Office of Management and Budget
Clearance Package
Survey
Assessment of the
Retirement Plan Pitfalls Workshop
Internal Revenue Service
Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division
Introduction
Background
In response to section 1101(b)(1) of the Pension Protection Act that requires the Treasury to give special attention to "increasing awareness and knowledge of small employers concerning the availability and use" of the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), the Employee Plans Office of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities business unit is hosting a workshop as part of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) National Conference on Employee Benefit Plans and as part of the 2008 IRS Nationwide Tax Forums. This is the first time EP will be hosting a workshop of this type.
As an alternative to plan disqualification and revocation of the tax-exempt status of the trust, the IRS has developed a comprehensive system of correction programs called the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS). The EPCRS is made up of three correction programs:
Self-Correction Program – Allows the plan sponsor to correct certain plan failures without notifying the IRS.
Voluntary Correction Program – Allows the plan sponsor to make plan corrections with IRS approval for a fee.
Audit Closing Agreement Program (Audit CAP) – Plan sponsor will correct failure and pay a negotiated sanction amount.
The premise for hosting the workshop is to reach small employers through the tax practitioner community. By educating tax practitioners, the Service is able to reach more small employers than it would by trying to reach small employers directly. The main goal is to give the practitioners the tools they need to assist their clients in using the EPCRS.
Objectives of Data Collection
This is the first time EP has presented this workshop. EP would like to conduct a survey to assess the usefulness of the information presented. Specifically, if the information presented was relevant, timely and useful to the attendees.
Methodology
Sample Design
No sampling will occur. The survey will be given to all participants of the workshop at the end of the class.
Data to be collected
Tax practitioners will be asked questions regarding the usefulness of the workshop. See appendix 1 for the draft of the survey.
The data will be collected by distributing a paper survey. Workshop participants will fill out the survey and then return it to the presenters at the close of the workshop.
Results from the survey will be used to assess various aspects of the workshop. The assessment will ascertain whether or not the workshop reached the intended audience and if it answers the most questions commonly asked by these professionals.
The survey will be administered during the AICPA Conference and Tax Forum Workshops. The workshop will be presented at the AICPA conference on May 14, 2008. There will be six Tax Forum workshops throughout the summer, starting with the first Tax Forum on July 1, 2008.
The Employee Plans Office will be conducting the survey. Once the survey is completed, EP will review, summarize and present the findings on the results.
Cost
of Study
Outside
of the cost of reproducing the survey, there are no costs needed to
complete the survey.
Locations-Region/City and Facility
The AICPA Conference survey will be provided in Las Vegas, NV on May 14, 2008.
The
Tax Forums survey will be provided at the following locations:
Hilton Atlanta |
Atlanta, GA |
July 1st - 3rd |
Hyatt Regency Chicago |
Chicago, IL |
July 22nd - 24th |
Orlando World Center |
Orlando, FL |
August 5th - 7th |
Rio All Suites Hotel |
Las Vegas, NV |
August 19th - 21st |
Hilton New York |
New York, NY |
August 26th - 28th |
Town and Country |
San Diego, CA |
September 9th - 11th |
Expected
Response Rate
Due
the small class size of each workshop and the fact that the survey
will be provided at the end of the workshop, EP is expecting a 95%
response rate. EP will allow time at the end of the session
specifically to complete the survey. The allotted time will be shown
on the workshop agenda.
Results of the Study
The following information is needed to satisfy OMB requirements. It must be provided within 60 days after the conclusion of the survey data collection.
Findings – Provide a brief summary of the significant findings that were discovered in the results.
Actions taken or lessons learned – Provide a brief summary of any actions taken or lessons learn as a result of the findings.
Taxpayer participations
Number of survey requests sent to taxpayers
Number of survey respondents
Date the data collection began.
Date the data collection ended.
Cost – All cost associated with the administration of the online survey (not including salaries of regular IRS employees).
Tax professionals that attend the workshop will be asked to take part in the survey.
Privacy/Disclosure/Confidentiality/Security Issues
No identifying or taxpayer information will be collected.
The Paperwork Reduction Act Statement & OMB Control Number will be provided on the actual survey.
Burden Hours
Participants in the study will be required to spend approximately three minutes or less answering questions on the survey.
Number of Forum participants |
Number of minutes to complete survey |
Total Number of Burden Hours |
100
per forum 700 participants |
3
minutes each survey 2100 minutes
|
2100/60 min. 35 Burden Hours |
For questions regarding the study, contact:
Shelley
B. Pope
Economist
TEGE,
The Data Analysis Unit
1111
Constitution Avenue, NW, PE-5E3
Washington,
DC 20224
(202)
283-9713
Brenda
Smith-Custer
Project
Manager, Tax Forums Survey
TEGE
Exempt Organizations
5799
Broadmoor
Mission, KS 66202-2403
913-789-1238
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Office of Management and Budget |
| Author | 9f2hb |
| Last Modified By | qhrfb |
| File Modified | 2008-04-18 |
| File Created | 2008-04-18 |