Summary Annual Report (SAR)

Narrative summary of the Form 5500 annual report.

Current Fee / Rate Information

No filing fee. Narrative summary of the Form 5500. Must be furnished to participants within 9 months after end of plan year, or 2 months after the Form 5500 filing deadline (including extensions).

Last reviewed: July 2026

Non-Compliance Penalties

DOL may assess up to $110/day per participant for failure to furnish. No separate IRS penalty but linked to Form 5500 compliance.

What is the Summary Annual Report?

A plain-language summary of your Form 5500 that goes to participants. If your plan files a 5500, it owes a SAR. If your plan is exempt from the 5500, no SAR is due. The two travel together.

When is the SAR due?

Nine months after the plan year ends. For a calendar-year plan, that's September 30. If you extended your Form 5500 with Form 5558, the SAR moves too: two months after the extended filing deadline, which lands December 15 for calendar-year plans.

How to distribute it without pain

• Whoever prepares your 5500 should hand you the SAR at the same time. Ask for it in the same email.
• Paper delivery, or electronic under the DOL's e-delivery rules (work email counts for employees who use a computer as part of their job).
• Many employers fold it into open enrollment packets. That works when the timing fits your deadline. Check it does.

Related Reading

• The SAR Distribution Requirement: What You Must Send Participants by September 30→
• The DOL Has a Manual for Penalizing You. Most Plan Administrators Have Never Read It.→
• ICHRA Moved You Out of the Group Market. It Didn't Move You Out of Compliance.→