Skip to main content
Level 4
November 11, 2025
Question

Partnership Solo 401k contributions

  • November 11, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 13 views

A partnership with two partners making self-employment income and no employees sets up a solo 401k plan for its partners.  In year 1, one partner decides to contribute 5,000 to the 401k as an employee deferral.  How is this $5k entered in Lacerte?  I have tried entering it in screen 22.1 Other Deductions to show up as Box 13R, then going to screen 29 to do the allocation to the one partner.  But this seems to create an expense on the M1, reducing line 1 of the M-1 which throws off the partner capital account in the balance sheet.  Since it's an employee deferral and not an employer contribution, it shouldn't affect the equity (i.e. the partner uses his partnership distribution to fund the 401k).   What am I missing?

1 reply

George4Tacks
Level 15
November 12, 2025

It is a distribution that is deferred. Two entries. 

Answers are easy. Questions are hard!
JimS_1Author
Level 4
November 13, 2025

Thank you for the response, but I don't understand how the distribution is deferred.  Can you explain further and what two entries I have to make?   Does the employee contribution show up in Box 13R?  I'm sorry I have to bother you to explain further.

George4Tacks
Level 15
November 13, 2025

The $5,000 is also a distribution  (or guarantee payment) to the partner, as well as a deferral Box 13R as you entered. The distribution should then make your balance sheet back to where it should be. 

It has been a while since I have actually done this on a return, but this is my recall of the procedure. 

Answers are easy. Questions are hard!