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Summary
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans for 2017. Although some of the dollar limits currently in effect for 2016 will change, the majority of the limits will remain unchanged for 2017.
In Depth
Recently the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration announced the cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits on various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans and the Social Security wage base for 2017. The table below compares the applicable dollar limits for certain employee benefit programs and the Social Security wage base for 2016 and 2017.*
Cost of Living Adjustments
[/vc_column_text][vc_table vc_table_theme=”classic” allow_html=”1″][borders_all]HEALTH%20AND%20WELFARE%20PLAN%20LIMITS,[borders_all;align-right]2016,[borders_all;align-right]2017|[borders_all;b]Health%20Flexible%20Spending%20Accounts,[borders_all;align-right;b],[borders_all;align-right;b]|[borders_all]Maximum%20salary%20reduction%20limit,[borders_all;align-right]%242%2C550%20,[borders_all;align-right]%242%2C600%20|[borders_all;b]HDHP%20%E2%80%93%20Maximum%20annual%20out-of-pocket%20limit%20(excluding%20premiums)%3A,[borders_all;align-right],[borders_all;align-right]|[borders_all]Self-only%20coverage,[borders_all;align-right]%246%2C550%20,[borders_all;align-right]%246%2C550%20|[borders_all]Family%20coverage,[borders_all;align-right]%2413%2C100%20,[borders_all;align-right]%2413%2C100%20|[borders_all;b]HDHP%20%E2%80%93%20Minimum%20annual%20deductible%3A,[borders_all;align-right],[borders_all;align-right]|[borders_all]Self-only%20coverage,[borders_all;align-right]%241%2C300%20,[borders_all;align-right]%241%2C300%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Family%20coverage,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%242%2C600%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%242%2C600%20|[b;borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]HSA%20%E2%80%93%20Annual%20contribution%20limit%3A,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right],[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Self-only%20coverage,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%243%2C350%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%243%2C400%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Family%20coverage,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%246%2C750%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%246%2C750%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Catch-up%20contributions%20(age%2055%20or%20older),[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%241%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%241%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;b]RETIREMENT%20PLAN%20LIMITS,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right],[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Annual%20compensation%20limit,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24265%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24270%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]401(k)%2C%20403(b)%20%26%20457(b)%20before-tax%20contributions,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%2418%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%2418%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Catch-up%20contributions%20(if%20age%2050%20or%20older),[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%246%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%246%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Highly%20compensated%20employee%20threshold,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24120%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24120%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Key%20employee%20officer%20compensation%20threshold,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24170%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24175%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Defined%20benefit%20plan%20annual%20benefit%20and%20accrual%20limit,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24210%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24215%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Defined%20contribution%20plan%20annual%20contribution%20limit,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%2453%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%2454%2C000%20|[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all]Employee%20stock%20ownership%20plan%20(ESOP)%20limit%20for%20determining%20the%20lengthening%20of%20the%20general%20five-year%20distribution%20period,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24210%2C000%20,[borders_all;borders_all;borders_all;align-right]%24215%2C000%20|[borders_all]ESOP%20limit%20for%20determining%20the%20maximum%20account%20balance%20subject%20to%20the%20general%20five-year%20distribution%20period,[borders_all]%241%2C070%2C000%20,[borders_all]%241%2C080%2C000%20[/vc_table][vc_column_text]
Plan sponsors should update payroll and plan administration systems for the 2017 cost-of-living adjustments and should incorporate the new limits in relevant participant communications, like open enrollment materials and summary plan descriptions.
* The dollar limits are generally applied on a calendar year basis; however, certain dollar limits are applied on a plan-year, tax-year, or limitation-year basis.
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