Accounts Covered by ERISA Common types of employer-sponsored retirement accounts that fall under ERISA include 401(k) plans, pensions, deferred-compensation plans, and profit-sharing plans. In addition, ERISA laws don't apply to simplified employee pension (SEP) IRAs or other IRAs.
Generally, there are three types of profit-sharing plans: pro-rata, new comparability, and age-weighted.
sharing plan accepts discretionary employer contributions. There is no set amount that the law requires you to contribute. If you can afford to make some amount of contributions to the plan for a particular year, you can do so. Other years, you do not need to make contributions.
The company has no legal obligation to provide any profit sharing plan at all. Unless the employee manual constitutes a contract, or there is some other contract between the employee and the company in which the rules of the plan were spelled out, the company can change the rules at any time, without notice.
How to create a profit-sharing plan Determine how much you want your PSP amount to be. Profit allocation formula. Write up a plan. Rules. Provide information to eligible employees. File IRS Form 5500 annually. Details your contribution plan and all participants in it. Keep records (e.g., amounts, participants, etc.)
In general, ERISA does not cover plans established or maintained by governmental entities, churches for their employees, or plans which are maintained solely to comply with applicable workers compensation, unemployment or disability laws.
Since a profit-sharing plan is a “qualified retirement plan,” it must also comply with all applicable rules under ERISA.