SECURE 2.0 automation at the point of intake.
SECURE 2.0 added checks that have to run every payroll cycle. Here is how KinetiPlan places them on the census and payroll upload, what works in the pilot build today and what is proposed.
SECURE 2.0 turned plan rules into payroll-cycle checks.
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 changed a long list of retirement plan rules on staggered effective dates. For a TPA the hardest changes are not the ones that need a plan amendment once; they are the ones that need a check every payroll cycle or every year: who must make catch-ups as Roth, who qualifies for the higher age 60 to 63 catch-up, which part-time employees have become eligible, and whether a new plan is running automatic enrollment.
KinetiPlan's approach is to put these checks where the data arrives: on the census and on each payroll upload. Below is an honest status of each item. For the rules themselves, read SECURE 2.0: what independent TPAs need to know.
What KinetiPlan supports today and what is proposed
| SECURE 2.0 item | What a TPA has to check | KinetiPlan status |
|---|---|---|
| Higher catch-up for ages 60 to 63 (sec. 109) | Participant age in the calendar year and the higher limit applied | Proposed Age is on every census row; a limit rule is proposed for pilot scope |
| Mandatory Roth catch-up above the wage threshold (sec. 603) | Prior-year FICA wages from the employer, Roth availability, pre-tax catch-ups flagged | Proposed Prior-year wage field and payroll rule proposed for pilot scope |
| Long-term part-time employees (sec. 125) | Hours per year tracked to find employees with two consecutive years of 500 or more hours | Proposed Hours are captured on the census; a multi-year LTPT rule is proposed |
| Automatic enrollment for new plans (sec. 101) | Whether a plan established after December 29, 2022 must auto-enroll, and at what rate | Proposed Plan-level attribute and notice deadline proposed |
| Small employer startup and contribution credits (sec. 102) | Credit estimates for sponsors of new plans | Free tool SECURE 2.0 credit calculator |
| Updated limits each year | 402(g), 415(c), catch-up and HCE thresholds by year | Pilot build 402(g) and 415(c) checks; 2026 figures published on our limits page |
| Deadlines driven by new rules | Notices and corrections dated per plan | Pilot build Per-plan compliance calendar |
Rules at intake, not clean-up at year end.
Capture the right data on the census
Date of birth, hours and, for the Roth catch-up rule, the prior-year FICA wages paid by the employer. A census missing these fields is flagged at upload.
Check each payroll file before it posts
Payroll intake already validates every row against the plan census. SECURE 2.0 rules are proposed as additional rules in the same step, for example flagging a pre-tax catch-up for a participant above the Roth wage threshold.
Send exceptions to a person
Flags go to the exception queue with the reason. Staff decide the correction and record why.
Estimate SECURE 2.0 small employer credits.
The free SECURE 2.0 small employer tax credit calculator estimates the Section 45E startup cost credit, the employer contribution credit and the Section 45T automatic enrollment credit from employee counts and costs. It is useful in sponsor conversations about starting a plan. It is an estimate only, not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does KinetiPlan automatically enforce the Roth catch-up rule?
Not yet. The rule is proposed for pilot scope: a prior-year FICA wage field on the census and a payroll rule that flags pre-tax catch-ups for affected participants for staff review.
Does KinetiPlan track long-term part-time employees?
Hours are captured on each census row today. A rule that tracks consecutive years of 500 or more hours is proposed for pilot scope.
Is KinetiPlan's SECURE 2.0 content legal advice?
No. It is general information for plan professionals. Confirm how each provision applies to a plan with its document and counsel.
Related tools and guides
Show us your SECURE 2.0 checklist.
Bring the provisions your plans are working through and we will show where each check would sit in KinetiPlan, and what a pilot would need to prove.