Except as provided in this subsection—

(A) no tax shall be imposed under this section for a taxable year with respect to a multiemployer plan if, for the plan years ending with or within the taxable year, the plan is in critical status pursuant to section 432, and

(B) any tax imposed under this subsection for a taxable year with respect to a multiemployer plan if, for the plan years ending with or within the taxable year, the plan is in endangered status pursuant to section 432 shall be in addition to any other tax imposed by this section.

If any funding improvement plan or rehabilitation plan in effect under section 432 with respect to a multiemployer plan requires an employer to make a contribution to the plan, there is hereby imposed a tax on each failure of the employer to make the required contribution within the time required under such plan.

The amount of the tax imposed by subparagraph (A) shall be equal to the amount of the required contribution the employer failed to make in a timely manner.

The tax imposed by subparagraph (A) shall be paid by the employer responsible for contributing to or under the rehabilitation plan which fails to make the contribution.

If—

(A) a plan which is in seriously endangered status fails to meet the applicable benchmarks by the end of the funding improvement period, or

(B) a plan which is in critical status either—

In the case of a multiemployer plan which is in critical status, there is hereby imposed a tax on the failure of such plan to adopt a rehabilitation plan within the time prescribed under section 432.

The amount of the tax imposed under subparagraph (A) with respect to any plan sponsor for any taxable year shall be the greater of—

In the case of a failure described in paragraph (2) or (3) which is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, the Secretary may waive part or all of the tax imposed by this subsection. For purposes of this paragraph, reasonable cause includes unanticipated and material market fluctuations, the loss of a significant contributing employer, or other factors to the extent that the payment of tax under this subsection with respect to the failure would be excessive or otherwise inequitable relative to the failure involved.

For purposes of this subsection, any term used in this subsection which is also used in section 432 shall have the meaning given such term by section 432.

Section 3002(b) of title III of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (g), is classified to section 1202 (b) of Title 29, Labor.

2006—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 109–280, § 114(e)(1), amended subsecs. (a) and (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsecs. (a) and (b) read as follows:

“(a) Initial tax.—For each taxable year of an employer who maintains a plan to which section 412 applies, there is hereby imposed a tax of 10 percent (5 percent in the case of a multiemployer plan) on the amount of the accumulated funding deficiency under the plan, determined as of the end of the plan year ending with or within such taxable year.

“(b) Additional tax.—In any case in which an initial tax is imposed by subsection (a) on an accumulated funding deficiency and such accumulated funding deficiency is not corrected within the taxable period, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 100 percent of such accumulated funding deficiency to the extent not corrected.”

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 109–280, § 114(e)(2)(A), substituted “section 431” for “the last two sentences of section 412 (a)”.

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 109–280, § 114(e)(2)(B), added par. (4).

Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 109–280, § 114(e)(3), substituted “section 412 (a)(1)(A)” for “section 412 (b)(3)(A)”.

Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 109–280, § 114(e)(4), substituted “section 430 (j)(4)” for “section 412 (m)(5)” in introductory provisions and “section 430 (j)” for “section 412 (m)” in subpar. (B).

1996—Subsec. (f)(4). Pub. L. 104–188 added par. (4).

1994—Subsec. (e)(1), (2)(A). Pub. L. 103–465, § 751(a)(9)(B)(i), substituted “(a), (b), or (f)” for “(a) or (b)”.

Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 103–465, § 751(a)(9)(B)(ii), added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g).

1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–203, § 9305(a)(2)(A), struck out at end “The tax imposed by this subsection shall be paid by the employer responsible for contributing to or under the plan the amount described in section 412 (b)(3)(A).”

Pub. L. 100–203, § 9304(c)(1), substituted “10 percent (5 percent in the case of a multiemployer plan)” for “5 percent”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–203, § 9305(a)(2)(B), struck out at end “The tax imposed by this subsection shall be paid by the employer described in subsection (a).”

Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 100–203, § 9305(a)(1), added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f).

1980—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–596, § 2(a)(1)(J), substituted “taxable period” for “correction period”.

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 96–364, § 204(1), substituted “last two sentences” for “last sentence”.

Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 96–596, § 2(a)(2)(H), substituted provision defining taxable period as the period beginning with the end of the plan year in which there is an accumulated funding deficiency and ending on the earlier of the date of mailing of a notice of deficiency with respect to the tax imposed by subsec. (a) of this section or the date on which the tax imposed by subsec. (a) of this section is assessed for provision defining correction period as the period beginning with the end of a plan year in which there is an accumulated funding deficiency and ending 90 days after the date of mailing of a notice of deficiency under section 6212 of this title with respect to the tax imposed by subsec. (b) of this section, extended by any period in which a deficiency cannot be assessed under section 6213 (a) of this title and by any other period which the Secretary determines reasonable and necessary to permit a reduction of the accumulated funding deficiency to zero.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 96–364, § 204(2), inserted provisions relating to a multiemployer plan in reorganization.

1976—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary” wherever appearing.

Amendment by section 212(b) of Pub. L. 109–280 applicable with respect to plan years beginning after 2007, with special rules for certain notices and certain restored benefits, see section 212(e) of Pub. L. 109–280, set out as a note under section 412 of this title.

Amendment by section 212(b) of Pub. L. 109–280 inapplicable to plan years beginning after Dec. 31, 2014, with exception for certain funding improvement and rehabilitation plans, see section 221(c) of Pub. L. 109–280, set out as a note under section 412 of this title.

Section 1464(b) of Pub. L. 104–188 provided that: “The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect as if included in the amendment made by clause (ii) of section 751(a)(9)(B) of the Retirement Protection Act of 1994 [Pub. L. 103–465] (108 Stat. 5020).”

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–465 applicable to plan years beginning after Dec. 31, 1994, see section 751(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–465, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.

Section 9304(c)(2) of Pub. L. 100–203 provided that: “The amendments made by this subsection [amending this section] shall apply to plan years beginning after 1988.”

Amendment by section 9305(a) of Pub. L. 100–203 applicable with respect to plan years beginning after December 31, 1987, see section 9305(d) of Pub. L. 100–203, set out as a note under section 412 of this title.

For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 96–596 with respect to any first tier tax and to any second tier tax, see section 2(d) of Pub. L. 96–596, set out as an Effective Date note under section 4961 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–364 effective Sept. 26, 1980, see section 210(a) of Pub. L. 96–364, set out as an Effective Date note under section 418 of this title.

Section applicable, except as otherwise provided in section 1017(c) through (i) of Pub. L. 93–406, for plan years beginning after Sept. 2, 1974, and, in the case of plans in existence on Jan. 1, 1974, for plan years beginning after Dec. 31, 1975, see section 1017 of Pub. L. 93–406, set out as an Effective Date; Transitional Rules note under section 410 of this title.

For special rules on applicability of amendments by subtitles A (§§ 101–107) and B (§§ 111–116) of title I of Pub. L. 109–280 to certain eligible cooperative plans, PBGC settlement plans, and eligible government contractor plans, see sections 104, 105, and 106 of Pub. L. 109–280, set out as notes under section 401 of this title.

For applicability of amendment by section 212(b) of Pub. L. 109–280 to a multiemployer plan that is a party to an agreement that was approved by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation prior to June 30, 2005, and that increases benefits and provides for certain withdrawal liability rules, see section 206 of Pub. L. 109–280, set out as a note under section 412 of this title.

Pub. L. 109–280, title II, § 214, Aug. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 918, provided that:

“(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no tax shall be imposed under subsection (a) or (b) of section 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 with respect to any accumulated funding deficiency of a plan described in subsection (b) of this section for any taxable year beginning before the earlier of—

“(1) the taxable year in which the plan sponsor adopts a rehabilitation plan under section 305(e) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1085 (e)] and section 432(e) of such Code (as added by this Act); or

“(2) the taxable year that contains January 1, 2009.

“(b) Plan Described.—A plan described under this subsection is a multiemployer pension plan—

“(1) with less than 100 participants;

“(2) with respect to which the contributing employers participated in a Federal fishery capacity reduction program;

“(3) with respect to which employers under the plan participated in the Northeast Fisheries Assistance Program; and

“(4) with respect to which the annual normal cost is less than $100,000 and the plan is experiencing a funding deficiency on the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 17, 2006].”

For provisions directing that if any amendments made by subtitle D [§§ 1401–1465] of title I of Pub. L. 104–188 require an amendment to any plan or annuity contract, such amendment shall not be required to be made before the first day of the first plan year beginning on or after Jan. 1, 1998, see section 1465 of Pub. L. 104–188, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.