Form 5500 Filing Requirement Quiz
Answer a few quick questions about your plan to see whether you must file Form 5500, which version (5500, 5500-SF, or 5500-EZ), whether an independent audit is required, or whether you qualify for an exemption.
Educational estimate, not a filing determination or legal advice. Special rules apply to MEPs, MEWAs, 403(b), DFEs, short and final plan years, and electing church plans. Confirm with your TPA or ERISA counsel.
Still not sure?
The full rules — every filer, every exemption, and the one-participant $250,000 threshold — are in the who must file Form 5500 guide. To pick the right version, see the Form 5500 instructions, and to confirm a specific employer’s status, run a Form 5500 lookup.
Frequently asked questions
Most ERISA-covered retirement and welfare plans must file. The quiz checks your plan type, participant count, and funded status to estimate whether you must file Form 5500, file Form 5500-EZ, or qualify for an exemption.
Common exemptions are small unfunded or insured welfare plans (under 100 participants), governmental plans, most non-electing church plans, and one-participant plans with $250,000 or less in assets. The quiz walks through these.
Form 5500 (full) is for large plans, generally 100+ participants; Form 5500-SF is the short form for eligible small plans; Form 5500-EZ is for one-participant (owner-only) plans and is filed with the IRS, not published publicly.