IRS Issues Guidance on Funding Relief for Multiemployer DB Plans

The IRS has released Notice 2021-57, providing guidance for multiemployer defined benefit (DB) plans receiving funding relief under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Notice provides guidance regarding the plan sponsor’s ability to elect to delay designating a plan as being in endangered, critical, or critical and declining status or to delay updating the plan’s funding improvement or rehabilitation plan, and to extend the plan’s funding improvement or rehabilitation period. The guidance further explains the plan sponsor’s ability to amortize certain investments and other experience losses related to COVID-19 over a 30-year period in determining charges to the funding standard account.