Very Serious Business: Sense and Nonsense Under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986

Abstract

Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code provides a special type of retirement arrangement, available only to certain tax-exempt and governmental employers, that is widely used by public school, colleges and hospitals. The article describes the evolution of, and the rules under, section 403(b), contrasts its provisions with those applicable to qualified plans, with particular reference to 401(k) plans, and suggests reforms to these rules.

Keywords: Section 403(b), Internal Revenue Code, retirement, tax-exempt, governmental employers, 401(k) plans