States · California
California plans that need their first audit
341 retirement plans sponsored by California employers filed Form 5500-SF for 2025 and ended the year with 121 or more participants with account balances. Under the 80-120 rule they start 2026 above the large-plan threshold, so plan year 2026 is generally their first audited year. That ranks California number 1 of 53 states and territories on the current forecast list.
Download the free California sample (PDF)Five forecast plans with sponsor names, the state count and auditor market shares. No sign-up.
341California plans on the forecast list (332 are 401(k) plans)
765California plans at 100-120 participants on the watch list
140median participants with balances at the end of 2025
$3.3mmedian net plan assets at the end of 2025
Industries
Who sponsors these plans
Industry of the plan sponsor (NAICS sector) for the 341 forecast plans in California.
| Industry | Plans | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Professional services | 79 | 23% |
| Health care | 46 | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 45 | 13% |
| Information | 24 | 7% |
| Retail | 22 | 6% |
| Transportation | 19 | 6% |
Where
Cities with several plans
San Francisco (41), Los Angeles (21), San Diego (15), Irvine (9), Sacramento (8), Redwood City (6), Santa Clara (6), Fresno (6).
Already audited
New large plans
14 California plans filed their first Form 5500 in the last season directly as large plans with an auditor's report. They show which firms win new plans from the start.
Auditor market
Who audits employee benefit plans in California today
763 audit firms signed 8,380 audits of California plans in the last complete filing year (Schedule H, plan year 2024). The largest by number of plan audits:
| Audit firm | Plan audits | Share in California |
|---|---|---|
| Baker Tilly US, LLP | 924 | 11.0% |
| Pension Assurance LLP | 582 | 7.0% |
| Miller Kaplan Arase LLP | 380 | 4.5% |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | 321 | 3.8% |
| Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP | 271 | 3.2% |
| Withumsmith+brown, PC | 265 | 3.2% |
| Armanino LLP | 184 | 2.2% |
| Lee CPA Audit Group | 180 | 2.1% |
Counted from the accountant firm name and EIN on Schedule H. Firms that merged during the year can appear under the old name.
Timing
Deadlines for the California plans on the list
For calendar-year plans the first audited Form 5500 (plan year 2026) is due on 31 July 2027, or 15 October 2027 with a Form 5558 extension. Most sponsors engage their auditor after the plan year closes, so the window to introduce your firm is now through early 2027. How the audit requirement works.
The full California list includes every forecast plan with sponsor, EIN, plan number, city, industry, participant trend, net assets and deadlines, plus the watch list and monthly updates. $290 per year for one state at the founding price, $990 nationwide, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. See pricing.
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