On February 26, 2020, the IRS published proposed regulations implementing changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) regarding the elimination of deductions for entertainment and the limitation on food and beverage expenses. The regulations largely track prior IRS guidance, Notice 2018-76, on these issues.
Articles Discussing General Topics In Employee Benefits.
Lawmakers Secure Signatures on the SECURE Act
In late December 2019, President Trump signed appropriations bill H.R. 1865, which includes tax and retirement plan provisions from the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act, the Act). Most observers felt that the Act had little chance to pass in 2019, but it was attached to a must-pass appropriations bill, which did the trick. A summary of the major changes and a table with effective dates follow.
Health Plan Sponsors – Have You Updated Your Vendor Agreements for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Confidentiality Regulations?
Employers that sponsor group health plans (medical, dental, vision, HFSA) are used to negotiating detailed administrative services agreements with vendors that provide services to those plans. Many also are familiar with “business associate agreements” required under HIPAA that must be in place with certain vendors, such as third-party claims administrators (TPAs), wellness program vendors, benefits brokers, etc. However, many plan sponsors may not be aware of a contract requirement with respect to the confidentiality of patient records relating to a substance use disorder (SUD). If applicable, these contract provisions must be in place by February 2, 2020.
The SECURE Act, at Last
On December 19, 2019, the Senate passed, as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020 (Public Law No. 116-94), the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act (Division O pg. H.R. 1865-604). It is touted as the most significant retirement act since the Pension Protection Act of 2006. President Trump signed the bill December 20, 2019.
Employee Benefits for Employers – Winter 2019
Has DOL Put Final Nail In Coffin of ‘Substantial Compliance’ Doctrine for Disability Claims?
Professional Tax Preparers – You Need A Written Information Security Plan, Says the IRS and FTC
Tax season soon will soon be upon us and many not-so-eager taxpayers will share sensitive personal information about themselves, their dependents, their employees, and others with their trusted professional tax preparers for processing.
The IRS Doesn’t Disappoint…Again
As imagined by plan sponsors of closed defined benefit pension plans, the IRS issued Notice 201-49, the fifth extension for an additional year of the temporary nondiscrimination relief for “closed” defined benefit pension plans originally announced by the IRS during 2014. The extended relief applies to plan years beginning before 2021 for those “closed” plans that satisfy certain conditions in Notice 2014-5. The relief for “closed” defined benefit plans refers to those defined benefit plans amended prior to December 13, 2013, to limit ongoing accruals to some or all employed participants in the plan as of a particular date, thus no longer admitting new participants into the plan.
Beginning in 2020, Employers May Reimburse Health Insurance Premiums as an Alternative to a Traditional Group Health Plan (Subject to Several Requirements)
Many employers have contacted us over the years asking whether they may offer an “employer–payment plan” rather than offer a traditional group health insurance plan. An employer-payment plan is a type of account-based plan that provides an employee reimbursement for all or a portion of the premium expense for individual health insurance coverage or other non-employer hospital or medical insurance.
Required Minimum Distributions
The aging of the baby boomer generation has increased the level of scrutiny with which the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) will review the efforts of pension plans to locate missing plan participants who did not receive reported benefits. The focus of the EBSA which began with a review of the efforts of defined benefit plans to find and pay benefits to participants has now expanded to include defined contribution plans.
To Withhold or Not to Withhold on Pension Distributions: A New Proposed Regulation Clarifies Obligations
On May 31, the IRS issued a proposed regulation — presented in Q & A format — concerning income tax withholding obligations on non-rollover distributions from employer-sponsored plans — including pension, annuity, profit sharing, stock bonus and any other deferred compensation plan — to destinations outside the U.S. Unlike U.S. payees, non-U.S. payees cannot elect to forego income tax withholding on such distributions.
Changes to Employee Benefit Plans May Create Unforeseen Disclosure Deadlines
Believe it or not, it may be time to distribute a new Summary Plan Description (SPD) to include all changes made since the last issuance or a Summary of Material Modifications (SMM) for any amendments adopted during the 2018 plan year.
The IRS Reopens the Determination Letter Program for Merged Plans and Cash Balance Plans
On May 1, 2019, the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2019-20, which reopens the determination letter program in a limited manner for individually designed plans that are merged plans or statutory hybrid plans, such as cash balance plans. The new IRS guidance provides that sponsors of merged plans may request determination letters going forward, while sponsors of statutory hybrid plans may request determination letters only during a limited window of time. The effective date of the new guidance is September 1, 2019.
Is Your Employer Worksite Medical Clinic a Group Health Plan?
Worksite medical clinics, some offering round-the-clock access to medical providers via telemedicine, seem to be growing in popularity. Promoters tout cost savings resulting from what would otherwise be lost productivity (employees whiling away afternoons waiting to see their private doctors or having to drive long distances to have blood drawn for routine laboratory work) and expenses otherwise borne by self-insured group health plans at a far higher cost per service. Some worksite clinics have existed for decades for reasons other than cost-savings – for example, to ensure immediate treatment is available to employees if work-related injuries or illnesses occur or as part of a workplace well-being program.
A Quick Form W-4 Reminder for Employers: May 10, 2019 Deadline for Updates
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) significantly changed the federal income tax rules. Several of these changes impact income tax withholding, including changes to the tax rates and brackets, increasing the standard deduction, and eliminating personal exemptions.
THEY’RE HEEEEERRRREE!! But Have No Fear – Long Awaited Changes to EPCRS Are Good News for Plan Sponsors
Long on the wish list of practitioners and plan sponsors alike, self-correction of certain common plan document issues and loan failures is finally an option under the Internal Revenue Service’s Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”), newly minted via Rev. Proc. 2019-19.