Mid-year Plan Amendments to Comply with Windsor Allowed

On May 15, the IRS issued Notice 2014-37 containing additional post-Windsor guidance for 401(k) or (m) safe harbor plans in response to an informal request by the ASPPA Government Affairs Committee. 

The guidance confirms that a mid-year amendment to a safe harbor plan will not affect the plan’s status if the amendment is made in order to bring the plan into compliance with the Windsor decision overturning Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act of 1996.