Who needs to file Form 5500-EZ?

Any self-employed individual with a Solo 401(k), owner-and-spouse plan, or one-participant pension where combined plan assets exceeded $250,000 at the end of the plan year. Also required in the final year of any plan, regardless of balance.

When is the Form 5500-EZ deadline?

The last day of the 7th month after your plan year ends. For most Solo 401(k) owners on a calendar year plan, that's July 31. Need more time? File Form 5558 by July 31 and get until October 15.

Does my brokerage file Form 5500-EZ for me?

No. Your retirement account custodian holds your money and reports contributions — but filing Form 5500-EZ is entirely your responsibility as the plan administrator. Most custodians say so explicitly in their plan agreements.

What happens if I miss the deadline?

The IRS charges $250 per day, up to $150,000 per return. The penalty starts the day after the deadline and accumulates until you file. The sooner you file, the less you owe.

What information do I need to file?

Your business EIN, plan name, plan number, plan year dates, and year-end asset figures. You can find your asset figures on the annual statement from your retirement account custodian.

What if I have more than one retirement plan?

You must combine the assets of all your one-participant plans to determine whether you cross the $250,000 threshold. Each plan still files its own return. TaxBandits walks you through the aggregation calculation.

What if my return gets rejected by EFAST2?

TaxBandits retransmits your return at no extra charge. We identify the issue, guide you through the correction, and resubmit until your return is accepted.

Can I file an amended return if I made an error?

Yes. TaxBandits supports amended 5500-EZ filings at no additional cost. Your corrected return is transmitted directly to EFAST2 as a complete replacement filing.

I'm a CPA filing for multiple clients. Does TaxBandits support that?

Yes. TaxBandits supports bulk 5500-EZ filing with a multi-client dashboard, client signing portal, unlimited team members, and volume pricing that scales with your practice.

E-file Form 5500-EZ Online for One-Participant Retirement Plans

Name: Form 5500-EZ
Brand: TaxBandits
Rating: 4.9 (6374 reviews)

Fast, accurate Form 5500-EZ filing built for one-participant and foreign plan sponsors and administrators.

What Is Form 5500-EZ?

The Annual Filing Every One-Participant Plan Needs

Every year, the IRS requires an annual report on plan assets, contributions, distributions, and characteristics from anyone who sponsors or administers a one-participant retirement plan.

Who Files It

Owners of a one-participant plan (Solo 401(k), owner-only defined benefit, profit-sharing, or money purchase) or certain foreign plans must file Form 5500-EZ once combined assets exceed $250,000 at year-end.

The Deadline

The last day of the 7th month after your plan year ends. July 31 for calendar-year plans.

What Happens If You Miss the deadline

Penalties of $250 per day, up to $150,000 per return, starting the day after the deadline.

Not sure if you need to file?
Find out in seconds.

Answer a few simple questions to see if Form 5500-EZ applies to your
retirement plan.

Need More Time to File
Form 5500-EZ?

Get an automatic 2.5-month extension with Form 5558. Simple filing, no paperwork.

Learn More

Why TaxBandits

5500-EZ Filing Made Simple
From Preparation to DOL Confirmation

TaxBandits pulls your plan details together, catches every error before submission,
and transmits directly to EFAST2. No back and forth. No guesswork. No accountant required.

Seamless Form Preparation

Bring in your plan details and move through a simple, guided interface that tells you exactly what to fill in and why.

Supports every one-participant plan
Automatic plan year detection

Step-by-step guided entry
Combined asset calculation across multiple plans

Built-In Error Checks

Before your return goes anywhere, TaxBandits checks it for the errors that most often trigger rejections or IRS notices.

EIN validation
Contribution and asset threshold checks

Catches common filing errors
Smart review before transmission

Streamlined E-Sign Workflow

Plan sponsors and administrators sign Form 5500-EZ with their own EFAST2 credentials. TPAs filing on a client's behalf can request those credentials through a secure link, or upload a wet-signed copy of the form.

Sign with your own EFAST2 credentials
Real-time signature status tracking

Secure signing link for TPAs
Automatic reminders until it's signed

E-File Straight to DOL

Your return transmits directly to EFAST2, with instant DOL processing and confirmation the moment it's accepted.

Direct EFAST2 transmission
Annual deadline reminders

Instant confirmation PDF once accepted
Free retransmission if rejected

For Third Party Administrators and Tax Pros

Filing Form 5500-EZ for Multiple Clients?
We Built This for You Too.

CPAs and TPAs trust TaxBandits to handle high-volume filing across every plan type, without the back-and-forth. Manage every client, every return, and every deadline from one place.

Manage All Clients in One Place

Every client's return, status, and deadline visible from a single dashboard. No switching between accounts, no missed filings.

Client Signing Made Simple

Send your client a secure portal link to sign Form 5500-EZ with their own EFAST2 credentials, or upload a wet-signed copy of the form on their behalf.

Pricing That Scales With Your Practice

The more you file, the less you pay. Volume pricing kicks in from your 11th return, so your margin grows as your client list does.

Built for Your Whole Team

Add unlimited team members and assign roles based on responsibility. Delegate data entry, review, and filing across your staff.

We Don't Just File Form 5500-EZ. We Make Sure It's Done Right.

Filing Form 5500-EZ isn't just about hitting submit. It's about knowing your return is accurate, accepted, and on record with the DOL. From the first field you enter to the final confirmation, every step is designed to get you to compliance without stress.

Right Data. Right Return.

Every field guided and validated before your return reaches EFAST2.
Need More Time? We've Got You Covered.

File Form 5558 alongside your return for an automatic 2.5-month extension, at no additional cost.
Free Retransmission If Rejected.

If EFAST2 rejects your return, we retransmit at no extra charge until it's accepted.

Pricing

How Much Does It Cost to File Form 5500-EZ?

Less than you'd pay a CPA. More than you'd risk missing the deadline.

Form 5500-EZ E-filing

$79$49 / return

Guided data entry
Built-in validation
Direct EFAST2 transmission
Instant confirmation PDF
Amendment support
Free retransmission if rejected
Form 5558 extension at no additional cost

Filing for Multiple Clients?

Pricing per form based on volume.

Returns 1 to 10

$49

Returns 11 to 100

$39

Returns 101 to 250

$29

Returns 251 to 500

$22

Returns 501 to 2000

$17

What Our Customers Say

Real Filers. Real Deadlines. Real Relief.

The built-in validation caught a plan number mismatch before it ever reached EFAST2. Saved me a rejection notice and a second filing.

David R.

CPA

We manage Form 5500-EZ filings for over a dozen clients. Having every return, status, and deadline in one dashboard changed how our team works.

James T.

TPA

Filing for my Solo 401(k) took less time than I expected, and I had my confirmation right away. Won't go back to doing it manually.

Sarah M.

Freelance Consultant

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know About Form 5500-EZ Filing

You must file if you sponsor a one-participant retirement plan, such as:

A Solo 401(k)
An owner-only defined benefit plan
A profit-sharing plan
A money purchase plan

Filing is required if any of these apply:

Combined plan assets exceeded $250,000 at the end of the plan year
This is the plan's final year (fully terminated, all assets distributed), regardless of balance
The plan is a foreign plan covering nonresident aliens

IRAs (Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE) do not file Form 5500-EZ.

The last day of the 7th month after your plan year ends. For calendar-year plans, that's July 31.

Need more time? File Form 5558 alongside your return for an automatic 2.5-month extension.

No. Your brokerage may provide account statements and asset values, but filing the return is the plan sponsor's responsibility, not the custodian's.

The IRS can assess penalties of $250 per day, up to $150,000 per return, starting the day after the deadline.

Plan name, plan number, and EIN
Plan year start and end dates
Total plan assets and liabilities
Contributions and distributions for the year
Plan characteristic codes

Combine the assets of all one-participant plans you sponsor when checking the $250,000 threshold. If the combined total exceeds it, a separate Form 5500-EZ is required for each plan.

TaxBandits flags the rejection reason and lets you correct and retransmit at no additional charge.

Yes. You can file a corrected Form 5500-EZ marking it as an amended return to fix errors on a previously filed form.

Paper filing is allowed for most one-participant plan sponsors. However, if you're required to file 10 or more returns of any type with the IRS in the relevant calendar year, you must file Form 5500-EZ electronically through EFAST2.

Yes. TaxBandits lets you manage every client's filing from one dashboard, with volume-based pricing, secure e-sign links for client review, and role-based access for your team.