§ 505. Additional requirements for organizations described in paragraph (9), (17), or (20) of section 501(c)

(a) Certain requirements must be met in the case of organizations described in paragraph (9) or (20) of section 501 (c)

(1) Voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations, etc.

An organization described in paragraph (9) or (20) of subsection (c) of section 501 which is part of a plan shall not be exempt from tax under section 501 (a) unless such plan meets the requirements of subsection (b) of this section.

(2) Exception for collective bargaining agreements

Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any organization which is part of a plan maintained pursuant to an agreement between employee representatives and 1 or more employers if the Secretary finds that such agreement is a collective bargaining agreement and that such plan was the subject of good faith bargaining between such employee representatives and such employer or employers.

(b) Nondiscrimination requirements

(1) In general

Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a plan meets the requirements of this subsection only if—

(A) each class of benefits under the plan is provided under a classification of employees which is set forth in the plan and which is found by the Secretary not to be discriminatory in favor of employees who are highly compensated individuals, and

(B) in the case of each class of benefits, such benefits do not discriminate in favor of employees who are highly compensated individuals.

A life insurance, disability, severance pay, or supplemental unemployment compensation benefit shall not be considered to fail to meet the requirements of subparagraph (B) merely because the benefits available bear a uniform relationship to the total compensation, or the basic or regular rate of compensation, of employees covered by the plan.

(2) Exclusion of certain employees

For purposes of paragraph (1), there may be excluded from consideration—

(A) employees who have not completed 3 years of service,

(B) employees who have not attained age 21,

(D) employees not included in the plan who are included in a unit of employees covered by an agreement between employee representatives and 1 or more employers which the Secretary finds to be a collective bargaining agreement if the class of benefits involved was the subject of good faith bargaining between such employee representatives and such employer or employers, and

(E) employees who are nonresident aliens and who receive no earned income (within the meaning of section 911 (d)(2)) from the employer which constitutes income from sources within the United States (within the meaning of section 861 (a)(3)).

(3) Application of subsection where other nondiscrimination rules provided

In the case of any benefit for which a provision of this chapter other than this subsection provides nondiscrimination rules, paragraph (1) shall not apply but the requirements of this subsection shall be met only if the nondiscrimination rules so provided are satisfied with respect to such benefit.

(4) Aggregation rules

At the election of the employer, 2 or more plans of such employer may be treated as 1 plan for purposes of this subsection.

(5) Highly compensated individual

For purposes of this subsection, the determination as to whether an individual is a highly compensated individual shall be made under rules similar to the rules for determining whether an individual is a highly compensated employee (within the meaning of section 414 (q)).

(6) Compensation

For purposes of this subsection, the term “compensation” has the meaning given such term by section 414 (s).

(7) Compensation limit

A plan shall not be treated as meeting the requirements of this subsection unless under the plan the annual compensation of each employee taken into account for any year does not exceed $200,000. The Secretary shall adjust the $200,000 amount at the same time, and by the same amount, as any adjustment under section 401 (a)(17)(B). This paragraph shall not apply in determining whether the requirements of section 79 (d) are met.

(1) In general

An organization shall not be treated as an organization described in paragraph (9), (17), or (20) of section 501 (c)—

(A) unless it has given notice to the Secretary, in such manner as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe, that it is applying for recognition of such status, or

(B) for any period before the giving of such notice, if such notice is given after the time prescribed by the Secretary by regulations for giving notice under this subsection.

(2) Special rule for existing organizations

In the case of any organization in existence on July 18, 1984, the time for giving notice under paragraph (1) shall not expire before the date 1 year after such date of the enactment.

U.S. Code

§ 505. Additional requirements for organizations described in paragraph (9), (17), or (20) of section 501(c)