Is Esop A Qualified Retirement Plan? 
An Employee Stock Ownership Plan is a qualified employee retirement plan designed to invest in stock of the company . An ESOP is a `` qualified '' plan , so it has to the regulations and requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 -LRB- IRC -RRB- and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 -LRB- ERISA -RRB- . 