Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR
§ 1.415(c)-1. Limitations for defined contribution plans.
Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).
Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 415(c)
Cite as 26 CFR § 1.415(c)-1
At a glance
Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.
- Status
- In the current eCFR
- Issued
- April 5, 2007 by T.D. 9319
- Issued under
- 26 U.S.C. § 415(c)
- Length
- 5,252 words · about 23 min to read
- Defines
- 7 terms
- Cross-references
- cites 14 Code sections and 7 regulations; cited by 5
(i) P is a participant in a qualified profit-sharing plan maintained by his employer, ABC Corporation. The limitation year for the plan is the calendar year. P's compensation (as defined in § 1.415(c)-2) for the current limitation year is $30,000.
(ii) Because the compensation limitation described in section 415(c)(1)(B) applicable to P for the current limitation year is lower than the dollar limitation described in section 415(c)(1)(A), the maximum annual addition which can be allocated to P's account for the current limitation year is $30,000 (100 percent of $30,000).
(i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that P's compensation for the current limitation year is $140,000.
(ii) The maximum amount of annual additions that may be allocated to P's account in the current limitation year is the lesser of $140,000 (100 percent of P's compensation) or the dollar limitation of section 415(c)(1)(A) as in effect as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the current limitation year ends. If, for example, the dollar limitation of section 415(c)(1)(A) in effect as of January 1 of the calendar year in which the current limitation year ends is $45,000, then the maximum annual addition that can be allocated to P's account for the current limitation year is $45,000.
(i) Employer N maintains a qualified profit-sharing plan that uses the calendar year as its plan year and its limitation year. N's taxable year is a fiscal year beginning June 1 and ending May 31. Under the terms of the profit-sharing plan maintained by N, employer contributions are made to the plan two months after the close of N's taxable year and are allocated as of the last day of the plan year ending within the taxable year (and are not dependent on the satisfaction of a condition). Thus, employer contributions for the 2008 calendar year limitation year are made on July 31, 2009 (the date that is two months after the close of N's taxable year ending May 31, 2009) and are allocated as of December 31, 2008.
(ii) Because the employer contributions are actually made to the plan no later than 30 days after the end of the period described in section 404(a)(6) with respect to N's taxable year ending May 31, 2009, the contributions will be considered annual additions for the 2008 calendar year limitation year.
(i) The facts are the same as in Example 3, except that the plan year for the profit-sharing plan maintained by N is the 12-month period beginning on February 1 and ending on January 31. The limitation year continues to be the calendar year. Under the terms of the plan, an employer contribution which is made to the plan on July 31, 2009, is allocated to participants' accounts as of January 31, 2009.
(ii) Because the last day of the plan year is in the 2009 calendar year limitation year, and because, under the terms of the plan, employer contributions are allocated to participants' accounts as of the last day of the plan year, the contributions are considered annual additions for the 2009 calendar year limitation year.
(i) XYZ Corporation maintains a profit-sharing plan to which a participant may make voluntary employee contributions for any year not to exceed 10 percent of the participant's compensation for the year. The plan permits a participant to make retroactive make-up contributions for any year for which the participant contributed less than 10 percent of compensation. XYZ uses the calendar year as the plan year and the limitation year. Under the terms of the plan, voluntary employee contributions are credited to a participant's account for a particular limitation year if such contributions are allocated to the participant's account as of any date within that limitation year. Participant A's compensation is as follows—
| Limitation year | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 2008 | $30,000 |
| 2009 | $32,000 |
| 2010 | $34,000 |
| 2011 | $36,000 |
(ii) Participant A makes no voluntary employee contributions during limitation years 2008, 2009, and 2010. On October 1, 2011, participant A makes a voluntary employee contribution of $13,200 (10 percent of A's aggregate compensation for limitation years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 of $132,000). Under the terms of the plan, $3,000 of this 2011 contribution is allocated to A's account as of limitation year 2008; $3,200 is allocated to A's account of limitation year 2009; $3,400 is allocated to A's account as of limitation year 2010, and $3,600 is allocated to A's account as of limitation year 2011.
(iii) Under the rule set forth in paragraph (b)(6)(i)(C) of this section, employee contributions will not be considered credited to a participant's account for a particular limitation year for section 415 purposes unless the contributions are actually made to the plan no later than 30 days after the close of that limitation year. Thus, A's voluntary employee contribution of $13,200 made on October 1, 2011, would be considered as credited to A's account only for the 2011 calendar year limitation year, notwithstanding the plan provisions.
(i) E is an employee of ABC Church earning $7,000 during each calendar year. E participates in a section 403(b) annuity contract maintained by ABC Church beginning in the year 2008. E's taxable year is the calendar year, and the limitation year for the plan coincides with the calendar year. ABC Church contributes $10,000 to be allocated to E's account under the plan for the year 2008.
(ii) Under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, this allocation is treated as not violating the limits established in paragraph (a)(1) of this section because it does not exceed $10,000. Moreover, since an annual addition of $10,000 would otherwise exceed the limitation of paragraph (a)(1) of this section by $3,000, $3,000 is counted toward the aggregate limitation specified in paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section for year 2008. Accordingly, ABC Church may make such allocations for 13 years (for example, for years 2008 through 2020) without exceeding the aggregate limitation of $40,000 specified in paragraph (d) of this section. For the fourteenth year, ABC Church could allocate only $8,000 to E's account (the sum of the $7,000 limitation computed under paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section and the remaining $1,000 of the $40,000 aggregate limitation under paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section on annual additions in excess of the limits under paragraph (a)(1) of this section).
(i) F is an employee of XYZ Church and F's taxable year is the calendar year. F earns $2,000 during each calendar year for services he provides to XYZ Church, all of which are performed outside the United States during each calendar year. F participates in a section 403(b) annuity contract maintained by ABC Church beginning in the year 2008. The limitation year for the plan coincides with the calendar year. ABC Church contributes $10,000 to be allocated to F's account under the plan for the year 2008. F's adjusted gross income for each taxable year (determined separately and without regard to community property law) does not exceed $17,000.
(ii) Under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, this allocation is treated as not violating the limits established in paragraph (a)(1) of this section because it does not exceed $10,000. Moreover, since an annual addition of $10,000 would otherwise exceed the limitation of paragraph (a)(1) of this section by $7,000 (the excess of $10,000 over the greater of the $2,000 compensation limitation under section 415(c)(1)(B) or the $3,000 section 415(c)(7)(C) amount), XYZ Church may make such allocations for 5 years (for example, for years 2008 through 2012) without exceeding the aggregate limitation of $40,000 specified in paragraph (d) of this section. In year 2013, XYZ church may contribute $8,000 to be allocated to F's account under the plan (the sum of the $3,000 limitation computed under paragraph (d)(3) of this section and the remaining $5,000 of the $40,000 aggregate limitation under paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section on annual additions in excess of the limits under paragraph (a)(1) of this section). For years after 2013, pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) of this section, XYZ Church could allocate $3,000 per year to F's account.
[T.D. 9319, 72 FR 16911, Apr. 5, 2007]
Terms defined here
Where the text says “the term … means”. Select a term to jump to its definition.
Cross-references
Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.
Code sections it cites
- § 415 Limitations on benefits and contribution under qualified plans
- § 414 Definitions and special rules
- § 401 Qualified pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans
- § 501 Exemption from tax on corporations, certain trusts, etc.
- § 403 Taxation of employee annuities
- § 408 Individual retirement accounts
- § 411 Minimum vesting standards
- § 419A Qualified asset account; limitation on additions to account
- § 416 Special rules for top-heavy plans
- § 404 Deduction for contributions of an employer to an employees’ trust or annuity plan and compensation under a deferred-payment plan
- § 4975 Tax on prohibited transactions
- § 412 Minimum funding standards
- § 409 Qualifications for tax credit employee stock ownership plans
- § 664 Charitable remainder trusts
Regulations it cites
- § 1.415(d)-1 Cost-of-living adjustments.
- § 1.415(c)-2 Compensation.
- § 1.411(c)-1 Allocation of accrued benefits between employer and employee contributions.
- § 1.414(v)-1 Catch-up contributions.
- § 1.402(g)-1 Limitation on exclusion for elective deferrals.
- § 1.401(a)(4)-11 Additional rules.
- § 54.4975-7 Other statutory exemptions.
Cited by 5 other regulations
- § 1.401(a)(4)-2 Nondiscrimination in amount of employer contributions under a defined contribution plan.
- § 1.415(a)-1 General rules with respect to limitations on benefits and contributions under qualified plans.
- § 1.415(b)-1 Limitations for defined benefit plans.
- § 1.415(f)-1 Aggregating plans.
- § 1.415(g)-1 Disqualification of plans and trusts.
Amendment history
From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.
- Issued by T.D. 9319 (72 FR 16911)
Where it sits in 26 CFR
- Subchapter A Income tax
- Part 1 Income taxes
- Pension, Profit-Sharing, Stock Bonus Plans, etc.
Nearby sections
- § 1.414(v)-2 Catch-up contributions required to be designated Roth contributions under section 414(v)(7).
- § 1.414(w)-1 Permissible withdrawals from eligible automatic contribution arrangements.
- § 1.415(a)-1 General rules with respect to limitations on benefits and contributions under qualified plans.
- § 1.415(b)-1 Limitations for defined benefit plans.
- § 1.415(c)-1 Limitations for defined contribution plans.
- § 1.415(c)-2 Compensation.
- § 1.415(d)-1 Cost-of-living adjustments.
- § 1.415(f)-1 Aggregating plans.
- § 1.415(g)-1 Disqualification of plans and trusts.