Benefits compliance rarely makes headlines — until a missed deadline turns into a penalty notice. The good news is that nearly every major filing follows a predictable annual rhythm. Mapping those dates now means fewer fire drills later.
The filings that carry the biggest penalties
Not all deadlines are created equal. A handful carry per-employee, per-day penalties that add up quickly for even a mid-sized employer.
- ACA Forms 1094-C / 1095-C — furnish to employees and file with the IRS on the standard early-year cadence.
- Form 5500 — due the last day of the seventh month after your plan year ends (with a common July 31 date for calendar-year plans).
- Medicare Part D creditable-coverage notices — before the October 15 enrollment window.
- Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) — distributed with open-enrollment materials.
Build the calendar backward from open enrollment
Open enrollment is the anchor for most of your compliance year. Working backward from it — notices, SBCs, non-discrimination testing — keeps requirements from stacking up in the same two weeks.
The employers who stay ahead of compliance treat it as a year-round operating rhythm, not a fourth-quarter scramble.
Want the fully mapped version? Our 2026 Benefits Compliance Calendar lays out every key date month by month — download it free from our homepage.
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