To fill out a 403(b) salary reduction agreement, enter your identifying information, choose a dollar amount or percentage of pay to defer, set a future effective date, mark whether the money goes into a pre-tax or Roth account, list your approved investment vendor and account number, sign it, and return it to your payroll or benefits office at least one pay period before you want deductions to start. The form authorizes your employer to route part of each paycheck into your 403(b) through payroll, and it stays in force until you submit a new one.
What to Have on Hand Before You Start
Missing information is the most common reason payroll offices send these forms back. Pull the following together first:
- Your Social Security number, used to tie contributions to the right tax and retirement records.
- Your employee ID or personnel number, usually printed on your pay stub or badge.
- The plan type you’re electing. Public school and nonprofit employees typically use 403(b) plans; some employers also offer a Roth 403(b), and state or local government workers may have a separate 457(b).1Internal Revenue Service. IRC 403(b) Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans
- Your investment vendor’s name and account number. Your employer will only send money to vendors on its approved list, so if you don’t already have an account with one of them, open it before filling out the SRA.
Blank SRA forms usually live on your employer’s HR page or benefits portal. Third-party plan administrators such as TIAA, Fidelity, or OMNI also host downloadable versions. If more than one version circulates, ask HR which one your employer actually processes; submitting the wrong form causes delays.
Filling In Each Field
Forms vary by employer, but the decisions they ask you to make are nearly identical.
Contribution Amount
You’ll pick either a flat dollar amount per pay period or a percentage of your gross pay. A percentage adjusts automatically when your salary changes; a fixed dollar amount stays the same until you file a new agreement. Percentage elections are calculated against gross pay before other withholdings.
Effective Date
Enter a date that falls on or after a future payroll cycle. Payroll offices need lead time to set up the withholding, and many employers require the form at least one full pay period in advance; some specify 30 days.2First Financial Administrators, Inc. 403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement A blank effective date or one that has already passed will send the form back to you.
Pre-Tax or Roth Designation
If your plan offers both, mark whether each contribution goes into a traditional pre-tax account or a Roth account. Pre-tax contributions lower your taxable income now. Roth contributions come out of after-tax pay, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.3Internal Revenue Service. Roth Comparison Chart Some plans let you split contributions between both.
Vendor Allocation
If your plan allows more than one approved vendor, the form may ask what portion of each contribution goes where. Check the vendor name and account number carefully. A single transposed digit can send your money into limbo.
Signature
Signing makes the agreement legally binding and irrevocable for wages already earned while it’s in effect.4Independent School District 6026. Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) Form Some employers require a second signature from HR or the plan administrator. Read the fine print above the signature line; it usually spells out how you change or cancel the election later.
Choosing an Amount That Fits the 2026 Limits
Federal law caps how much you can defer through salary reduction each year. For 2026, the basic elective deferral limit is $24,500, and that ceiling applies across all your 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457(b) plans combined rather than per plan.5Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) Limit Increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA Limit Increases to $7,500
Older workers get additional room:
- At age 50 and older, an extra $8,000 catch-up, for a total possible deferral of $32,500.5Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) Limit Increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA Limit Increases to $7,500
- At ages 60 through 63, a higher catch-up of $11,250 instead of $8,000, for a total ceiling of $35,750. This higher catch-up was created by the SECURE 2.0 Act and took effect in 2025.5Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) Limit Increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA Limit Increases to $7,500
Some 403(b) plans offer an additional catch-up for employees with at least 15 years of service with the same qualifying employer, worth up to $3,000 per year and $15,000 over a lifetime.6Internal Revenue Service. Retirement Topics – 403(b) Contribution Limits The calculation compares years of service against your total prior deferrals to the same employer’s plans, and the math trips people up. Ask your plan administrator to run the numbers before you write a higher amount on the SRA.
The New Roth Rule for High Earners
Starting with the 2026 tax year, if your FICA-taxable wages from the plan sponsor were $150,000 or more in 2025, any catch-up contributions must go into a designated Roth account. Below that threshold, catch-ups can still be pre-tax. When you fill in the pre-tax and Roth boxes on your SRA, make sure your catch-up portion is coded correctly. The wrong box creates a compliance headache for both you and your employer.
Where to Send the Form and When Contributions Start
Once every field is filled in and signed, submit it through the channel your employer specifies:
- An online benefits portal, in which case click through every confirmation screen until you see a submission receipt. Closing the browser early can leave the form in draft status.
- Email to a dedicated payroll or benefits address, with the signed form attached as a scanned PDF. Save the sent email as proof.
- Paper delivery to HR, either hand-carried or by certified mail. Keep a photocopy.
Large school districts and hospital systems often split benefits administration across multiple departments, and forms sent to the wrong office quietly stall. Confirm the recipient before you submit.
After payroll receives the SRA, the new deduction usually appears within one to two pay cycles, depending on where your effective date falls in the payroll calendar. Check your next few pay stubs for a line item showing the contribution amount and the plan it’s routed to, and verify a matching deposit hit your retirement account. Catching an error early, such as a $50 deduction when you elected $500, prevents it from compounding. Contact payroll right away if the numbers don’t line up.
Changing, Stopping, or Correcting the Election Later
The SRA is irrevocable for wages already earned under it, but you can change or terminate it for future pay periods by submitting a new form.4Independent School District 6026. Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) Form Some employers require 30 days’ written notice; others process changes on the next available pay cycle.2First Financial Administrators, Inc. 403(b) Salary Reduction Agreement A few plans only allow changes during specific enrollment windows. Ask your benefits coordinator which rule applies before you count on a mid-year adjustment. Telling a supervisor or calling payroll isn’t enough at most organizations; the written form controls the deduction.
If you contribute to more than one employer’s plan in the same year, it’s possible to exceed the $24,500 limit without either employer noticing, and the IRS treats the overage as taxable income in the year you contributed it.7Internal Revenue Service. Consequences to a Participant Who Makes Excess Annual Salary Deferrals To fix it, notify your plan administrator and request a corrective distribution of the excess plus any earnings by April 15 of the following year. For excess deferrals made during 2026, that deadline is April 15, 2027.8Internal Revenue Service. Retirement Topics – 401(k) and Profit-Sharing Plan Contribution Limits Miss that date and the excess is taxed twice: once in the year of contribution and again when it eventually leaves the plan.