Overview
The deadline to report individual retirement account (IRA) contribution information to both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to IRA owners is May 31 each year. Contributions to traditional and Roth IRAs, including traditional simplified employee pension (SEP) and Roth SEP IRAs, and traditional Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers (SIMPLE) and Roth SIMPLE IRAs are included in this reporting. An important distinction to understand and communicate to employers and account owners is how prior year SEP and SIMPLE IRA contributions are reported vs. how prior year IRA regular contributions are reported.
Reporting SEP and SIMPLE Plan contributions
IRA custodians and trustees report traditional SEP IRA and Roth SEP IRA contribution amounts in Box 8 of IRS Form 5498, IRA Contribution Information. Additionally, the SEP checkbox is checked in Box 7 of Form 5498 and in the case of Roth SEP IRA contributions, the Roth IRA checkbox is also checked. IRA custodians and trustees report traditional SIMPLE IRA and Roth SIMPLE IRA contribution amounts in Box 9 of IRS Form 5498. Additionally, the SIMPLE checkbox is checked in Box 7 of Form 5498 and in the case of Roth SIMPLE IRA contributions, the Roth IRA checkbox is also checked. Unlike IRA regular contributions made to traditional and Roth IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE contributions are reported for the year in which they are received by the custodian/trustee. Therefore, a SEP or SIMPLE contribution made in 2026 for 2025 will be reported on a 2026 Form 5498, not a 2025 Form 5498, even though an employer deducts such contributions on its 2025 income tax return. Another way to consider this is that a participant’s 2026 Form 5498 will include all SEP or SIMPLE contributions made during calendar year 2026, which include contributions made for tax year 2025, but will not include contributions made in 2027 for 2026. This is often a confusing issue for some business owners and their tax professionals.
Why the inconsistency?
So, why are prior year SEP and SIMPLE IRA contributions not reported in the same manner as prior year IRA regular contributions? It is likely because employers can make SEP and SIMPLE contributions until their tax-filing deadline, including extensions, whereas a tax-filing extension that an individual is granted will not extend the deadline to make an IRA regular contribution for the previous year. Since the tax-filing deadline for an employer could be much later than the Form 5498 reporting deadline (i.e., May 31), it could result in a reporting nightmare with respect to the timing in which SEP and SIMPLE contributions are made for a particular year.
In support of this reasoning, the IRS states in its 2026 Form 5498 reporting instructions for Box 8: “Enter employer contributions made to a SEP IRA (including salary deferrals under a SARSEP) during 2026, including contributions made in 2026 for 2025, but not including contributions made in 2027 for 2026. Trustees and issuers are not responsible for reporting the year for which SEP contributions are made.” Additionally, the Box 9 reporting instructions state: “Enter employer contributions, including salary deferrals, made to a SIMPLE IRA during 2026. Trustees and issuers are not responsible for reporting the year for which SIMPLE contributions are made.” In comparison, Box 1 which reports traditional IRA regular contributions, reads “Enter contributions to a traditional IRA made in 2026 and through April 15, 2027, designated for 2026.”
Conclusion
The deadline for most individuals to make an IRA regular contribution for 2025 was April 15, 2026, and contributions made from January 1, 2026, through April 15, 2026, designated for 2025 should have been reported on a 2025 IRS Form 5498. However, SEP and SIMPLE IRA contributions made during the same period, or any time during 2026, will be reported on a 2026 IRS Form 5498, regardless of the tax year (i.e., 2025 or 2026) for which they were made.
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