For solo and 2-3 person practices with profit

SEP vs Solo 401(k) vs SIMPLE on your actual profit.

A side-by-side comparison built for solo owners and 2-3 person practices. Match the plan to the business, not to the marketing.

Tax-aware retirement plan selection support. CPA-led, not investment management or product sales.

What's inside

SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, and defined benefit at a glance
Current 2026 contribution, catch-up, compensation, and SIMPLE limits
When one-participant eligibility, employees, catch-up, and Roth rules matter
A decision checklist for profit, payroll structure, employees, cash flow, and owner age
Setup and contribution deadlines that vary by plan and business facts
When a plan you already have is the wrong plan for the next phase

Send me the selector.

The right plan depends on three numbers, not on which one a brochure pushes.

Small-business retirement plans look similar from the outside and diverge fast in practice. The right one depends on three things: business profit, whether the owner has W-2 wages from the entity, and whether there are employees who would also have to be funded.

This selector is built for solo owners and small practices. It covers SEP IRA, one-participant 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, and when a defined benefit plan deserves professional modeling. It includes current 2026 limits and the questions that can change the result.

The role here is CPA-led planning support: tax-side analysis of the plan choice, coordination with payroll, and the year-end execution. It is not investment management, advisor commissions, or product sales.

Deadlines are plan- and fact-specific. A sole proprietor with no employees may have a limited post-year-end path to adopt a new 401(k), so verify current rules before assuming the opportunity is closed.

General information for small-business retirement plan selection. Not investment, legal, or insurance advice. Alex Sears CPA LLC provides tax and accounting support.