rr-03-124.pdf

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Part I

Section 401.--Qualified Pension, Profit-Sharing, and Stock Bonus Plans

26 CFR 1.401(l)-1: Permitted disparity in employer-provided contributions or benefits.

Rev. Rul. 2003-124

This revenue ruling provides tables of covered compensation under § 401(l)(5)(E) of
the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the Income Tax Regulations, thereunder, for the
2004 plan year.

Section 401(l)(5)(E)(i) defines covered compensation with respect to an employee, as
the average of the contribution and benefit bases in effect under section 230 of the Social
Security Act (the “Act”) for each year in the 35-year period ending with the year in which the
employee attains social security retirement age.

Section 401(l)(5)(E)(ii) of the Code states that the determination for any year preceding
the year in which the employee attains social security retirement age shall be made by
assuming that there is no increase in covered compensation after the determination year and
before the employee attains social security retirement age.

Section 1.401(l)-1(c)(34) defines the taxable wage base as the contribution and benefit
base under section 230 of the Act.

Section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i) defines covered compensation for an employee as the
average (without indexing) of the taxable wage bases in effect for each calendar year during
the 35-year period ending with the last day of the calendar year in which the employee attains
(or will attain) social security retirement age. A 35-year period is used for all individuals
regardless of the year of birth of the individual. In determining an employee's covered
compensation for a plan year, the taxable wage base for all calendar years beginning after the
first day of the plan year is assumed to be the same as the taxable wage base in effect as of
the beginning of the plan year. An employee's covered compensation for a plan year
beginning after the 35-year period applicable under § 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i) is the employee's
covered compensation for a plan year during which the 35-year period ends. An employee's
covered compensation for a plan year beginning before the 35-year period applicable under
§ 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i) is the taxable wage base in effect as of the beginning of the plan year.

Section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(ii) provides that, for purposes of determining the amount of an
employee's covered compensation under § 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i), a plan may use tables, provided
by the Commissioner, that are developed by rounding the actual amounts of covered
compensation for different years of birth.

For purposes of determining covered compensation for the 2004 year the taxable wage
base is $87,900.

The following tables provide covered compensation for 2004:

2004 COVERED COMPENSATION TABLE

CALENDAR CALENDAR YEAR OF2004 COVERED
YEAR OF SOCIAL SECURITY COMPENSATION
BIRTH RETIREMENT AGE TABLE

1907 1972 $4,488
1908 1973 4,704
1909 1974 5,004
1910 1975 5,316
1911 1976 5,664
1912 1977 6,060
1913 1978 6,480
1914 1979 7,044
1915 1980 7,692
1916 1981 8,460
1917 1982 9,300
1918 1983 10,236
1919 1984 11,232
1920 1985 12,276
1921 1986 13,368
1922 1987 14,520
1923 1988 15,708
1924 1989 16,968
1925 1990 18,312
1926 1991 19,728
1927 1992 21,192
1928 1993 22,716
1929 1994 24,312
1930 1995 25,920
1931 1996 27,576
1932 1997 29,304
1933 1998 31,128
1934 1999 33,060
1935 2000 35,100

1936 2001 37,212
1937 2002 39,444
1938 2004 43,992
1939 2005 46,284
1940 2006 48,576
1941 2007 50,832
1942 2008 53,028
1943 2009 55,164
1944 2010 57,276
1945 2011 59,352
1946 2012 61,392
1947 2013 63,396
1948 2014 65,256
1949 2015 67,020
1950 2016 68,688
1951 2017 70,272
1952 2018 71,760
1953 2019 73,200
1954 2020 74,580
1955 2022 77,148
1956 2023 78,372
1957 2024 79,512
1958 2025 80,556
1959 2026 81,540
1960 2027 82,464
1961 2028 83,340
1962 2029 84,120
1963 2030 84,876
1964 2031 85,596
1965 2032 86,244
1966 2033 86,796
1967 2034 87,240
1968 2035 87,564
1969 2036 87,780
1970 2037 87,864
1971 and later 2038 87,900

2004 Rounded Covered
Compensation Table

Year of Birth Covered
Compensation

1937 39,000
1938 – 1939 45,000
1940 48,000
1941 51,000
1942 – 1943 54,000
1944 57,000
1945 – 1946 60,000
1947 63,000
1948 – 1949 66,000
1950 – 1951 69,000
1952 – 1953 72,000
1954 75,000
1955 – 1956 78,000
1957 – 1960 81,000
1961 – 1963 84,000
1964 – 1967 87,000
1968 and later 87,900

DRAFTING INFORMATION

The principal author of this revenue ruling is Lawrence Isaacs of the
Employee Plans, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. For further
information regarding this revenue ruling, please contact the Employee Plans
taxpayer assistance telephone service at 1-877-829-5500, between the hours of
8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (a toll-free number).
Mr. Isaac's number is (202) 283-9710 (not a toll free number).