Chart of Section 457(f) Carve-Outs Under New Proposed Regulations

The IRS recently announced proposed regulations under Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) Section 457 that update prior, final regulations issued in 2003 and other subsequent guidance from IRS.  Section 457 governs deferred compensation rules for government employees, and for executives of private, tax-exempt organizations it permits deferrals from compensation over and above limits set forth in Code § 403(b).  The proposed Section 457 regulations impact “ineligible” deferred compensation plans under Code § 457(f) more substantially than “eligible” deferred compensation plans under Code § 457(b) which were more comprehensively covered in the 2003 final regulations.

By contrast to eligible Section 457(b) plans, which limit annual contributions to $18,000, as adjusted for inflation (and without the age 50 catch-up for private non-profit executives), there is no dollar limit on annual contributions to a Section 457(f) plan (although as explained below other laws do set reasonableness limits upon nonprofit executive compensation in general).   However, amounts set aside under Section 457(f) plans must be included in the executive’s taxable compensation once the amounts are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, for instance upon completion of a vesting schedule, even if amounts are not physically paid out from the plan.  Due to the requirement that income inclusion/taxation occur when the substantial risk of forfeiture lapses, Section 457(f) plans generally work best when retirement is in the fairly near future (e.g., 5 to 7 years out), and where vesting occurs on or near the anticipated retirement date.

As summarized in the chart, below, the proposed regulations clarify how certain pay arrangements are carved out from Section 457(f) compliance, either because the arrangement is not deemed to provide for a deferral of compensation, or because it defers compensation but not in a manner that does not fall under Code § 457(f). Where no deferral of compensation occurs, the pay arrangement generally is also exempt from the “Enron rules” applicable to for-profit deferred compensation plans under Code § 409A, and related regulations.  (Final regulations under Code § 409A were published in 2007; the second of two sets of proposed regulations were published the same day as the proposed Section 457 regulations).  The proposed Section 457 regulations clarify that Section 457(f) arrangements generally are also subject to Code § 409A, although there are some important distinctions between the two sets of rules which I will address in a future post.