Frequently asked questions listed by topic

Benefits - General
Benefits - DB Plans
Benefits - MP Plans
Compensation
Contributions
Eligible service
PA/PSPA/PAR
Plan Administration

Benefits - General

• Acceptable use of the commuted value of a pension that exceeds the prescribed amount in Regulation 8517
• Alberta and British Columbia's pre-retirement death benefit
• Application of the equal and periodic rule to pensions in pay
• Same-sex benefits
• Seamless pension plans
• Seamless pension plans
• Seamless pension plans
• Transfer of survivor benefits (Same sex partners)

Benefits - DB Plans

• Actuarial increase after age 60, instead of age 65, for public safety occupations
• Actuarial increase on retirement after age 65
• Adjustments for actuarial equivalents in the event of late retirement
• Allowing exceptions when a member has a shortened life expectancy
• Amounts in excess of ITR 8517 transfer limit
• Application of maximum pension rule - Earnings from a non-participating employer
• Benefit transfer and recognition of pensionable earnings
• CPI indexing of pre-retirement benefits
• Distribution of surplus to a terminated employee
• Equal and periodic
• Early retirement eligibility service
• Growing in rule
• Guarantee period when a joint and survivor option is elected with a dependant as the beneficiary
• Increase in joint and survivor option
• Industrial aggregate wage index
• Lump-sum payment of retroactive unpaid monthly benefits
• Maximum 2% accrual rate
• Maximum 2% accrual rate
• Maximum benefit on early retirement
• Maximum pension rule
• Minimum accrual under a DB provision
• Optional form exceeding 2%
• Periodic distribution of an actuarial surplus to retired members
• Prescribed amount and phased retirement - Quebec
• Quebec's additional pension benefit
• Quebec's indexing benefit
• Quebec's indexing benefit where plan benefit at maximum
• Receiving a maximum pension benefit from two different defined benefit provisions
• Surplus used on plan wind up to provide stand alone ancillary benefits
• Use of "banked hours" to increase benefits

Benefits - MP Plans

• Annuity purchases
• Conversion from DC provision to DB provision
• Variable benefits paid out from a money purchase provision
• Paying indexing from an RPP after annuity purchase
• Self-annuitized money purchase plans
• Status of legislation on variable benefits paid out from a money purchase provision

Compensation

• Deeming of compensation under a DPSP or group RRSP
• Earnings recognition for transferred employees and service purchases
• Prescribed compensation during certain temporary absences

Contributions

• Allocation of surplus in a flexible pension plan
• Contributions to a plan with no participating employer
• Elimination of excess surplus after valuation
• Employer contributions in a designated plan
• Employer flex contributions
• Flexible pension plans - employee optional ancillary contributions
• Funding issues
• Flex plans
• Including stock options in compensation for pension plan purposes
• Issues arising out of the Monsanto case
• Issues arising out of the Transamerica case
• Interest on employee contributions
• Recommended contributions to a designated plan
• Reduction of employer contributions when funding approval has been given
• Refund of employer contributions made in error
• Refund of excess contributions prior to T4 preparation
• Refund of over-contributions
• Retroactive contributions to a defined contribution pension plan
• Return of a member's contribution that was transferred from another defined benefit plan
• The Agency's position with respect to deductibility of solvency deficiencies
• Treatment of excess member contributions
• Using the Ontario smoothed solvency valuation rules
• Withholding tax on refunds of excess contributions

Eligible Service

• Foreign service and the three-year limit
• Is a prior employer considered a participating employer?
• New provincial requirements for parental leave
• Pensionable service
• Periods of layoff in excess of five years
• Proportionality condition and the 50/50 test
• Proportionality Newsletter issues
• Recognition of past service
• Recognition of pre-reform service previously commuted
• Severance pay as pensionable earnings and credited service

PA/PSPA/PAR

• Extension of filing deadline for PSPAs exempt from certification
• PA during period of disability leave
• PSPA calculation - New limits
• PARs

Plan Administration

• Amending a pension plan when the plan is winding up due to bankruptcy
• Amendment to subparagraph 8502(d)(iv) of the Regulations
• Amendments to designated plan rules
• Administrative issues
• Administrator's obligation to send T10 when employee's address is unknown
• Bank or credit union as fund custodian
• Bankruptcy - Appointed administrators - Newsletter
• Catch-up payments
• Contracting a payroll company to make payments to plan members
• Custodial agreements
• Demutualization
• Disclosure of personal and private information
• Effective date of registration - ITA 147.1(2)
• Higher priority for certain written enquiries
• Individual Pension Plans established primarily to accept a transfer of funds from a prior registered pension plan
• Information Circular 72-13R8
• Issues affecting designated plans
• Multi-employer plan (MEP) and specified multi-employer plan (SMEP)
• Non-resident plan administrator
• Non-resident plan administrator
• Notice of late-filed Annual Information Returns
• Post-reform terminally funded plans
• Quebec's Bill 102
• Quebec's civil unions
• Retroactive application (Same sex partners)
• Retroactive plan registration
• Same sex partners
• Streamlining the waiver process
• Technical reference manual
• The payment of related fees or reimbursement to the employer
• Unable to locate members
• Written enquiries via e-mail