (G) Adjustment for inflation In the case of taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024 , the $5,000 amount in subparagraph (A)(iv)(II) shall be increased by an amount equal to— (i) such amount, multiplied by (ii) the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, determined by substituting “2023” for “2016” in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof. If any amount as adjusted under the preceding sentence is not a multiple of $100, such amount shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $100. (H) 2-year grace period An eligible employer which had not more than 25 employees who received at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for 1 or more years, and which has more than 25 such employees for any subsequent year, shall be treated for purposes of subparagraph (E)(i) as having 25 such employees for the 2 years following the last year the employer had not more than 25 such employees, and not as having made the election under subparagraph (E)(i)(II) for such 2 years. Rules similar to the second sentence of subparagraph (C)(i)(II) shall apply for purposes of this subparagraph.