<PAGE>




                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

                           --------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            -------------------------

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 1, 2005

                          MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.
                 (ON BEHALF OF PREFERREDPLUS TRUST SERIES VER-1)
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

             DELAWARE             001-31409                    13-3891329
         (State or other        (Commission                (I. R. S. Employer
         jurisdiction of        File Number)               Identification No.)
          incorporation)

      WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER,                                     10080
        NEW YORK, NEW YORK                                     (Zip Code)
       (Address of principal
        executive offices)

                           --------------------------

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 449-1000

                      INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT


SECTION 1.        REGISTRANT'S BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 2.        FINANCIAL INFORMATION

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 3.        SECURITIES AND TRADING MARKETS

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 4.        MATTERS RELATED TO ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 5.        CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

                  Not applicable.
<PAGE>

SECTION 6.        ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 7.        REGULATION FD

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 8.        OTHER EVENTS

    ITEM 8.01         OTHER EVENTS

       99.1            Distribution to holders of the PreferredPLUS Trust
                       Certificates Series VER-1 on December 1, 2005.

                                For information with respect to the
                       underlying securities held by PreferredPLUS Trust Series
                       VER-1, please refer to Verizon Communications Inc.'s
                       (Commission file number 001-08606) periodic reports,
                       including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports
                       on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and other
                       information on file with the Securities and Exchange
                       Commission (the "SEC"). You can read and copy these
                       reports and other information at the public reference
                       facilities maintained by the SEC at Room 1580, 100 F
                       Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain
                       copies of this material for a fee by writing to the
                       SEC's Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F
                       Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain
                       information about the operation of the Public Reference
                       Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You can also
                       access some of this information electronically by means
                       of the SEC's website on the Internet at
                       http://www.sec.gov, which contains reports, proxy and
                       information statements and other information that the
                       underlying securities support provider has filed
                       electronically with the SEC.

                                Although we have no reason to believe the
                       information concerning the underlying securities, the
                       underlying securities issuer, the support agreement
                       or the underlying securities support provider
                       contained in the underlying securities support
                       provider's Exchange Act reports is not reliable,
                       neither the depositor nor the trustee participated in
                       the preparation of such documents or made any due
                       diligence inquiry with respect to the information
                       provided therein. No investigation with respect to
                       the underlying securities issuer or the underlying
                       securities support provider (including, without
                       limitation, no investigation as to their respective
                       financial condition or creditworthiness) or of the
                       underlying securities or the support agreement has
                       been made. You should obtain and evaluate the same
                       information concerning the underlying securities
                       issuer and the underlying securities support provider
                       as you would obtain and evaluate if you were
                       investing directly in the underlying securities or in
                       other securities issued by the underlying securities
                       issuer (or the underlying securities support
                       provider). There can be no assurance that events
                       affecting the underlying securities, the underlying
                       securities issuer, the support agreement or the
                       underlying support provider have not occurred or have
                       not yet been publicly disclosed which would affect
                       the accuracy or completeness of the publicly
                       available documents described above.

<PAGE>


SECTION 9.        FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

    ITEM 9.01         FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

         (a)      Financial statements of business acquired.

                  Not applicable.

         (b)      Pro forma financial information.

                  Not applicable.

         (c)      Shell company transactions.

                  Not applicable.

         (d)      Exhibits.

                    99.1    Trustee's report in respect of the December 1, 2005
                            distribution to holders of the PreferredPLUS Trust
                            Certificates Series VER-1.



                                   SIGNATURES

             Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
             1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
             on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.


                                   MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.

Date: December 8, 2005             By:    /s/ Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                           ------------------------------
                                   Name:  Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                   Title: President



<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


         99.1     Trustee's report in respect of the December 1, 2005
                  distribution to holders of the PreferredPLUS Trust Series
                  VER-1.
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

                           --------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            -------------------------

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 1, 2005

                          MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.
                 (ON BEHALF OF PREFERREDPLUS TRUST SERIES VER-1)
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

             DELAWARE             001-31409                    13-3891329
         (State or other        (Commission                (I. R. S. Employer
         jurisdiction of        File Number)               Identification No.)
          incorporation)

      WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER,                                     10080
        NEW YORK, NEW YORK                                     (Zip Code)
       (Address of principal
        executive offices)

                           --------------------------

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (212) 449-1000

                      INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT

SECTION 1.        REGISTRANT'S BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 2.        FINANCIAL INFORMATION

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 3.        SECURITIES AND TRADING MARKETS

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 4.        MATTERS RELATED TO ACCOUNTANTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 5.        CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

                  Not applicable.
SECTION 6.        ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 7.        REGULATION FD

                  Not applicable.

SECTION 8.        OTHER EVENTS

    ITEM 8.01         OTHER EVENTS

       99.1            Distribution to holders of the PreferredPLUS Trust
                       Certificates Series VER-1 on December 1, 2005.

                                For information with respect to the
                       underlying securities held by PreferredPLUS Trust Series
                       VER-1, please refer to Verizon Communications Inc.'s
                       (Commission file number 001-08606) periodic reports,
                       including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports
                       on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and other
                       information on file with the Securities and Exchange
                       Commission (the "SEC"). You can read and copy these
                       reports and other information at the public reference
                       facilities maintained by the SEC at Room 1580, 100 F
                       Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain
                       copies of this material for a fee by writing to the
                       SEC's Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F
                       Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain
                       information about the operation of the Public Reference
                       Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You can also
                       access some of this information electronically by means
                       of the SEC's website on the Internet at
                       http://www.sec.gov, which contains reports, proxy and
                       information statements and other information that the
                       underlying securities support provider has filed
                       electronically with the SEC.

                                Although we have no reason to believe the
                       information concerning the underlying securities, the
                       underlying securities issuer, the support agreement
                       or the underlying securities support provider
                       contained in the underlying securities support
                       provider's Exchange Act reports is not reliable,
                       neither the depositor nor the trustee participated in
                       the preparation of such documents or made any due
                       diligence inquiry with respect to the information
                       provided therein. No investigation with respect to
                       the underlying securities issuer or the underlying
                       securities support provider (including, without
                       limitation, no investigation as to their respective
                       financial condition or creditworthiness) or of the
                       underlying securities or the support agreement has
                       been made. You should obtain and evaluate the same
                       information concerning the underlying securities
                       issuer and the underlying securities support provider
                       as you would obtain and evaluate if you were
                       investing directly in the underlying securities or in
                       other securities issued by the underlying securities
                       issuer (or the underlying securities support
                       provider). There can be no assurance that events
                       affecting the underlying securities, the underlying
                       securities issuer, the support agreement or the
                       underlying support provider have not occurred or have
                       not yet been publicly disclosed which would affect
                       the accuracy or completeness of the publicly
                       available documents described above.
SECTION 9.        FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

    ITEM 9.01         FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

         (a)      Financial statements of business acquired.

                  Not applicable.

         (b)      Pro forma financial information.

                  Not applicable.

         (c)      Shell company transactions.

                  Not applicable.

         (d)      Exhibits.

                    99.1    Trustee's report in respect of the December 1, 2005
                            distribution to holders of the PreferredPLUS Trust
                            Certificates Series VER-1.

                                   SIGNATURES

             Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
             1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
             on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                   MERRILL LYNCH DEPOSITOR, INC.

Date: December 8, 2005             By:    /s/ Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                           ------------------------------
                                   Name:  Stephan Kuppenheimer
                                   Title: President
EXHIBIT INDEX

         99.1     Trustee's report in respect of the December 1, 2005
                  distribution to holders of the PreferredPLUS Trust Series
                  VER-1.