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In the past, employers have been able to deduct expenses related to “qualified transportation fringe benefits” (“QTFBs”) such as qualified parking, transit passes, transportation in commuter highway vehicles, or qualified bicycle commuting reimbursements. Pub. L. No. 115-97, commonly referred to as the “2017 Tax Act” or the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (“TCJA”), however, has …
Continue reading “Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits No Longer Deductible for Employers”
A recent ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals acts as an important reminder to ERISA plan sponsors that reserving the written right to interpret plan documents may be critical in interpreting otherwise ambiguous language. The Firestone Language In the 1989 case Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101 (1989), the …
Especially upon plan termination, locating missing participants can be a major headache for plan sponsors, who have a fiduciary obligation to locate participants and distribute benefits under the terminating plan. In one development that may help in this regard, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) issued final regulations that expand, revise and simplify its Missing …
Buried under the news of tax reform and deep within an annual bulletin, the IRS has announced reduced fees for corrections made pursuant to its Voluntary Correction Program (“VCP”). However, fees will not be lower in every circumstance. The EPCRS Program Plan sponsors that make mistakes with respect to the operation or documentation of their …
On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed H.R. 1 (formerly, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “Act”)) into law. While the Act was primarily focused on business tax cuts and individual tax reform, the Act includes several provisions that have implications for employee benefits and executive compensation. 1. Compensation Deduction Limits for Publicly Traded …
Continue reading “Tax Reform: The Five Big Changes Affecting Employee Benefits”
The IRS has taken actions indicating that the employer mandate penalties under the Affordable Care Act are about to be enforced. Employers should expect to begin receiving letters from the IRS indicating penalties are due for the 2015 year in the coming weeks. There are a few things that employers can do to be prepared …
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for employer plans for tax year 2018. The IRS issued technical guidance detailing these items in Notice 2017-64, in addition to previous guidance in Rev. Proc. 2017-37 and Rev. Proc. 2017-58. Many of the limitations will change because the increase in the …
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has increased its level of scrutiny on the limitations imposed on participant loans from defined contribution retirement plans. Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Section 72(p) generally limits a participant’s plan loans to the lesser of: $50,000, or 50% of the participants vested account balance. Additionally, if the participant already took out …
Continue reading “IRS Scrutiny of Plan Loans Increases, but IRS Provides Helpful Guidance”