29 C.F.R. § 2520.104-44 — Limited exemption and alternative method of compliance for annual reporting by unfunded plans and by certain insured plans.

(a) General.

(1) Under the authority of section 104(a)(3) of the Act, the Secretary of Labor may exempt an employee welfare benefit plan from any or all of the reporting and disclosure requirements of title I. An employee welfare benefit plan which meets the requirements of paragraph (b)(1) of this section is not required to comply with the annual reporting requirements described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Under the authority of section 110 of the Act, an alternative method of compliance is prescribed for certain employee pension benefit plans subject to part 1, title I of the Act. An employee pension benefit plan which meets the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3) of this section is not required to comply with the annual reporting requirements described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Application. This section applies only to:

(1) An employee welfare benefit plan under the terms of which benefits are to be paid—

(i) Solely from the general assets of the employer or employee organization maintaining the plan;

(ii) The benefits of which are provided exclusively through insurance contracts or policies issued by an insurance company or similar organization which is qualified to do business in any State or through a qualified health maintenance organization as defined in section 1310(d) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 300e-9(d), the premiums for which are paid directly by the employer or employee organization from its general assets or partly from its general assets and partly from contributions by its employees or members, provided that any plan assets held by such an insurance company are held solely in the general account of such company or organization, contributions by participants are forwarded by the employer or employee organization within three months of receipt and, in the case of a plan that provides for the return of refunds to contributing participants, such refunds are returned to them within three months of receipt by the employer or employee organization, or

(iii) Partly in the manner specified in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section and partly in the manner specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section; and

(2) A pension benefit plan the benefits of which are provided exclusively through allocated insurance contracts or policies which are issued by, and pursuant to the specific terms of such contracts or policies benefit payments are fully guaranteed by an insurance company or similar organization which is qualified to do business in any State, and the premiums for which are paid directly by the employer or employee organization from its general assets or partly from its general assets and partly from contributions by its employees or members: Provided, That contributions by participants are forwarded by the employer or employee organization to the insurance company or organization within three months of receipt and, in the case of a plan that provides for the return of refunds to contributing participants, such refunds are returned to them within three months of receipt by the employer or employee organization.

(c) Contents. An employee benefit plan described in paragraph (b) of this section is exempt from complying with the following annual reporting requirements:

(1) Completing certain items of the annual report relating to financial information and transactions entered into by the plan as described in the instructions to the Form 5500 “Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan” and accompanying schedules;

(2) Engaging an independent qualified public accountant pursuant to section 103(a)(3)(A) of the Act and § 2520.103-1(b) to conduct an examination of the financial statements and schedules of the plan; and

(3) Including in the annual report a report of an independent qualified public accountant concerning the financial statements and schedules required to be a part of the annual report pursuant to section 103(b) of the Act and § 2520.103-1(b).

(d) Limitation. This section does not exempt any plan from filing an annual report form with the Secretary in accordance with section 104(a)(1) of the Act and § 2520.104a-5.

(e) Example. A welfare plan which is funded entirely with insurance contracts and which meets all the requirements of exemption under § 2520.104-20 except that it covers 100 or more participants at the beginning of the plan year is not exempt from the annual reporting requirements under § 2520.104-20, but is exempt from certain reporting requirements under § 2520.104-44. Under the latter section, such a welfare plan should file Form 5500, including Schedule A “Insurance Information.” However, the plan is not required to engage an independent qualified public accountant and need not complete certain items on form 5500.