Defined benefit plan

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation has determined premium rates applicable for the 2026 plan year in accordance with indexing rules provided in ERISA Section 4006. 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued the 2026 adjustments for benefits and certain other limitations that are subject to annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) indices. One of these includes the increase in the Social Security taxable wage base (TWB)—the maximum amount of yearly earnings subject to Social Security taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued an updated draft Form 5330, Return of Excise Taxes Related to Employee Benefit Plans.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued Major Disaster Declarations on October 22, 2025, for the following disasters. 

Alaska Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong, for the incident period October 8, 2025 – October 13, 2025. 

North Dakota Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes, for the incident period August 7, 2025 – August 8, 2025. 

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds, for the incident period June 21, 2025. 

Nebraska Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, for the incident period August 8, 2025 – August 10, 2025. 

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) has introduced S. 2964, the Emergency Relief for Federal Contractors Act of 2025.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued Revenue Ruling 2025-21 which contains the applicable federal rates (AFR) for November 2025.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued final regulations implementing catch-up contribution requirements introduced by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0). These final regulations follow the proposed regulations released in January 2025, as detailed in a previous Washington Pulse.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a draft 2026 Form W-4P, Withholding Certificate for Periodic Pension or Annuity Payments. Form W-4P is used to withhold federal income tax from periodic retirement plan and IRA payments. Periodic payments are installment payments taken at regular intervals over a period of more than one year.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released draft Instructions for Form 8915-F, Qualified Disaster Retirement Plan Distributions and Repayments. Form 8915-F is used to report certain qualified disaster distributions and repayments of qualified disaster distributions, including 2021 and later disasters.

The Office of Management and Budget has received a proposed rule from the Department of Labor (DOL) titled "Requirement to Provide Paper Statements in Certain Cases-Amendments to Electronic Disclosure Safe Harbors”, pursuant to the requirements of the SECURE 2.0 Act.