Hotels, motels, restaurants and seasonal businesses in Frederick must comply with MarylandSaves if they meet the 1+ employees (any payroll employer; no minimum headcount) threshold — or offer a qualifying plan. Participating employers get the $300 annual state report filing fee WAIVED.
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Informational only, not legal or tax advice.
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MarylandSaves covers Maryland employers with 1+ employees (any payroll employer; no minimum headcount) that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. Counting rule: No numeric threshold: any Maryland employer that pays employees through a payroll system or service. Must have been in business throughout the current and preceding calendar year.
Participating employers get the $300 annual state report filing fee WAIVED. No monetary non-compliance penalty. Employers must still register or certify an exemption.
Upcoming: 2027 fee-waiver claim by 2026-12-31. Newly eligible employers: no statutory date.
Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. §§12-101, 12-402; Corps. & Ass'ns §1-203(b)(13) · Official program: www.marylandsaves.org · Verified 2026-09-17.
Yes, if the business meets the threshold. MarylandSaves applies to Maryland employers with 1+ employees (any payroll employer; no minimum headcount) that do not offer a qualifying plan. Hotels, motels, B&Bs and restaurants in Frederick follow the same rules as any other employer — seasonal operation does not exempt you.
Not automatically. Coverage depends on how Maryland counts employees: No numeric threshold: any Maryland employer that pays employees through a payroll system or service. Must have been in business throughout the current and preceding calendar year. Seasonal employers can also satisfy the mandate with a SIMPLE IRA or 401(k), which may exclude employees who work fewer than 1,000 hours a year.
Yes. Exempt if the employer offers, or offered in the preceding two years, an IRA, defined-benefit plan, 401(k), SEP or SIMPLE; to claim the fee waiver a non-participant must file the form every year. A private plan also gives you a real recruiting benefit for seasonal and year-round staff.
Yes. SECURE 2.0 Act tax credits are available to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees that start a new qualifying retirement plan (the full startup credit applies at 50 or fewer employees; it phases down from 51–100). Credits of up to $5,000/year for 3 years, plus up to $1,000 per employee in employer-contribution credits (phasing down over five years), are available regardless of whether your business is seasonal.
Upcoming: 2027 fee-waiver claim by 2026-12-31. Newly eligible employers: no statutory date. Penalty: Participating employers get the $300 annual state report filing fee WAIVED. No monetary non-compliance penalty. Employers must still register or certify an exemption. Contact Kandelaki Solutions for a free compliance audit.
Book a free 15-minute compliance audit. We'll show your exact requirement, your real exposure, and whether your own plan saves you money.