Schedule SB: Form 5500 Filing Guide for
Defined Benefit Plans

Who Must File Schedule SB

Schedule SB reports actuarial and minimum funding information for defined benefit plans subject to IRC §412. It applies to single-employer and multiple-employer defined benefit plans, and expands to include a second funding calculation when a plan is at-risk. An enrolled actuary must prepare and sign it, and it attaches directly to Form 5500 or Form 5500-SF, no separate submission required.

• 1

  Single-Employer Defined Benefit Plans

  A single-employer defined benefit plan is sponsored by one employer and promises a fixed benefit at retirement, typically calculated from a formula based on salary and years of service. The employer, not the employee, carries the investment and funding risk, which is why the plan falls under IRC §412's minimum funding standards in the first place.

  This is the most common Schedule SB scenario, and the filing path is exactly what the table above shows: no additional wrinkles beyond meeting §412.

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• 2

  Multiple-Employer Defined Benefit Plans

  A multiple-employer defined benefit plan is a single plan document adopted by two or more unrelated employers, often to share administrative costs while each employer keeps its own funding obligation. The plan looks unified from the outside, but the funding responsibility underneath it isn't shared.

  That's where Schedule SB does extra work: it reports minimum funding information separately for each participating employer, so one employer's contribution history and required amount never gets blended into another's. If your plan covers more than one unrelated employer, expect the schedule to reflect that breakdown line by line, not as a single combined figure.

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• 3

  At-Risk Plans

  At-risk isn't a plan type of its own, it's a funding status that any single-employer or multiple-employer plan above can fall into. A plan is classified at-risk when its funded status drops below the thresholds set under IRC §430(i), generally when plan assets fall under specific percentages of the plan's funding target.

  Once a plan crosses into at-risk status, Schedule SB adds a second funding target calculation: one under standard actuarial assumptions, one under at-risk assumptions. The extra number exists to make the added funding risk visible on its own, rather than folding it into the plan's regular figures. At-risk status generally doesn't apply to smaller defined benefit plans, since the size and funding thresholds that trigger it are built around larger plan populations.

Schedule SB applies to:

• Single-employer defined benefit plans — File Schedule SB with your Form 5500 or Form 5500-SF. This is the standard filing path if your plan covers employees of one employer and is subject to IRC section 412 minimum funding standards.
• Multiple-employer defined benefit plans — Schedule SB reports the required funding information separately for each participating employer, so each employer's obligation stays traceable on its own, even though the plan itself is shared.
• At-risk plans — Schedule SB adds a second funding target calculation, one under standard assumptions and one under at-risk assumptions, so the extra risk in your plan's funding position is captured explicitly rather than hidden inside a single number.

Note: A plan is considered at-risk when its funded status falls below certain thresholds set under IRC section 430(i), generally when assets fall under specific percentages of the plan's funding target. At-risk status triggers additional funding calculations on Schedule SB and generally doesn't apply to smaller defined benefit plans.

Form 5500-EZ Exception

Filing Form 5500-EZ? You still need to complete and sign Schedule SB, but you don't attach it. You'll report the unpaid minimum required contribution on line 10a and keep the actual schedule with your plan records, not with the IRS.

Actuary Requirements for Schedule SB

An enrolled actuary prepares and signs Schedule SB before it goes anywhere near your Form 5500. No actuary, no valid filing.

What the Actuary Provides

• Valuation & assumptions — Valuation date, discount rate, mortality, retirement age, and applicable actuarial methods.
• Funding calculations — Funding target, target normal cost, contributions, and other required funding amounts.
• Certification — Actuary's name, enrollment number, firm details, required statement, and signature.

Schedule SB Needs a Signature You Can't Skip

Schedule SB isn't just typed-in data. It requires a signed PDF labeled exactly "SB Actuary Signature." EFAST2 checks for this specific label when you flag Schedule SB on your return. Get the label wrong, and your filing can get flagged even if every number is correct.

Information Required to Complete Schedule SB

• 1

  Plan Details

  The basics that identify your plan on the return.

  • Plan name and plan number (PN)
  • Plan sponsor's name and EIN, as shown on Form 5500 or 5500-SF
  • Type of plan (single, multiple-A, or multiple-B) and prior year plan size
  • Plan year, calendar or fiscal, beginning and ending dates

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• 2

  Participant Information

  Who the plan covers, and how funding is allocated across them.

  • Participant counts by category: retired participants and beneficiaries receiving payment, terminated vested participants, and active participants
  • Funding target broken out for each of those participant categories

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• 3

  Actuarial Information & Certification

  The actuarial work behind the numbers, signed off by your enrolled actuary.

  • Valuation date
  • Actuarial assumptions and methods: discount rate (segment rates or full yield curve), weighted average retirement age, and mortality table used
  • Funding target and target normal cost, plus any changes to non-prescribed assumptions or methods for the current plan year
  • The enrolled actuary's signed statement, name, enrollment number, firm, and contact details

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• 4

  Funding & Contributions

  Where the plan stands financially, and what's still owed.

  • Market and actuarial value of plan assets, effective interest rate, and related funding percentages
  • Minimum required contribution for the current plan year
  • Employer and employee contributions made during the plan year, by date
  • Carryover and prefunding balances, unpaid minimum required contributions when applicable, and any liquidity shortfall details, plus the ARPA extended amortization election if applicable.

Schedule SB Filing Deadline: Extensions, Penalties & Corrections

How to Correct or Amend a Filed Schedule SB?

Errors can be corrected by amending the return directly through EFAST2, at no additional fee. For filings that are significantly late, the DOL's Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program offers a path to catch up at a reduced penalty.

Know Your Form 5500 Series Deadline

Select your plan year-end to find your filing deadline and see when you may need an extension.

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Find your Deadline

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FILING DEADLINE

April 30, 2027

For a plan year ending September 2, 2026.

You have 242 days remaining to file

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Need more time?

Form 5558 may give an automatic extension of up to 2½ months.

EXTENDED DEADLINE:

July 15, 2027

Deadline passed. Form 5558 must be filed before the deadline.

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Special Cases & Common Filing Errors

Certain plan circumstances may require additional information or attachments on Schedule SB. Review these special cases and common filing errors before submitting your return.

Common Schedule SB Filing Mistakes

• Leaving Yes/No fields blank — Answer every applicable Yes/No question. Use "N/A" only where the form specifically permits it.
• Incorrect Actuary Signature Attachment — When a signed PDF is required, use the required "SB Actuary Signature" attachment label.
• Mismatched Contribution Information — Make sure the unpaid minimum required contribution reported on Schedule SB agrees with the corresponding information reported elsewhere in the filing.
• Using Schedule MB Instead of SB — Confirm that the plan requires Schedule SB before filing. Schedule MB applies to applicable multiemployer defined benefit plans.
• Incorrect Dollar Rounding — Report dollar amounts according to the rounding requirements on the applicable form and Schedule SB instructions.
• Missing Schedule SB Indicator — Make sure the applicable Form 5500 Series return correctly indicates that Schedule SB is included or otherwise reported as required.

Schedule SB Filing Checklist

Before submitting your return, use this quick checklist to make sure your Schedule SB is complete and ready to file.

• Correct plan type confirmed, and Schedule SB is the right schedule
• All required Yes/No fields answered and figures consistent throughout the filing
• Actuary signature obtained, PDF labeled exactly "SB Actuary Signature"
• Special-case attachments included where applicable (at-risk, active participant data, 1,000+ participant projection, prior-year SB for retroactive adoption)
• Dollar amounts rounded per form requirements, unpaid minimum required contribution matches across the filing
• Schedule SB indicator correctly marked on the Form 5500 or 5500-SF return