§ 4208.8 Multiple partial withdrawals in one plan year.

(a) General rule. If an employer partially withdraws from the same multiemployer plan on two or more occasions during the same plan year, the rules of § 4208.4 shall be applied as modified by this section.

(b) Partial withdrawals under section 4205 (a)(1) and (a)(2) in the same plan year. If an employer partially withdraws from the same multiemployer plan as a result of a 70-percent contribution decline and a partial cessation of the employer's contribution obligation in the same plan year, the employer shall not be eligible for abatement under § 4208.4 (b) or (c)(2) or under paragraph (c) of this section. The employer may qualify for abatement under § 4208.4(a) and (c)(1) and under any rules adopted by the plan pursuant to § 4208.9.

(c) Multiple partial cessations of the employer's contribution obligation. If an employer permanently ceases to have an obligation to contribute for more than one facility, under more than one collective bargaining agreement, or for one or more facilities and under one or more collective bargaining agreements, resulting in multiple partial withdrawals under section 4205(b)(2)(A) in the same plan year, the abatement rules in § 4208.4(b) shall be applied as modified by this paragraph. If an employer resumes work at all such facilities and under all such collective bargaining agreements, the determination of whether the employer qualifies for elimination of its liability under § 4208.4(b) shall be made by substituting the test set forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this section for that prescribed by § 4208.4 (b)(1)(ii) or (b)(2)(ii), as applicable. If the employer resumes work at or under fewer than all the facilities or collective bargaining agreements described in this paragraph, the employer cannot qualify for elimination of its liability under § 4208.4(b). However, the employer may qualify for a reduction in its partial withdrawal liability pursuant to paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(1) Resumption of work at all facilities and under all bargaining agreements. The test under this paragraph is satisfied if for each of the two consecutive plan years referred to in § 4208.4(b), the employer's total contribution base units for the facilities and under the collective bargaining agreements with respect to which the employer incurred the multiple partial withdrawals exceed 30 percent of the total number of contribution base units with respect to which the employer had an obligation to contribute for those facilities and under those agreements for the base year (as defined in paragraph (d) of this section).

(2) Resumption at fewer than all facilities or under fewer than all bargaining agreements. If the employer satisfies the conditions in § 4208.4 (b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(iii) and paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section, or the conditions in § 4208.4 (b)(2)(i) and (b)(2)(iii) and paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, as applicable, the employer's withdrawal liability shall be partially waived as set forth in paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this section.

(i) With respect to a resumption of work under § 4208.4(b)(1), the condition under this paragraph is satisfied if, for the two consecutive plan years referred to in § 4208.4(b)(1), the employer's contribution base units for any reentered facility or agreement exceed 30 percent of the number of contribution base units with respect to which the employer had an obligation to contribute for that facility or under that agreement for the base year (as defined in paragraph (d) of this section).

(ii) With respect to a resumption of work under § 4208.4(b)(2), the condition under this paragraph is satisfied if, for the two consecutive plan years referred to in § 4208.4(b)(2), the employer's contribution base units for any reentered facility or agreement exceed 90 percent of the number of contribution base units with respect to which the employer had an obligation to contribute for that facility or under that agreement for the base year (as defined in paragraph (d) of this section).

(iii) The employer's reduced withdrawal liability and, if any, the reduced annual payments of the liability shall be determined by adding the average number of contribution base units that the employer is required to contribute for those two consecutive years for that facility(ies) or agreement(s) to the numerator of the fraction described in section 4206(a)(2)(A) of ERISA. The amount of any remaining partial withdrawal liability shall be paid over the schedule originally established starting with the first payment due after the revised payment schedule is issued under § 4208.3(c)(4).

(d) Base year. For purposes of this section, the base year contribution base units for a reentered facility(ies) or under a reentered agreement(s) are the average number of contribution base units for the facility(ies) or under the agreement(s) for the two plan years for which the employer's contribution base units for that facility(ies) or under that agreement(s) were highest within the five plan years immediately preceding the partial withdrawal.