Executive Summary: As most everyone knows by now, Congress adopted, and President Obama signed, legislation β the American Taxpayer Relief Act (the “Act”) β that resolves many elements of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” i.e., the various tax increases and expiration of tax breaks, along with spending cuts, that were to have become effective with the new year. Much has been written and reported about applying the scheduled tax rate increases only to high-income taxpayers, changing the Alternative Minimum Tax so that it would not penalize the “middle class,” increasing estate tax for certain “large” estates, allowing the 2011 payroll tax cut to expire (along with other scheduled payroll tax increases), and other “newsworthy” aspects of the Act. Little has been mentioned, however, about the Act’s provisions applicable to benefit plans and programs. So here are a few of those provisions.
Home > Federal Law Articles > Employee Benefits > General (Benefits) > Legal Alert: The Fiscal-Cliff Tax Relief Affected Benefits, Too