Late-filing penalty check

Worried about a missed Form 5500?

The DOL charges $2,739 per day, uncapped, for a late annual report. The DFVCP self-correction path caps the same exposure at $10/day — a few hundred to a few thousand dollars total — but only if you act before the DOL contacts you.

Estimate your exposure

How many days late is the filing?

Counted from the original due date — extensions don't reset it.

Plan size at the start of the plan year

Estimates only, per published 2026 rates. The DOL has discretion in what it actually assesses; the “80–120” participant rule can affect plan size. This is not legal advice.

If the DOL finds it first

$246,510

DOL exposure at $2,739/day — uncapped, and it keeps growing.

+ up to $22,500 IRS penalty ($250/day, capped $150,000)

If you self-correct now (DFVCP)

$750

$10/day, capped at $750 for your plan size.

IRS relief generally follows a proper DFVCP filing.

Self-correcting now saves roughly $268,260 — but the window closes the day the DOL sends a notice.

Talk it through — 15 min

Or check your actual sponsor

Walk your sponsor's year-by-year filing history from the public DOL record.

Enter a company name or 9-digit EIN. We surface continuity gaps, trailing gaps, and missing-wrap patterns from the 2,122 welfare plans we've indexed across plan years 2021–2025.

How DFVCP self-correction works

01Confirm eligibility

You qualify only if the DOL hasn't already sent a notice of intent to assess a penalty. Every day you wait is a day of risk.

02File the late 5500

Submit each missing year through EFAST2 with the DFVCP box checked, then pay the reduced penalty online.

03Keep the receipt

The payment confirmation is your protection. Multi-year misses cap at $1,500 (small plans) or $4,000 (large plans) per plan.

Not sure if you're eligible? Ask a specialist.

A free 15-minute call to walk your situation and correction options. No obligation.

Book a 15-min callor call (800) 555-0141 · weekdays 8–6 CT