New Reporting Requirement for the reporting of dividends on employer securities that are distributed from an ESOP:
The IRS issued Announcement 2008-56, which states that beginning with distributions in 2009, the reporting of dividends on employer securities that are distributed from an employee stock ownership plan under section 404(k) of the Code must be on a Form 1099-R that does not report any other distributions. Accordingly, if there are other distributions from the plan in such years that are not § 404(k) dividends, they must be reported on a separate Form 1099-R. It is anticipated that the instructions will require a special code in box 7 of the form to indicate the special tax treatment and rollover restrictions applicable to § 404(k) dividends. Payments of § 404(k) dividends made directly from the corporation to the plan participants or their beneficiaries are reported on Form 1099-DIV in accordance with the instructions to that form.