Benefits
- Unrestricted access — Although available to businesses with any number of employees, SEP IRAs often appeal to small businesses with few or no employees.
- Flexible employer contributions — Employers have complete discretion about whether to make contributions or not. Contributions are immediately vested.
— Annual contributions can be up to 25% of compensation or $72,000,* whichever is lower.
— Contributions must be the same percentage of compensation for every eligible employee. See Contributions section below for more details. - Easy plan setup and administration — A third-party recordkeeper, third-party administrator and annual Form 5500 filing and discrimination testing are not required.
- Lower cost — Plan setup and annual fees are typically lower than those of 401(k) plans.
- Tax benefits — For employers, contributions are tax deductible. For participants, contributions and earnings are not taxed until withdrawn. New plans may be eligible for an annual tax break.