rr-02-73.pdf

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Part I
Section 404.--Deduction for Contributions of an Employer to an Employees’ Trust
or Annuity Plan and Compensation Under a Deferred-Payment Plan.

Rev. Rul. 2002-73

Rev. Rul. 2002-46, 2002-29 I.R.B. 117, holds that grace period
contributions to a qualified cash or deferred arrangement within the meaning of §
401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code or to a defined contribution plan as
matching contributions within the meaning of § 401(m) are not deductible by the
employer for a taxable year if the contributions are attributable to compensation
earned by plan participants after the end of that taxable year.
Rev. Rul. 2002-46 modifies Rev. Proc. 2002-9, 2002-3 I.R.B. 327 (as
modified and amplified by Rev. Proc. 2002-19, 2002-13 I.R.B. 696, modified and
clarified by Announcement 2002-17, 2002-8 I.R.B. 561, and amplified, clarified,
and modified by Rev. Proc. 2002-54, 2002-35 I.R.B. 432) to add to the Appendix
of Rev. Proc. 2002-9 a change in method of accounting to conform to the holding
of Rev. Rul. 2002-46. Thus, taxpayers wishing to change to a method consistent
with Rev. Rul. 2002-46 must apply for automatic approval under Rev. Proc.
2002-9. Rev. Rul. 2002-46 provides that the scope limitations in section 4.02 of
Rev. Proc. 2002-9 do not apply to a change to a method consistent with Rev.

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Rul. 2002-46, unless the taxpayer’s method of accounting is an issue under
consideration for a taxable year under examination within the meaning of section
3.09(1) of Rev. Proc. 2002-9 when the Form 3115, Application to Change a
Method of Accounting, is filed with the national office.
Upon further consideration, the Internal Revenue Service has determined
that it is appropriate to waive the scope limitations of section 4.02 for this change
only for a limited period of time. Accordingly, the APPLICATION section of Rev.
Rul. 2002-46 is modified to read as follows:

"APPLICATION
A change in a taxpayer’s treatment of contributions to a method consistent
with this revenue ruling is a change in method of accounting to which §§ 446 and
481 apply. A taxpayer that wants to change its treatment of contributions to a
method consistent with this revenue ruling must follow the automatic change in
method of accounting provisions in Rev. Proc. 2002-9, 2002-3 I.R.B. 327 (as
modified and amplified by Rev. Proc. 2002-19, 2002-13 I.R.B. 696, modified and
clarified by Announcement 2002-17, 2002-8 I.R.B. 561, and amplified, clarified,
and modified by Rev. Proc. 2002-54, 2002-35 I.R.B. 432), with the following
modifications:
(1) The scope limitations in section 4.02 of Rev. Proc. 2002-9 do not apply
to a taxpayer that wants to make the change for its first taxable year ending on or
after October 16, 2002, provided the taxpayer’s method of accounting for
contributions addressed in this revenue ruling is not an issue under consideration

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for taxable years under examination, within the meaning of section 3.09(1) of
Rev. Proc. 2002-9, at the time the Form 3115 is filed with the national office;
(2) To assist the Service in processing changes in method of accounting
under this revenue ruling, and to ensure proper handling, section 6.02(4)(a) of
Rev. Proc. 2002-9 is modified to require that a Form 3115 filed under this
revenue ruling include the statement: “Automatic Change Filed Under Rev. Rul.
2002-46.” This statement should be legibly printed or typed on the appropriate
line on any Form 3115 filed under this revenue ruling."
EFFECTIVE DATE
This modification is effective October 16, 2002.
EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS
Rev. Rul. 2002-46 is modified. Rev. Proc. 2002-9 is modified and
amplified.
DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this revenue ruling is Grant D. Anderson of the
Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting). For further
information regarding this revenue ruling, contact Mr. Anderson at (202) 622-
4970 (not a toll-free call). For information regarding any other aspect of Rev.
Rul. 2002-46, contact the Employee Plans taxpayer assistance telephone service
at 1-877-829-5500 (a toll-free number) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00
p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.