Solo 401k - can I have Roth and traditional with different plan numbers for the same business?

This is actually a pretty common issue with solo 401k setups. The traditional and Roth components should technically be part of the same plan, with the same plan number, even though they're separate accounts. Having different plan numbers could potentially cause confusion during IRS reporting. The good news is that this is easily fixable. Yes, contacting E-Trade to standardize the plan names and numbers is exactly what you should do. They deal with this regularly and can update one of the accounts to match the other. I'd recommend making the Roth match the traditional, since the traditional account is typically considered the "main" account. As for having the same names for both accounts, E-Trade's system should distinguish them by account type (Traditional vs. Roth), so that shouldn't be a problem in practice.

I went through something similar with my solo 401k last year. After trying to figure things out myself for weeks, I finally used this AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me sort through all my retirement account documentation. It analyzed my plan documents and confirmed that having different plan numbers could indeed create reporting issues. The tool spotted exactly where the discrepancies were in my paperwork and explained what needed to be standardized. It saved me hours of reading through IRS publications and trying to decipher the tax code myself. They also have specific experience with solo 401k setups for small business owners.

Just wanted to follow up about the taxr.ai recommendation. I was skeptical at first but decided to try it since my situation with multiple Solo 401k accounts was giving me a headache. Uploaded my E*TRADE statements and plan docs, and it immediately highlighted that my plan numbers needed to be harmonized. The analysis showed exactly what documents needed updating and even provided template language to use when contacting my provider. What impressed me was that it caught other issues I hadn't even considered - like contribution timing requirements specific to my business structure. Definitely saved me from potential headaches down the road!

If you're having trouble getting through to E-Trade's retirement specialists to fix this (they're always swamped), I highly recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was on hold with E-Trade for HOURS trying to get my Solo 401k plan numbers fixed before discovering this service. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, they call and wait on hold for you, then call you when a real person is on the line. I was able to get through to an E-Trade retirement specialist in about 30 minutes instead of the 2+ hours I was spending on hold. The specialist quickly updated my plan numbers to match across both my traditional and Roth accounts.

Ok I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After being super skeptical, I tried it today because I was dreading making that call to E-Trade. I've been procrastinating for weeks because last time I called their retirement department I was on hold for over an hour. Used the service this morning and got connected to an actual E-Trade retirement specialist in about 25 minutes without having to listen to their horrible hold music. The rep was able to update my plan numbers right away and confirmed that having them match is indeed the correct way to set up a Solo 401k with both traditional and Roth components. Problem solved in one call and I was able to get work done while they waited on hold instead of being stuck with my phone on speaker.

Just as a data point, I've had a Solo 401k with Vanguard for about 5 years now with both traditional and Roth components. They automatically set both up under the same plan number but with different account numbers. From what I understand, this is standard practice and the correct way to do it. The plan number is what identifies your retirement plan as a whole to the IRS, while the account numbers are just for the financial institution's internal tracking. Definitely get them matched up before you have to file any Form 5500 paperwork.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned this yet, but you might want to double check if your E-Trade solo 401k plan document actually allows for Roth contributions in the first place. Some off-the-shelf solo 401k plans don't include this option unless specifically elected. If your plan document doesn't include the Roth option but you've been making Roth contributions, that could be a bigger issue than just having different plan numbers.