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As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS has extended the deadline to file the Form 5500. Form 5500s that were due between April 1 and July 15, 2020, are now due on July 15, 2020. This generally applies to benefit plans with plan years ending in September, October, or November 2019, as their Form 5500 regular due date would be April 30, June 1, and June 30, 2020, respectively. This new deadline also applies to plans that were granted a traditional extension and were required to submit the form between April 1 and July 15, 2020. This extension is automatic and no action is required to take advantage of the policy.
Many benefit plans have plan years ending on December 31, 2019. Because their Form 5500 is due on July 31, 2020, these calendar-year plans are outside the relevant window and therefore not eligible for the automatic extension. However, these plans may still obtain a regular extension by filing the Form 5558.