Administrative Issues for ESOP Companies

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) offer excellent benefits for the companies that sponsor them, shareholders who sell to the ESOP, and of course the plan participants themselves. However, ESOPs and the regulatory environment in which they exist raise a host of administrative issues for companies and third-party administration firms. This book, written by leading practitioners in the field, is not a handbook for those wishing to administer a plan themselves but rather a guide to the issues that companies face in operating their plans. Topics covered include an ESOP administration primer; filing the Form 5500; ESOP participants and shareholder rights; tracking ESOP shares; qualified domestic relations orders and ESOPs; reporting and disclosure rules; distribution policies; distribution rules; diversification requirements; administering ESOPs in combination with other qualified plans; mergers and acquisitions involving an ESOP company; dealing with IRS or DOL audits; voluntary programs available to correct defects in qualified plans; and terminating an ESOP.