Search 204,113 credit-eligible plans to pre-populate your filing. Or skip this step to enter details manually.
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🏢 Company & Employer Information
📋 Verify Participant Data with Tally(k)
To produce an accurate Form 8881, we need verified per-employee data — which of your employees earned under $100,000, their HCE/NHCE status, and each employee's actual employer contribution. This is the data that drives your credit calculation.
Tally(k) walks you through this step in about 5–10 minutes. You'll classify each employee, enter their employer contribution, and we'll reconcile the total against your Form 5500 employer-contribution gross. When you submit Tally(k), verified totals flow back here automatically and we'll generate your 8881.
The total your business reported on Form 5500 for the year. Tally(k) will reconcile your per-employee entries against this number.
⚡ Tally(k) is required to file
Form 8881 is signed under penalty of perjury and reports a federal tax credit. Estimated values are not acceptable. Tally(k) provides the per-employee data the form requires.
✅ Participant Data Verified
Tally(k) has been completed for this filing. The figures below were calculated from your per-employee entries and will be used on Form 8881.
From your Form 5500
Sum of NHCE-marked rows in Tally(k)
Sum of under-$100K rows in Tally(k)
Σ min(contrib, $1,000) over under-$100K rows — the §45E credit basis
Need to make corrections?
✅ Review & Confirm
Confirm Plan Setup
Qualified costs to set up and administer the plan
Calendar year the plan becomes effective
📊 5-Year Credit Summary
$0
Estimated 5-Year Tax Credit Total
📥 Download Filing Package
Generate your Form 8881 and CPA-ready documents.
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IRS Form 8881
Credit calculation form, pre-filled with your data. Attach to tax return.
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IRS Form 3800
General Business Credit form. Lines 1j, 1dd, 1ee pre-filled from Form 8881.
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Sponsor Summary
Professional credit summary with year-by-year schedule, next steps, and CPA filing instructions.
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Audit Support Package
Full 6-section CPA workbook: eligibility, calculations, data provenance, IRC citations.
📖 File(k) Help Center
Quick Start
How to Use
Form 8881
Glossary
FAQ
What's New
Welcome to File(k)
File(k) prepares your SECURE 2.0 tax credit filing package. Search for your plan, verify the details, and generate professional Form 8881 worksheets and CPA-ready documents in minutes.
What you'll get: A pre-filled Form 8881, a pre-started Form 3800 (General Business Credit), a professional Sponsor Summary, and a comprehensive Audit Support Package — all as downloadable PDFs.
1
Find Your Plan
Search 204,113 credit-eligible plans by name, EIN, or TPA. Your plan data auto-fills the wizard.
2
Verify Company Info
Confirm employer name, EIN, address, and contact info for the Form 8881 header.
3
Confirm Plan Details
Review employee counts, contributions, and plan features. Verify estimated fields.
4
Review & Calculate
See all inputs at a glance, then run the 5-year credit calculation.
5
Download Package
Generate your pre-filled Form 8881, Form 3800, Sponsor Summary, and Audit Support Package as PDFs.
How to Use File(k)
Coming from Credit(k)?
If you clicked "Prepare Filing with File(k)" from Credit(k), your plan data is already pre-filled. Start at Step 2 to verify and complete the company information.
Estimated Fields (⚡)
When File(k) auto-populates from plan data, the Non-HCE Eligible and Employees Under $100K fields are estimated (90% and 80% of total employees). These appear with an amber border and ⚡ badge. Click into the field and enter the actual number from your payroll records for accurate filing.
The Three Documents
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Form 8881 — Credit Calculation
The actual IRS Form 8881 (Rev. Dec 2025), pre-filled with all 29 fields. Calculates Startup Credit (Part I), Auto-Enrollment Credit (Part II), and Employer Contribution Credit. Signature-ready — your CPA reviews and attaches to the tax return.
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Form 3800 — General Business Credit
The official IRS Form 3800 with Part III pre-filled: Line 1j (Startup + Contribution from 8881 Part I), Line 1dd (Auto-Enrollment from 8881 Part II), Line 1ee (Military Spouse). Your CPA completes Parts I and II using your tax liability, then attaches alongside Form 8881.
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Sponsor Summary
Professional multi-section credit summary with year-by-year schedule, Form 3800 filing guidance, next steps, and CPA handoff instructions.
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Sponsor Summary
Client-facing overview in plain English. Shows total credits, year-by-year breakdown, and next steps. Great for presenting to plan sponsors or business owners.
Form 8881 Line-by-Line Guide
Part I — Startup Credit (§45E)
Available for the first 3 years of a new plan. Up to $5,000/year.
L1
Line 1: Qualified startup costs paid or incurred
L2-3
Lines 2-3: NHCE count × $250 (max $5,000)
L4-6
Lines 4-6: Cap calculation and credit rate (100% for ≤50 employees, 50% for 51-100)
Part II — Auto-Enrollment (§45T) + Employer Contributions
$500/year for auto-enrollment (3 years). Employer contribution credit up to $1,000/employee (5 years).
Phase-out: For employers with 51-100 employees, the applicable percentage is reduced by 2% per employee over 50. Uses TOTAL employee count, not just those under $100K.
Form 3800 Transfer
Startup + Contribution credits → Form 3800, Line 4a. Auto-enrollment → Form 3800, Line 1dd.
Glossary
NHCE
Non-Highly Compensated Employee. Any employee who is not an HCE. Used to determine the startup credit cap ($250 per eligible NHCE).
HCE
Highly Compensated Employee. For 2025: earned more than $160,000 in prior year or is a >5% owner.
EACA
Eligible Automatic Contribution Arrangement. Auto-enrolls employees at a default deferral rate. Qualifies for $500/year credit under §45T.
Applicable Percentage
The percentage applied to employer contributions. Starts at 100% (Years 1-2), phases to 25% (Year 5), reduced 2% per employee over 50.
Phase-Out
For 51-100 employees, the contribution credit percentage is reduced by 2 points per employee over 50. Based on total employees (≥$5K comp).
Qualified Startup Costs
Ordinary and necessary expenses to establish or administer a retirement plan, plus employee education costs. IRC §45E(d)(2).
Form 3800
General Business Credit form. The umbrella that includes §45E and §45T credits. Non-refundable — cannot exceed your tax liability.
Controlled Group
Related employers treated as a single employer. All employees across the group count toward the 100-employee threshold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. File(k) pre-fills the official IRS Form 8881 (all 29 fields) and Form 3800 (Part III credit lines). Form 8881 is signature-ready. Form 3800 is pre-started — your CPA completes Parts I and II using your tax return data, then files both forms with your amended or original return.
When you select a plan, File(k) estimates NHCE at ~90% and Under $100K at ~80% of total employees. These are reasonable defaults for small plans but should be verified with actual payroll data for accurate filing.
No. You must reduce your deduction by the credit amount claimed. Most employers find the credit more valuable since it's a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction.
You are not eligible for these credits. The 100-employee threshold uses employees who received ≥$5,000 compensation in the prior year. There is a 2-year grace period if you grow beyond 100 after initially qualifying.
No. They're non-refundable credits as part of the General Business Credit (Form 3800). They reduce tax liability to zero but can't generate a refund. Unused credits carry back 1 year or forward 20 years.
What's New
v1.0April 2026
Initial release of File(k) — Form 8881 Filing Preparation Wizard
4-step wizard: Find Plan → Company Info → Tally(k) → Review & Generate