Employee Benefit Plan Audit

Our Expertise

Recognized for our audit expertise, recommended for our service

As one of the largest benefit plan auditors in the nation, we have a long-standing reputation for delivering world-class benefit plan audit services. We audit over 1,400 plans and $750 billion in investments held by benefit plan and public retirement systems annually. Our experience with plans of all sizes and designs means we have vast expertise identifying and resolving all types of plans issues, as well as audit, reporting, and disclosure issues.

To demonstrate our commitment to quality benefit plan audits, we’re part of AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC), holding our firm to a greater degree of scrutiny to ensure the highest level of audit quality. We also have long-term, professional relationships with the Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

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We’re committed to providing a virtually pain-free audit

Our benefit plan auditors have developed a time-tested proprietary approach with exceptional client service, best-in-class technology resources, and a collaboratively driven process to ensure you have a virtually pain-free audit for your organization.

Reach out today to find out how we can help with:

403(b) plans

We’ve assisted clients with 403(b) plans long before they were required by the DOL. Our audit experts have expertise in the not-for-profit and religious, healthcare, higher education, and municipal and governmental industries.

Defined benefit plans

From traditional plans to cash balance plans and plans where benefits are linked to a defined contribution plan, our audit approach ensures a thorough, cost-effective process. Specializing in both limited and full-scope defined benefit plans, we’ll make sure to address the distinct nuances of each plan. We often collaborate with our public plan practices to achieve best-in-class results.

Defined contribution plans

With over 1,200 defined contribution plans audited annually, you can trust the breadth of our experience and diversity of plans we cover — including profit-sharing, money purchase pension, and stock bonus plans.

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)

We combine our technical expertise with our deep understanding of the reporting requirements of ESOPs. Our auditors work side by side with our internal valuation and ESOP compliance experts to ensure the audits are performed smoothly without any last-minute surprises.

Fair market value analysis

Our team of experts can assist with gathering and summarizing support for fair value of alternative investments. We can also assist with determining fair value and any potential adjustments caused by lag reporting.

Financial statement preparation

We can be your ally for financial statement preparation. Our degrees of service are flexible and scalable, including preparation of financial statements from third-party trial balance and preparation of financial statements from trial balance using client and third-party information. Additionally, we can help with supporting schedules/workpapers and back-office-type support.

Form 5500 services

With over 600 Forms 5500 prepared annually, you can rest assured the IRS and DOL will have all the information needed for your plan’s operation and compliance with government regulations. We can help by providing a customized data request, preparing Forms 5500, 8955-SSA, and SAR, and providing electronic copies at completion.

Governmental retirement systems

We understand your plans, your needs, and the auditing challenges, particularly under GASB’s pension and OPEB standards. Our full-service capabilities mean we can also help you address your technology, cybersecurity, and risk management needs.

Health & welfare benefit plans

These plans are synonymous with the word “complicated” due to many different types of benefits provided, ranging from medical and dental to unemployment and disability. We’re up for the challenge. We audit various types and sizes of health and welfare plans, including defined benefit, defined contribution, self-insured, fully insured, or partially self-insured health plans.

Multiemployer plans

Multiemployer plans, also known as Taft-Hartley funds, present unique administrative, governance, reporting, and auditing issues. We leverage technology to identify and focus on higher risk areas in multiemployer plans, including payroll audits, collectability of receivables, cost sharing, and actuarial present value of accumulated benefits/benefit obligations, including related census testing.

Multiple employer plans (MEPs)

MEPs and pooled employer plans (PEPs) are becoming more popular as a way to eliminate the administrative burden on employers. You need an auditor who understands the nuances of MEPs and PEPs. We have the knowledge and experience to efficiently audit these plans.

Public retirement systems

We understand the unique audit and consulting needs of public retirement systems, particularly under GASB’s pension and OPEB standards. We audit more than 110 public retirement systems, and work with all types of plans, including defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, VEBAs, single employer plans, cost-sharing and agent plans.

Schedules C & A services

We can assist with requesting Schedule C and/or A information from vendors, reviewing and analyzing responses, preparing applicable schedules, and reconciling Schedules C and H.

Insights

MORE INSIGHTS

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Client Experience

Our Team

We have a team of over 450 professionals who specialize in employee benefit plan audits. Our professionals combine technical expertise with a deep understanding of the audit and reporting requirements for benefit plans. You can rest assured our staff are well-trained in audit procedures and disclosure requirements unique to the benefit plan industry, since we provide extensive training for new staff, and continuing education for all experienced staff. Benefit plan audits are a focused specialty area at Plante Moran and are not treated as “filler” work.

Whether you offer one benefit plan or several, you'll appreciate our collaborative client service approach, working closely and seamlessly with your in-house team and service providers. Our benefit plan audit and consulting experts share the best-in-class resources we've developed, including audit methodology and procedures, data analytics, and financial reporting tools. Working with Plante Moran, you'll find you get the best of both worlds—the deep technical expertise of a large national firm, and the friendly, personal attention of a smaller firm.