Vrakas audits 180+ benefit plans annually and is well-versed in the required auditing procedures and regulatory reporting requirements.
Our benefit plan audit services commonly support 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) that are required to file Form 5500.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) generally requires employee benefit plans with more than 120 eligible participants to be audited as part of their obligation to file their annual Form 5500 series return/report.
Independent audits of employee benefit plans (EBP), such as 401(k), 403(b), and ESOP, are an essential accountability mechanism as they provide independent, third-party reports to participants, plan management, the Department of Labor (DOL), and other interested parties.
The DOL and ERISA hold the plan administrator responsible for hiring a qualified independent employee benefit plan auditor to ensure the plan audit is conducted in accordance with their requirements. See the letter below, issued by the DOL to all plan sponsors, which emphasizes the importance of audit quality and hiring an experienced benefit plan auditor.
Determining the Level of Service You Need
Many organizations first engage us when they are determining whether their 401(k) plan requires an audit for Form 5500 compliance.
The benefit plan audit specialists at Vrakas are committed to delivering high-quality, outstanding service. Our emphasis is to ensure your plan is being served by qualified professionals who not only can provide the compliance audit services that you require, but can also provide communication of audit results that goes beyond the standard auditors’ report, including:
- Regulatory updates
- Areas in which management can improve benefit plan operations
- Assessment of the risks facing the plan and appropriate controls to mitigate those risks
Why Vrakas?
- Extensive experience with defined contribution plans (401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, etc.), defined benefit plans and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
- Standardized approach to efficiently address all audit requirements
- Active involvement of experienced employee benefit plan auditors during all stages of the engagement
- Meet client needs efficiently, cost-effectively and with a practical approach
- We are committed to providing our personnel with specialized training in employee benefit plan audits and annually attend the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Conference
- In this highly regulated environment, it is critical to trust in your employee benefit plan audit team
- Vrakas is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC) for CPA firms. The EBPAQC is a national community of CPA firms that demonstrate a commitment to employee benefit plan audit quality and raise awareness about the importance of employee benefit plan audits. The EBPAQC provides companies with best practices, guidelines and tools CPAs need to perform quality benefit plan audits to better serve their clients
Our Professionals
With extensive expertise in providing comprehensive employee benefit plans, our team offers tailored solutions to help navigate every step of the way. We are dedicated to supporting clients throughout the entire lifecycle, ensuring they align with the needs of their organization.
Nicole Gabriel, CPA
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