Internal Revenue Service
Revenue Ruling

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Rev. Rul. 2000-53

This revenue ruling provides tables of covered compensation under section 401(l)(5)(E) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") and the Income Tax Regulations, thereunder, for the 2001 plan year.

Section 401(l)(5)(E)(i) defines covered compensation with respect to an employee, as the average of the contribution and benefit bases in effect under section 230 of the Social Security Act (the "Act") for each year in the 35-year period ending with the year in which the employee attains social security retirement age.

Section 401(l)(5)(E)(ii) of the Code states that the determination for any year preceding the year in which the employee attains social security retirement age shall be made by assuming that there is no increase in covered compensation after the determination year and before the employee attains social security retirement age.

Section 1.401(l)-1(c)(34) defines the taxable wage base as the contribution and benefit base under section 230 of the Act.

Section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i) defines covered compensation for an employee as the average (without indexing) of the taxable wage bases in effect for each calendar year during the 35-year period ending with the last day of the calendar year in which the employee attains (or will attain) social security retirement age. A35-year period is used for all individuals regardless of the year of birth of the individual. In determining an employee's covered compensation for a plan year, the taxable wage base for all calendar years beginning after the first day of the plan year is assumed to be the same as the taxable wage base in effect as of the beginning of the plan year. An employee's covered compensation for a plan year beginning after the 35-year period applicable under section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i) is the employee's covered compensation for a plan year during which the 35- year period ends. An employee's covered compensation for a plan year beginning before the 35-year period applicable under section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i) is the taxable wage base in effect as of the beginning of the plan year.

Section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(ii) provides that, for purposes of determining the amount of an employee's covered compensation under section 1.401(l)-1(c)(7)(i), a plan may use tables, provided by the Commissioner, that are developed by rounding the actual amounts of covered compensation for different years of birth.

For purposes of determining covered compensation for the 2001 year the taxable wage base is $80,400.

The following tables provide covered compensation for 2001: 
                   2001 COVERED COMPENSATION TABLE
          CALENDAR       CALENDAR YEAR OF       2001 COVERED
          YEAR OF         SOCIALSECURITY        COMPENSATION
          BIRTH            RETIREMENTAGE          TABLE II
          1907                 1972                $4,488
          1908                 1973                 4,704
          1909                 1974                 5,004
          1910                 1975                 5,316
          1911                 1976                 5,664
          1912                 1977                 6,060
          1913                 1978                 6,480
          1914                 1979                 7,044
          1915                 1980                 7,692
          1916                 1981                 8,460
          1917                 1982                 9,300
          1918                 1983                10,236
          1919                 1984                11,232
          1920                 1985                12,276
          1921                 1986                13,368
          1922                 1987                14,520
          1923                 1988                15,708
          1924                 1989                16,968
          1925                 1990                18,312
          1926                 1991                19,728
          1927                 1992                21,192
          1928                 1993                22,716
          1929                 1994                24,312
          1930                 1995                25,920
         CALENDAR       CALENDAR YEAR OF       2001 COVERED
         YEAR OF         SOCIALSECURITY        COMPENSATION
         BIRTH           RETIREMENTAGE           TABLE II
         1931                  1996                27,576
         1932                  1997                29,304
         1933                  1998                31,128
         1934                  1999                33,060
         1935                  2000                35,100
         1936                  2001                37,212
         1937                  2002                39,312
         1938                  2004                43,464
         1939                  2005                45,540
         1940                  2006                47,616
         1941                  2007                49,656
         1942                  2008                51,648
         1943                  2009                53,568
         1944                  2010                55,452
         1945                  2011                57,312
         1946                  2012                59,148
         1947                  2013                60,936
         1948                  2014                62,580
         1949                  2015                64,140
         1950                  2016                65,580
         1951                  2017                66,960
         1952                  2018                68,232
         1953                  2019                69,444
         1954                  2020                70,620
         1955                  2022                72,756
         1956                  2023                73,764
         1957                  2024                74,700
         1958                  2025                75,528
         1959                  2026                76,296
         1960                  2027                77,004
         1961                  2028                77,664
         1962                  2029                78,228
         1963                  2030                78,780
         1964                  2031                79,284
         1965                  2032                79,704
         1966                  2033                80,052
         1967                  2034                80,280
         1968 or later         2035                80,400
               2001 ROUNDED COVERED COMPENSATION TABLE
                                     COVERED
              YEAR OF BIRTH       COMPENSATION
                   1934             $33,000
               1935 - 1936           36,000
                   1937              39,000
                   1938              42,000
                   1939              45,000
                   1940              48,000
               1941 - 1942           51,000
               1943 - 1944           54,000
                   1945              57,000
               1946 - 1947           60,000
               1948 - 1949           63,000
               1950 - 1951           66,000
               1952 - 1953           69,000
               1954 - 1955           72,000
               1956 - 1959           75,000
               1960 - 1963           78,000
               1964 or later         80,400

Drafting Information

The principal author of this revenue ruling is Todd Newman of Employee Plans Actuarial Group 1 of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. For further information regarding this revenue ruling, call (202) 622-6076 between 2:30 and 3:30 Eastern time (not a toll free number) Monday thru Thursday. Mr. Newman's number is (202) 622-8458 (also not a toll free number).