For employers sponsoring a 401(k)

Your first audit shouldn't be a surprise.

If your plan crossed 100 participants, an annual audit is now required. We give you a fixed price in under two minutes and finish the work in four to eight weeks. No hourly billing. No follow-up rounds. No scrambling.

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AICPA EBPAQC Member·Licensed CPA Firm·Peer-Reviewed

01The requirement

The DOL requires it. We make it manageable.

The trigger

120+ participants with balances

Plans with 120 or more participants with account balances at the start of the plan year file Schedule H. That triggers an annual independent audit under ERISA Section 103(a)(3)(C).

The deadline

Seven months from year-end

Form 5500 is due seven months after plan year end, extendable to nine and a half. Missing it carries DOL penalties up to $2,739 per day, with no maximum.

The risk

~40% of plan audits fail review

Roughly forty percent of plan audits fail DOL quality review. Choosing the wrong firm doesn't just cost time — it puts your filing at risk.

02How it works

Three steps. Four to eight weeks. One price.

Share your details

Plan size, year-end, structure. Get an instant proposal with your exact price — no sales call required.

Lock in your engagement

Fixed price. One comprehensive document request. A defined timeline you can plan the rest of your year around.

Relax while we work

Weekly status updates. 24-hour response time. Delivered on schedule, with the final report when promised.

03Pricing

Published prices. No surprises.

Plan sizeAudit fee
Under 500 participants$11,000
500–2,499 participants$13,000
2,500+ participantsCustom quote

04Why Pepper

The only firm built for plans like yours.

01

Fixed, transparent pricing

Quoted on plan complexity, not hours. You know the cost before we start — and it doesn't change.

02

One document request

Not five to ten rounds of follow-ups. One comprehensive list at kickoff, then we go.

03

24-hour response time

Questions answered fast. Status updates delivered without you asking for them.

04

4–8 week timeline

Predictable, on schedule, with weekly updates so there are no last-minute surprises.

05

ERISA specialists, day one

No ramp-up. We've structured the entire firm around plan audits, so every member of our team starts fluent.

05The difference

Traditional audit firms vs. Pepper.

Traditional firm Pepper
Document requests 5–10 rounds of follow-ups 1 comprehensive request
Response time Days to weeks Within 24 hours
Pricing model Hourly billing (unpredictable) Fixed price upfront
PEP experience Learning on your dime Day-one expertise
Timeline Uncertain, often delayed Predictable, on schedule

06Common questions

What employers usually ask first.

Plans with 120+ participants with balances on day one of the plan year file Schedule H and require an annual independent audit under ERISA Section 103(a)(3)(C). The "80–120 rule" can affect when the requirement first kicks in.
$11,000 for plans under 500 participants. $13,000 for 500–2,499. Plans over 2,500 receive a custom quote. Fixed fee, no hourly billing.
Most audits take 4–8 weeks from kickoff to final report, depending on plan size and complexity. We commit to a timeline at the start and stick to it.
One comprehensive document request at kickoff. Typical items: plan documents, trust statements, payroll records, participant census, contribution and distribution records. We tailor the list to your plan structure.
DOL penalties run up to $2,739 per day with no cap, plus IRS penalties up to $150,000 and an increased likelihood of further DOL or IRS examination. If you're already approaching a deadline, tell us — we can usually move fast.
Yes. We deliver remotely nationwide. Our PLLC and C-corp structure ensures full CPA compliance across jurisdictions.
Yes. We support DOL inquiries, EPCRS and VFCP corrections, and operational questions outside of the annual audit.

07Get started

Get your proposal in under two minutes.

Fixed pricing. No phone tag. No sales pitch.

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Or write to hello@pepperauditors.com