of all Plan loans during the previous 12 months over the current outstanding balance of Plan loans. When determining the maximum loan amount available under the Plan, outstanding loan balances under any subsidiary and affiliate Microsoft retirement plans are considered in conjunction with the Plan. Participants are limited to two loans – one Primary Residence Loan and one General Loan. The term of a Primary Residence Loan may not exceed 15 years (or 30 years for certain acquired legacy loans) or be less than 12 months. The term of a General Loan may not exceed five years (or 15 years for certain acquired legacy loans) or be less than 12 months.
The interest rate for participant loans is one percent plus the prime rate on corporate loans. The range of interest rates for outstanding Primary Residence Loans as of December 31, 2022 was 3.25 percent to 9.00 percent, maturing at various dates through October 2046. The range of interest rates for outstanding General Loans as of December 31, 2022 was 4.25 percent to 8.00 percent, maturing at various dates through January 2028.
Loan repayments are made through after-tax payroll deductions. Terminated employees generally have 60 days to elect to continue to make loan repayments or pay off the loan in full. Failure of the terminated employee to establish a loan repayment schedule or pay off the loan in full during this 60-day window generally results in a default of the loan, which is taxable income to the participant, with a possible 10 percent early withdrawal penalty. Terminated employees who roll over their Plan account balance to an individual retirement account (“IRA”), Roth IRA, or other employer plan during this 60-day window may avoid such taxable income and 10 percent early withdrawal penalty if they pay off the outstanding loan balance to the rollover recipient IRA custodian or employer plan by the due date (including extensions) for filing their federal income tax return for the year in which the rollover occurred.
NOTE 5 — TAX STATUS
The IRS has determined and informed the Plan, by a letter dated October 7, 2022, that the Plan is qualified as a tax-exempt plan under the appropriate sections of the IRC. The determination letter covered Plan amendments adopted from December 19, 2013 through December 15, 2021, and the trust agreement with Fidelity adopted on July 19, 2013. The Plan has been amended since the last date that was covered by the determination letter; however, the Plan Administrator believes that the Plan is currently designed and operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the IRC. Therefore, the Plan is tax-exempt as of the financial statement date and no provision for income taxes has been recorded in the financial statements.
NOTE 6 — PARTY-IN-INTEREST TRANSACTIONS
Exempt Party-In-Interest Transactions
Plan investments include common collective trusts that are managed by affiliates of Fidelity; therefore, these transactions qualify as party-in-interest transactions. Fees paid for investment management services were included as a reduction of the return earned on each fund.
Transactions in Microsoft Common Stock also qualify as party-in-interest transactions. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Plan held 13,644,825 shares of Microsoft Common Stock valued at $3,272,302,023 and 14,170,678 shares of Microsoft Common Stock valued at $4,765,882,486, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Plan recorded Microsoft Common Stock dividend income of $35,283,580 and $33,517,903, respectively.
Participant loans, which are secured by the vested balances in the participants’ accounts, also qualify as party-in-interest transactions.
Nonexempt Party-In-Interest Transactions
There were two instances in 2022 when the Plan, due to administrative errors, remitted some participants’ contributions to Fidelity later than required under Department of Labor Regulation Sec. 2510.3-102. Both late remittances were promptly discovered, funded, and self-corrected, and will be timely reported on IRS Form 5330, with payment of applicable excise taxes. The impacted participant accounts were credited by an amount representing investment income that would have been earned had the participant contributions been remitted on a timely basis. The aggregate amount of late contributions in 2022 totaled $209,867, of which $173,583 were remediated in 2022 and $36,284 were remediated in 2023, resulting in credits to participant accounts of $27 in 2023. There were no late contributions in 2021.
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