8717

User Fee for Employee Plan Determination Letter Request

Agency
IRS
Revision
Rev. June 2022
Fillable fields
18
Pages
2
Official source
IRS form page
Checked
October 21, 2026
Fill 8717 online
Page 1 of form 8717

Form 8717: User Fee for Employee Plan Determination Letter Request

Form 8717 goes with an application to the IRS for a determination letter on an employee plan. The instructions say that generally a user fee is required with each application for a determination letter, and that Form 8717 is used to submit the appropriate user fee.

The form asks for the plan sponsor's name, EIN, plan number and plan name. It then takes either a signed certification that the application meets the conditions for exemption from user fees, or a checked box and the fee amount on line 5. The What's New section says specific user fee amounts are no longer listed on the form, and the line 5 instructions point to the IRS user fee page and Appendix A of the annual revenue procedure.

The instructions also say Form 5310 applications and fees go through Pay.gov, as do Form 5300 submissions starting July 1, 2022, and that Form 8717 is not used for those two unless an additional payment for an insufficient user fee is needed. You can fill it out free in your browser on this page and download the result without an account.

What's on Form 8717

Lines 1 to 4: plan details

Name of plan sponsor, the sponsor's employer identification number, the plan number and the plan name.

Certification

A statement that the application meets the conditions for exemption from user fees in section 7528(b)(2)(B), with a signature, date, and typed or printed name and title.

Line 5: user fee

Boxes in column A for the form submitted, with the fee entered in column B: Forms 5300, 5307 and 5310, multiple employer plans on Forms 5300 and 5310, and Form 5316.

Reserved and shaded lines

Lines 5g and 5h are marked Reserved. The instructions say not to use any part of the form shaded in gray, because those portions are no longer functional.

Payment and IRS boxes

The left side of the form says Attach Check or Money Order Here, and a For IRS Use Only box at the top holds the amount paid.

How to fill out Form 8717

  1. 1

    Lines 1 to 4

    Enter the plan sponsor's name (the employer for a single-employer plan), its EIN, the plan number and the plan name.

  2. 2

    Exempt applications

    If the application meets the exemption conditions, the instructions say to complete only the certification and not any part of line 5. When the 10-year rule is not met but section 7528(b)(2)(B) is, they say to explain in a cover letter how the application qualifies.

  3. 3

    Line 5

    For all other applications, leave the certification blank, check the box for the form submitted and enter the user fee in column B. The instructions point to www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/User-Fees-For-Employee-Plans-Determination-Opinion-And-Advisory-Letters and Appendix A of Rev. Proc. 2022-4, or the latest annual update.

  4. 4

    Payment

    Attach to the left side of the form a check or money order payable to "United States Treasury" for the full amount. If payment was made through www.pay.gov, the instructions say a copy of the payment confirmation is also submitted.

  5. 5

    Attach and send

    Attach Form 8717 to the determination letter application and send both to the address in the Where To File table on page 2.

Why fill Form 8717 on indox

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Where to send it, payment and fees

U.S. mail

Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EP Determination Letters, Stop 31A Team 105, P.O. Box 12192, Covington, KY 41012-0192.

Express Mail or private delivery service

Internal Revenue Service, Attn: EP Determination Letters, Stop 31A Team 105, 7940 Kentucky Drive, Florence, KY 41042.

Pay.gov

The instructions say Form 5310 applications and user fees are submitted at the same time through Pay.gov, and starting July 1, 2022, Form 5300 and any applicable user fee are submitted through Pay.gov.

Fee amounts

The form no longer lists specific user fee amounts. The instructions point to the IRS user fee page and Appendix A of Rev. Proc. 2022-4, updated annually.

Short payment

The instructions say that if the full amount is not included, the application may be returned.

Who completes Form 8717?

  • Plan sponsors requesting a determination letter

    Line 1 asks for the name of the plan sponsor, or the employer if it is a single-employer plan. The About page says persons applying for an employee plan determination letter use this form to pay the user fee.

  • Determination letter applications

    Line 5 has boxes for Forms 5300, 5307, 5310 and 5316, plus multiple employer plans on Forms 5300 and 5310. The Where To File table also lists Form 5310-A.

  • Small employers claiming the exemption

    The instructions describe an eligible employer as one with no more than 100 employees who received at least $5,000 of compensation from the employer for the preceding year, and at least one participating employee who is not highly compensated. Such an employer completes only the certification.

  • Not for most Form 5300 or 5310 payments

    The instructions say Form 8717 is not used for Form 5300 or Form 5310 unless an additional payment for an insufficient user fee is needed. Those fees are paid through Pay.gov.

  • Sponsors with more than one plan

    The instructions say a sponsor with multiple plans submits a separate determination letter application and Form 8717 for each plan.

The form is completed by the plan sponsor, which is the employer for a single-employer plan, and attached to its determination letter application. It is not a form individual taxpayers file.

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Questions about Form 8717

Is Form 8717 filed by itself?

No. The instructions say to attach Form 8717 to the determination letter application and include the user fee with it.

Where are the user fee amounts?

The June 2022 revision says specific amounts are no longer listed on the form. The instructions point to the IRS user fee page and Appendix A of Rev. Proc. 2022-4, or the latest annual update.

What does the small employer exemption cover?

The instructions say it applies to eligible employers requesting a determination letter within the first 5 plan years or, if later, by the end of a remedial amendment period that begins within the first 5 plan years. Such an employer completes only the certification.

Is Form 8717 used with Form 5300 or Form 5310?

Only when an additional payment for an insufficient user fee is needed, according to the instructions. Otherwise those applications and fees go through Pay.gov.

How is the fee paid on paper?

With a check or money order payable to "United States Treasury" for the full amount, attached to the left side of the form.

What if the fee is short?

The instructions say the application may be returned if the full amount is not included.