Correcting 409A Failures

Interesting/Contraversial Article Regarding Correcting Failures and Mistakes

"In Part Two, we explore how to correct failures
when the notice’s program is unavailable. We suspect
these will be legion. The IRS might not think that
correction outside the notice is permitted. If this is
their view, we do not agree. The IRS’s narrow view
appears based on the notice’s underlying and, we
believe, mistaken theory of section 409A. We set forth
a better view of section 409A, one more consistent
with the statute and regulations, and based on traditional
concepts of income receipt. On the basis of this
preferred view, we explore how 409A operational
failures might be corrected using rescission doctrine,
the longstanding rule of Couch v. Commissioner, and
other theories of income receipt derived from the case
law. The difference between these two opposing theories
of section 409A will underlie this and no doubt
other disputes about section 409A compliance and
administration for years to come."

Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Executive Pay

"The Supreme Court will hear the case this fall, as anger over huge bonuses paid to the executives of failing companies continues to grow. The case, Jones v. Harris Associates, may turn out to be the court’s first significant statement on the corporate culture that helped lead to the Great Recession."
Link

"Ignorning 409A" Chosen Top "Classic and Costly" Mistake for Start-ups

"The introduction of this element of 409A has dramatically changed the practices of private start up company boards who historically had priced options using their business judgment and some simple rules of thumb based on discounts from the most recent preferred stock price."

LINK