Form 5500-EZ for a Fidelity, Schwab or Vanguard solo 401(k)
What each large solo 401(k) custodian gives you for Form 5500-EZ, what it does not do, and the one number you need from it.
Summary
Our answer: Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard hold the money; you, the plan sponsor, file Form 5500-EZ. Fidelity says plan administrators file it and publishes your Annual Valuation Statement by April 30. Schwab's page says to file when assets reach or exceed $250,000 or when you terminate, while the IRS test is total assets of all your one-participant plans above $250,000 on the last day of the plan year. Vanguard's Individual 401(k) moved to Ascensus in 2024, so your year-end statement now comes from Ascensus. For a calendar-year plan the return is due July 31, or October 15 with Form 5558; otherwise it is due the last day of the seventh month after the plan year ends, including a short final year.
Custodians do not file Form 5500-EZ for a solo 401(k); the owner files when all one-participant plans together hold more than $250,000 at plan year end, or in the final year.
| Who files | You, the plan sponsorFidelity: one-participant plan administrators must use Form 5500-EZ. |
|---|---|
| Fidelity number | Annual Valuation StatementMailed and published online by April 30 (Fidelity). |
| Schwab number | December 31 plan statementSchwab's page says to file at $250,000 or more; the IRS line is more than $250,000. |
| Vanguard | Now serviced by AscensusVanguard sold its Individual 401(k) business to Ascensus (announced April 2024). |
| Threshold | More than $250,000, all one-participant plans combinedIRS Instructions for Form 5500-EZ (2025). |
| Deadline, 2026 calendar plan year | July 31, 2027October 15, 2027 with Form 5558; other plan years: last day of the 7th month after year end. |
Our verdict
Do not wait for your custodian to remind you: none of them files for you. Pull the December 31 number in January, run the $250,000 test, and if you file, use the same statement for beginning and ending assets so the return reconciles year to year.
Which line comes from the statement
Plan assets at the beginning and end of the year (the December 31 values from consecutive statements), contributions received during the year, and distributions. Participant loans, if any, come from the loan schedule. Keep the statement PDF with the packet.
When the verdict changes
A common-law employee who qualifies for the plan, a controlled-group business, a plan that holds real estate or your business stock, or a missed prior year: those are TPA or CPA cases.
Common questions
Does Fidelity file Form 5500-EZ for my Self-Employed 401(k)?
No. Fidelity's Form 5500 guide says one-participant plan administrators use Form 5500-EZ and must file it with the IRS (or electronically through EFAST2). Fidelity sends the Annual Valuation Statement you use for the numbers.
My Schwab balance is exactly $250,000. Do I file?
Under the IRS instructions, no: the test is total assets above $250,000 at the end of the plan year. Schwab's page phrases it as reaching or exceeding $250,000, which is the cautious version. Filing when not required does no harm; failing to file when required costs $250 a day.
I have a Vanguard and a Fidelity solo 401(k). Do I add them?
Yes. The $250,000 test counts all one-participant plans of the same employer together. Two plans at $150,000 each means both file.
What plan number do I use?
The one on your plan documents, usually 001 for a first plan. Fidelity notes that the employer assigns the plan number. Use the same EIN and plan number every year.
Prepare the 5500-EZ packet from my statement
Enter the beginning and ending plan assets from your custodian statement; the wizard checks the $250,000 and final-year rules.
Open checkerRelated guides
Solo 401(k) $250,000 threshold for Form 5500-EZ
How the IRS $250,000 one-participant plan asset threshold works for Solo 401(k) Form 5500-EZ filing.
Solo 401(k) owner-only eligibility for Form 5500-EZ
The common-law employee question that decides whether a simple one-participant packet is still the right lane.
Which Solo 401(k) assets go on Form 5500-EZ?
How to organize beginning and ending plan assets before preparing an annual one-participant return.
Official sources for this guide
Last reviewed: .