Learning Center

The Many Benefits of 401(k) Profit-Sharing Plans

If you are an employer looking for an attractive employee benefit that lets you plan contributions around your revenues, consider a 401(K) profit-sharing plan. These plans allow you to make pre-tax deposits to your employees’ eligible retirement accounts after the end of each calendar year, providing the flexibility to determine exactly how much you want to contribute based on your finances and goals.

The Top Five Advantages of 401(K) Profit-Sharing Plans

  • You can pay out tax-advantaged bonuses
    If your company pays employees year-end bonuses, 401(k) profit-sharing contributions can be an excellent part of that plan. They tax-deductible to your company and don’t increase employees’ taxable income, and are not subject to federal withholding, all while adding to their retirement savings. These value-added benefits make the 401K profit sharing contribution a great way to enhance your annual bonus program. 

  • It adds to your ability to reward Highly Compensated Employees (HCEs)
    One of the few drawbacks to 401K plans is the annual deferral limit that the Internal Revenue Service places on contributions. These limits ($19,500 in 2021) prevent Highly Compensated Employees from maximizing the amount that can be contributed to their accounts based on compliance limits for nondiscrimination testing. Profit-sharing plans circumvent these restrictions, allowing a combination of up to $58,000 (with an additional $6,500 catch-up if an employee is over age 50) to be contributed as a bonus. 

  • It provides additional flexibility for budgeting
    As nice as it would be to promise high bonuses for year-end, unpredictable revenues make doing so a recipe for disaster. By paying out bonuses in the form of 401(K) profit-sharing contributions, you can assess exactly what you can afford and make the contribution any time before the tax filing deadline – including any extensions you choose to take. Doing so maintains the ability to deduct the contribution on the previous year’s tax return too. 

  • Plans allow contribution vesting
    Bonuses and 401(k) plans are valuable recruitment tools, and they can be powerful retention tools when they are structured to vest with the employee’s tenure. Employees considering leaving in a short time frame will lose any portion that has not yet vested. 

  • It can be built into your existing 401(k) plan with no additional work
    Signing your company up for a 401(k) plan takes time and effort, but once it is in place you can easily add a profit-sharing plan, and many retirement plan providers will add the program without charging an additional fee.
The disadvantages of profit-sharing plans

As much as our country favors 401(k) plans, including those that incorporate profit-sharing plans, there are a few things that need to be kept in mind.
  • There are limits to how much can be contributed for each employee. The total of employee deferrals and employer deposits cannot be greater than 100% of the employee’s compensation. 

  • You are limited on how much you can contribute for any employee a year. In 2021 that limit is $58,000, or $64,500 for employees over the age of 50. 

  • Employer contributions may be limited by an employee’s annual compensation. For 2021, no contributions were allowed for employees earning more than $290,000. 

  • Only contributions of up to 25% of total employee compensation can be deducted by employers.
Acknowledging the contributions that your employees make is an integral part of keeping your workforce morale upbeat, and profit sharing is a powerful tool in support of that goal. If you have questions about how to approach 401(k) profit sharing for your business, contact our office.




Share this article...

NEVER MISS A STORY.

Sign up for our newsletters and get our articles delivered right to your inbox.

I confirm this is a service inquiry and not an advertising message or solicitation. By clicking “Submit”, I acknowledge and agree to the creation of an account and to the and .

Social Media

Rose Tax & Financial

8 Pinon Ave
Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008
Mon - Fri: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Sat: 10:00am to 2:00pm

Check the background of your financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck
Avantax affiliated Financial Professionals may only conduct business with residents of the states for which they are properly registered. Please note that not all of the investments and services mentioned are available in every state. Securities offered through Avantax Investment Services℠, Member FINRA, SIPC, Investment Advisory services offered through Avantax Advisory ServicesSM, Insurance services offered through an Avantax affiliated insurance agency. 3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019. 972-870-6000.
The Avantax family of companies exclusively provide financial products and services through its financial representatives. Although Avantax Wealth Management® does not provide or supervise tax or accounting services, Avantax representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. Content, links, and some material within this website may have been created by a third party for use by an Avantax affiliated representative. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not represent the views and opinions of Avantax Wealth Management® or its subsidiaries. Avantax Wealth Management® is not responsible for and does not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website.
This information is not intended as tax or legal advice. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.
The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy. When you link to any of the web sites provided here, you are leaving this web site. We make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these web sites. Nor is the company liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences.
For Important Information and Form CRS please visit https://www.avantax.com/disclosures.

FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
Type your message here.
Please fill out the form and our team will get back to you shortly The form was sent successfully