On February 14, 2022, the DOL published a request for information (RFI) on possible actions the agency can take to protect retirement savings from threats of climate-related financial risk. This RFI comes after President Biden issued Executive Order 14030 on Climate-Related Financial Risk, directing the DOL to determine steps they can take to safeguard the financial security of America’s workers and businesses against the threat that climate changes pose to their life savings.

On February 24, the IRS published proposed regulations on required minimum distributions (RMDs). The changes to the existing RMD rules come on account of the amendments found in the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act.

On January 28, 2022, the IRS released Notice 2022-8, which sets forth the 2022 Cumulative List of Changes for § 403(b) Pre-approved Plans (2022 Cumulative List). The 2022 Cumulative List is designed to assist § 403(b) pre-approved plan providers applying to the IRS for opinion letters for the second remedial amendment cycle (Cycle 2) under the IRS 403(b) pre-approved plan program.

On January 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the District Court and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals erred in dismissing the petitioner’s case in Hughes v. Northwestern University. The Court rejected the notion that participants’ having the authority to choose their investments excuses allegedly imprudent fiduciary decisions.

On January 13, 2022, the IRS released a draft of the 2022 Publication 15-A, the Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide. This publication supplements Publication 15 and contains specialized and detailed employment tax information. The IRS updates Publication 15-A each year to incorporate any recent administrative, reporting or regulatory changes.

On January 18, 2022, the IRS released Notice 2022-6, which provides updated guidance regarding when payments from qualified retirement plans (including 401(k) plans) are considered substantially equal periodic payments that are not subject to the 10% premature withdrawal tax on early distributions. Notice 2022-6 modifies and supersedes Revenue Ruling 2002-62.

On January 14, 2022, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation published revised civil penalty amounts for failure to provide certain notices or other material information, as required by ERISA. The amounts apply to penalties assessed on or after the publication date. The adjusted maximum amounts are $2,400 (up from $2,259) for Section 4071 penalties and $320 (up from $301) for Section 4302 penalties, which are related to multiemployer plan notices.

The IRS recently published the final version of the instructions for the 2021 Form 8955-SSA, Annual Registration Statement Identifying Separated Participants with Deferred Vested Benefits. Form 8955-SSA is used to report information about retirement plan participants who separated from service with the employer and are entitled to deferred vested benefits.

On January 3, 2022, the IRS released Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 2022-4, which outlines the procedures for requesting determination letters and private letter rulings from the IRS for qualified retirement plans. Rev. Proc. 2022-4 is a general update of the information provided in Rev. Proc. 2021-4. Determination letters indicate whether the IRS finds an employer’s employee benefit plan to meet the requirements necessary for the plan to be a qualified plan. Private letter rulings interpret and apply the Internal Revenue Code to a set of facts presented by a taxpayer.

On December 29, 2021, the DOL, IRS and PBGC (the “agencies”) published advance copies of the 2021 Form 5500 Annual Return/Report (including Form 5500-SF for small plans) and related instructions in the Federal Register. The 2021 Form 5500-EZ and instructions were also released and are available on the DOL website.