by Raymond M. Fernando, Diane M. Morgenthaler and Adrienne Walker Porter

The IRS recently announced the 2012 cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans.  Plan sponsors should update payroll and plan administration systems for the new 2012 cost-of-living adjustments and should incorporate the new limits in relevant participant communications, like open enrollment materials and summary plan descriptions.  Also, because 2012 marks the first year that the IRS has increased employee benefit plan limits since 2009, plan sponsors may want to consider updating plan documents to include the new cost-of-living adjustments, to the extent such adjustments are not automatically incorporated by cross-reference.  Please click here for a full list of the 2012 IRS limits.