If your business has 5 or more employees in Rhode Island and offers no qualified retirement plan, RISavers requires you to register or certify an exemption. Upcoming deadlines: 50–99 employees by October 15, 2027; 5–49 employees by October 15, 2028.
Set your headcount for your real exposure — data verified against the statute.
Informational only, not legal or tax advice.
Get your full breakdown + a private-plan savings estimate:
RISavers covers Rhode Island employers with 5+ employees that do not offer a qualifying retirement plan. Counting rule: Average number of eligible employees (18+, employed 120+ days) in the previous calendar year, as reported on Form TX-17. No years-in-business requirement.
Up to $250 per eligible employee per year. Not assessed before October 15, 2026. The program has launched; enforcement has not begun.
If your group's date has passed and you have not registered, register or certify an exemption now.
R.I. Gen. Laws §§35-23-2, 35-23-9, 35-23-15; 120-RICR-00-00-6. Official program: RISavers official site. Verified September 17, 2026.
You must take part if your business has 5 or more employees in Rhode Island and you do not offer a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or SIMPLE IRA. The section above explains exactly how Rhode Island counts your employees.
The next date to know is October 15, 2027: 50–99 employees. Earlier groups' dates have already passed; if yours is one of them, act now.
You could owe up to $250 a year for each eligible employee. Enforcement has not started yet.
Offer your own qualified retirement plan and certify it with RISavers. What counts in Rhode Island: a DB plan, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), SEP, SIMPLE or auto-enrollment payroll IRA; certify with the Access Code.
RISavers spares you from running a plan, but it allows no employer match and caps each saver at the IRA limit ($7,500 for 2026). A 401(k) allows up to $24,500 per employee for 2026, lets you add a match, and credits can offset much of the startup cost for eligible employers.
Book a free 15-minute compliance audit. We'll show your exact requirement, your real exposure, and whether your own plan saves you money.