- What is it?
- Why is it important?
- What does Uniglobal do with the information I report?
- How do I complete it?
- What is the Census File spreadsheet?
- What employees should be reported?
- How much time do I have to complete it?
- What if I need help completing it?
- What if I can't get the website to work on my computer?
- What if I never received it or I lost it?
What is it?
Uniglobal produces a Year-End Package at the end of each plan year. This
is our fundamental means of collecting all information from you for the
past plan year. The contents include various forms and questionnaires
along with important plan-related information for your reference. Most
importantly a census file spreadsheet is provided for you to list all
company employees, wages, contributions, etc. This package may be found
online (for registered users) or sent to you via e-mail or regular mail.
Why is it important?
Uniglobal does not have access to your company's payroll or files. This
is our one-time opportunity to collect all the data that is relevant to
the past plan year. Such required information includes employee compensation,
contributions, dates, and various transactions. For some plans, we need
to know what your intentions are with regards to the employer contribution
for the plan year. In addition, we need to know about any corporate-wide
changes such as ownership breakdown and tax-entity filing.
In some cases we can get electronic downloads from your asset provider for all of the year's activity for each participant's account. These files however do not provide payroll information such as salary, hours worked, and dates. The plan's compliance testing and valuation review require much more data that only you, the plan administrator, can provide to us.
Many of the questions we ask may seem redundant since the information
may not change from year-to-year. Yet each question serves its purpose,
especially those necessary for preparing the annual 5500 Forms.
What does Uniglobal do with the information I report?
All employee information is compiled into our internal database applications
where numerous tests and reports are generated. From this, we can determine
whether the plan satisfies allowable compliance limits for the plan year.
We can then produce an Annual Valuation for your records as well as prepare
the 5500 Forms for you to file as required by the Department of Labor.
In addition, the data we accumulate is used in calculating distribution
benefits as required throughout the year.
Please be aware that Uniglobal does not share with anyone your corporate
or employee-level data in any way. All information is kept strictly within
our confines and is used only to perform the work you have engaged us
to do. From time to time, we may use this data to analyze your plan structure
to determine if plan design revisions may be in your best interest.
For more information, please review our Privacy
Statement.
How do I complete it?
Each plan is unique and consequently each package will have slightly different
contents.
- For Year-End Packages online:
From the Year-End Package Checklist screen, use the checklist provided (you may need to scroll down to the bottom of the screen depending upon your display resolution). Each listing is an item that must be completed. Access each item separately and in any order you choose. Click the Edit icon
to enter each item.
Follow instructions provided on each page and be sure to click the Save button (at the bottom) when complete. If necessary you may go back into any item to review or correct information prior to submitting the package.
The census file spreadsheet (.xls) format must be downloaded. Click the icon and save this file to any location (e.g. hard drive, network drive, etc.). When complete, save the file and refer to Step 3 on the checklist on how to upload the file back to us.
Once you have completed all items, click the Submit Year End Package button at the bottom of the checklist. Follow instructions given to complete the process.
- For mailed or e-mailed Year-End Packages:
You will be sent either by CD or e-mail attachment a series of PDF files (approimately 18) and a spreadsheet file. Using Adobe Acrobat or Reader, open the file START HERE.pdf. This file acts as a menu to guide you through the process. The file YEP.pdf must be printed, completed, and returned to Uniglobal (fax, mail, etc.) along with the completed census file spreadsheet. Addtional files and information are provided on the CD or attachment for your reference.
What is the Census File spreadsheet?
A Microsoft Excel formatted spreadsheet is included with the package.
This spreadsheet is the employee Census File which contains names, ssn's,
dates of birth, hire, and termination, etc. for all employees that we
currently have on file. Your task is to fill in compensation, hours, and
contribution figures (as instructed) for each employee. In addition, you
should update any existing data and add new employees to the list as necessary.
Beginning for 2005 plan years, ownership and key
employee data is also requested within the spreadsheet. The
instructions for completing this are found on the Instructions
tab within the spreadsheet itself.
If you prefer, you may send us an extracted file from your payroll software
or provider so long as it meets all of the following criteria:
- It is in a spreadsheet (.xls. or .wk1 only), fixed width (.dat), or comma delimited (.csv) format;
- It contains all the information listed on the enclosed Census File Instructions for each employee;
- It lists ALL employees that existed during the plan year; AND
- If it is not obvious what the data is (i.e. column headings provided),
please provide a data mapping so that we can read the file.
Note that the file must be in either a columnar (spreadsheet), fixed with, or comma delimited format. Report-like files (.txt, .wks, .doc, etc. formats) cannot be accepted.
If it is not possible for you to provide us a completed census file in electronic format, you may send us a printed report. Please note however that a per-employee fee will be charged if it is necessary for us to manually enter your employee data into our system.
What employees should be reported?
All employees who received compensation during the indicated plan year
must be reported. Common mistakes plan administrators make are to only
report those employees contributing to the plan or to only report those
employees they believe were eligible during the plan year. Please report
everyone and we'll let our data processing systems do the work in determining
who is and who isn't eligible for the plan. Even those employees who are
eligible but not contributing to the plan still count in the tests that
we perform, and thus are required to be on your census.
How much time do I have to complete it?
The Internal Revenue Service places strict deadlines on plan year testing.
That gives neither you nor us much time. We request that you complete
and return the package to us within 30 days of the plan year ending date.
Many times you may not have all the information readily available or perhaps
you have not determined your employer contribution within that time. If
that is the case, make an attempt to complete as much of the package as
possible (especially the employee census) and return that portion to us.
The sooner you submit the Year-End Package, the sooner you put us
to work!
What if I need help completing it?
The package and the website provide names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses
of your assigned plan administrator(s). Feel free to contact us with any
questions you may have.
What if I can't get the website to work on my computer?
Contact your Uniglobal plan administrator to request a new
package sent to you via e-mail.
What if I never received a Year-End Package?
Contact your Uniglobal plan administrator to request a new package sent
to you via e-mail.