Skip to main content
401kROBSCheck eligibility
Free browser checker

Provider Service-Inclusion Checker

Transcribe one provider's written ROBS proposal or service agreement to separate documented included services from extra-cost, unclear, excluded, and not-applicable scope.

Direct answer: use this tool before relying on a provider's scope claims. It does not contain prefilled provider service facts, and it never treats silence as included or excluded. Plan sponsors remain responsible for prudent provider selection, monitoring, filings, records, and fiduciary duties even when a provider performs administrative tasks [1] [3].

What the checker produces

  • Deterministic status counts.
  • Unresolved, extra-cost, and excluded follow-up questions.
  • Optional written fee amount/cadence for extra-cost rows only.
  • No cost aggregation, score, ranking, or recommendation.

Transcribe one written provider agreement

Use the same contract, proposal, service agreement, or written addendum for every row. Notes are reminders only; included, extra-cost, and not-included answers require a written evidence reference.

Use a short non-sensitive label.

Written-contract context

Current context: New ROBS setup proposal. Do not assume silence means included or excluded.

Setup, corporate, and plan formation
C corporation formation documents

Articles, bylaws, incorporator actions, resolutions, and initial stock authorization.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Registered agent and state account setup

Whether registered-agent service, state accounts, annual reports, or renewals are included or excluded.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Qualified plan document adoption

Plan document, adoption agreement, trust language, employer-stock feature, and signature package.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Plan trust, custody, and banking coordination

Trust account opening, custodian/trustee role, corporate bank account boundaries, and transfer instructions.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Employer and plan EIN or entity filings

Which EIN, entity, or filing forms the provider prepares, reviews, or excludes.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Rollover, stock purchase, and valuation
Direct rollover coordination

Outgoing custodian paperwork, eligible account review boundary, direct rollover handling, and 1099-R boundaries.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Employer stock purchase agreement

Subscription, purchase agreement, stock certificates or ledger, board approval, and funding sequence.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Initial employer-stock valuation support

Written valuation scope, independent appraisal handoff, assumptions, and adequate-consideration boundary.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Capitalization table and stock ledger

Share ledger, plan-owned shares, certificates, repurchase records, and corporate minutes.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Ongoing recordkeeping and administration
Annual plan recordkeeping

Participant accounts, source tracking, investment records, employer-stock balance, and transaction history.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Annual employer-stock valuation update

Annual value process, third-party valuation, user-supplied financials, and transaction-level exclusions.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Employee census and eligibility tracking

Census request, eligibility dates, entry dates, excluded-class review, and owner responsibility boundaries.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Plan sponsor compliance calendar

Recurring deadlines for census, testing, amendments, notices, filings, valuation, and deposits.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Payroll, contributions, notices, distributions, loans, QDROs, and RMDs
Payroll and contribution coordination

Deferral setup, contribution files, deposit timing reminders, payroll-provider coordination, and payroll-tax exclusions.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Participant notices and disclosures

Required notices, summary plan description, enrollment packets, fee notices, and delivery boundaries.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Participant distributions and rollovers

Distribution package, rollover notice, tax withholding, Form 1099-R, and custodian handoff boundaries.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Participant loan administration

Loan policy, amortization, payroll repayment, default/offset process, and reporting support.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

QDRO or domestic-relations order processing

Order review, segregation, legal review boundary, and alternate-payee account handling.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Required minimum distribution screening

RMD age/status screening, calculation responsibility, notices, and distribution support.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Testing, annual Form 5500, amendments, and restatements
Coverage and nondiscrimination testing

ADP/ACP, coverage, top-heavy, benefits-rights-features, and correction notices if testing fails.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Annual Form 5500 or 5500-EZ support

Preparation, review, signature lane, EFAST2 filing, 5500-EZ boundary, and final filing status.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Forms 1099-R and 945 support

When distributions, withholding, or rollovers require tax reporting and who files the forms.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Plan amendments and required law changes

Interim amendments, discretionary amendments, notices, board approvals, and effective-date tracking.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Plan restatement cycles

Preapproved-plan restatements, signature packets, participant communication, and separate restatement fees.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Audit, inquiry, correction, VCP, EPCRS, and DFVCP
IRS or DOL inquiry response support

Response package, document gathering, agency contact, deadline tracking, and representation boundaries.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Operational failure correction triage

Eligibility, deferral, testing, valuation, filing, prohibited-transaction, or document-failure triage.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

EPCRS or VCP filing support

SCP/VCP/Audit CAP boundary, Form 14568 series, user facts, legal review, and IRS user fees.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

DFVCP late Form 5500 support

DOL delinquent-filer support, penalty calculation boundary, and coordination with IRS late-filer relief if written.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Prohibited-transaction review or referral

IRC 4975/ERISA issue spotting, Form 5330 boundary, excise-tax advice exclusion, and attorney referral.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Cybersecurity, privacy, and data export
Cybersecurity program and controls disclosure

Written SOC/audit, access controls, encryption, incident response, insurance, and contract security terms.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Participant data privacy and sharing terms

Confidentiality, use limits, subcontractors, breach notices, retention, destruction, and participant-data handling.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Records export format and retention

Available exports, years of history, participant files, valuation files, filings, and retention after termination.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Provider change, termination, and exit
Successor provider transition support

New TPA/recordkeeper/custodian coordination, records transfer, timeline, and post-transfer help.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Plan termination administration

Termination amendment, vesting, participant notices, distributions, final Form 5500, and Form 5310 boundary.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Stock redemption or sale coordination

Employer-stock repurchase, valuation, buyer transaction support, corporate approvals, and redemption records.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Portal and vendor access shutdown

Portal access end date, payroll/custodian permissions, data preservation, and post-termination contact path.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Corporate tax, legal, state filing, bookkeeping, and payroll boundaries
Corporate income-tax preparation boundary

Form 1120, state income/franchise tax, tax planning, estimated taxes, and CPA handoff.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Legal advice and representation boundary

ERISA attorney, corporate attorney, agency representation, legal opinions, and document review boundaries.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Bookkeeping and financial-statement boundary

Bookkeeping, balance sheet, valuation financials, payroll accounting, and CPA-prepared statements.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

State corporate reports, licenses, and dissolution

Annual reports, business licenses, registered-agent renewals, dissolution filings, and state-law notices.

Short reference only, such as agreement §4.2; do not paste private text.

Notes do not substitute for written evidence.

Services reviewed

40

Documented included

0

Extra cost

0

Unclear

40

Not included

0

Not applicable

0

Neutral follow-up lists

These lists come only from your statuses. There is no completeness score, quality score, ranking, recommendation, or cross-provider comparison.

Unresolved written-scope questions

  • C corporation formation documents: Ask whether c corporation formation documents is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Registered agent and state account setup: Ask whether registered agent and state account setup is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Qualified plan document adoption: Ask whether qualified plan document adoption is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Plan trust, custody, and banking coordination: Ask whether plan trust, custody, and banking coordination is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Employer and plan EIN or entity filings: Ask whether employer and plan ein or entity filings is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Direct rollover coordination: Ask whether direct rollover coordination is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Employer stock purchase agreement: Ask whether employer stock purchase agreement is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Initial employer-stock valuation support: Ask whether initial employer-stock valuation support is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Capitalization table and stock ledger: Ask whether capitalization table and stock ledger is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Annual plan recordkeeping: Ask whether annual plan recordkeeping is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Annual employer-stock valuation update: Ask whether annual employer-stock valuation update is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.
  • Employee census and eligibility tracking: Ask whether employee census and eligibility tracking is included, separately charged, excluded, or not applicable under the written agreement.

Extra-cost items to price in writing

No extra-cost rows in the last submitted result.

Excluded services to assign elsewhere

No not-included rows in the last submitted result.

C corporation formation documents

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Registered agent and state account setup

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Qualified plan document adoption

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Plan trust, custody, and banking coordination

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Employer and plan EIN or entity filings

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Direct rollover coordination

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Employer stock purchase agreement

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Initial employer-stock valuation support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Capitalization table and stock ledger

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Annual plan recordkeeping

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Annual employer-stock valuation update

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Employee census and eligibility tracking

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Plan sponsor compliance calendar

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Payroll and contribution coordination

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Participant notices and disclosures

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Participant distributions and rollovers

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Participant loan administration

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

QDRO or domestic-relations order processing

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Required minimum distribution screening

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Coverage and nondiscrimination testing

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Annual Form 5500 or 5500-EZ support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Forms 1099-R and 945 support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Plan amendments and required law changes

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Plan restatement cycles

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

IRS or DOL inquiry response support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Operational failure correction triage

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

EPCRS or VCP filing support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

DFVCP late Form 5500 support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Prohibited-transaction review or referral

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Cybersecurity program and controls disclosure

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Participant data privacy and sharing terms

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Records export format and retention

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Successor provider transition support

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Plan termination administration

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Stock redemption or sale coordination

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Portal and vendor access shutdown

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Corporate income-tax preparation boundary

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Legal advice and representation boundary

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

Bookkeeping and financial-statement boundary

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

State corporate reports, licenses, and dissolution

Status
Unclear
Evidence
No reference
Fee
Not applicable

How to use written service scope safely

  1. Choose the context that matches the written document: setup, renewal, or exit.
  2. Use one non-sensitive provider label, such as “Provider A.”
  3. For each service, choose included, extra cost, unclear, not included, or not applicable based only on written terms.
  4. Add a short section reference for included, extra-cost, and not-included rows. If not applicable, write the documented reason.
  5. Keep unclear rows unresolved until the provider answers in writing.

Do not paste account numbers, participant names, balances, Social Security numbers, tax IDs, legal pleadings, or full contract text. The checker has no network submission, storage, cookies, query-string sharing, or lead capture.

Provider scope is not the same as sponsor responsibility

A ROBS arrangement generally involves a C corporation sponsoring a qualified plan that purchases employer stock after a rollover. IRS materials flag Form 5500 failures, employer-stock valuation, prohibited transactions, discrimination, business records, Form 1120, and dissolution issues as recurring review areas [1] [2]. A provider agreement can document what the provider will administer, but it does not transfer every fiduciary, tax, valuation, legal, payroll, bookkeeping, or state-corporate duty to the provider.

DOL guidance treats hiring and monitoring a retirement-plan service provider as a fiduciary act. The sponsor should understand services, fees, conflicts, cybersecurity practices, and contract terms before relying on a provider [3] [4].

Red flags and decision boundaries

  • A service is called “full service” but the contract does not list Form 5500, testing, valuation, employee eligibility, corrections, or exit support.
  • Audit, VCP, EPCRS, DFVCP, legal representation, tax filing, valuation, payroll, state filing, or bookkeeping terms appear only in sales copy.
  • Extra-cost services have no written fee trigger, cadence, hourly rate, government charge, or third-party charge boundary.
  • Cybersecurity, data export, breach notice, retention, and subcontractor terms are missing despite plan or participant data access.
  • The provider's document does not distinguish administrative support from legal advice, tax advice, valuation opinion, audit representation, or plan-sponsor fiduciary decisions.

Sources and verification

Author: Dennis Shirshikov. Published Aug. 13, 2026. Last modified Aug. 13, 2026. Affiliate disclosure: this educational tool does not collect leads, choose providers, or use compensation as an input. Privacy: inputs stay in the browser session and are not submitted by this page.

  1. IRS ROBS compliance project: IRS describes ROBS arrangements, determination-letter limits, Form 5500 and Form 1120 filing concerns, valuation, prohibited transactions, nondiscrimination, promoter fees, bankruptcy, liens, and business dissolution concerns. Page last reviewed Nov. 16, 2025; checked Aug. 13, 2026.
  2. IRS ROBS guidelines memorandum: IRS states ROBS arrangements are not noncompliant per se but must be reviewed case by case, and discusses C corporation formation, plan creation, rollover or transfer, employer-stock purchase, valuation, prohibited-transaction, and discrimination issues. Dated Oct. 1, 2008.
  3. DOL Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities: DOL explains fiduciary duties, service-provider selection and monitoring, reasonable fees, participant disclosures, Form 5500 reporting, prohibited transactions, employer-stock fair-market-value/no-commission language, cybersecurity, and successor-fiduciary concerns. September 2021 booklet; checked Aug. 13, 2026.
  4. DOL service-provider cybersecurity tips: DOL EBSA tells plan sponsors and fiduciaries to ask service providers about security standards, audit results, breaches, insurance, confidentiality, breach notice, and contract terms when prudently selecting and monitoring providers. Checked Aug. 13, 2026.
  5. IRS 401(k) plan termination: IRS states terminating a 401(k) plan involves a termination date, benefit and liability determination, asset distribution as soon as administratively feasible, and continuing qualification duties while assets remain. Checked Aug. 13, 2026.
  6. IRS EPCRS overview: IRS describes correction programs including SCP, VCP, and Audit CAP. The checker treats correction help as included or extra-cost only when the provider states it in writing.
  7. DOL DFVCP: DOL describes the Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program for certain late Form 5500 filings; provider assistance must be documented in the written scope before it is marked included.

FAQ

Does this checker compare providers?

No. It reviews a single provider's written scope at a time and produces counts plus follow-up questions. It does not rank, score, recommend, or compare providers.

Can I mark a service included if a salesperson mentioned it?

Only if the written proposal, contract, service agreement, or addendum documents that service. Notes are not evidence, and silence stays unclear.

Should I paste private plan or participant information?

No. Use short non-sensitive labels, section references, and bounded notes. The form runs in the browser with no network request, storage, cookies, query string, account, or lead capture.

Need to price documented extras?

Use the fee calculator or quote worksheet after you have written fee terms.

Open Provider Fee Calculator