IRS Announces 2015 COLA Increases for Dollar Limitations on Benefits and...
On October 23, 2014 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the cost-of-living adjustments impacting tax-qualified pension plans for 2015. The increase in the cost-of-living index met the...
View ArticleImpact of Supreme Court’s Recent Actions on Employee Benefits
Did the Supreme Court legalize same-sex marriage? On October 6, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States denied review of seven petitions challenging federal court of appeal rulings in the Fourth,...
View ArticleNew IRS Guidance May Require Amendments to Section 125 (“Cafeteria”) Plans
Many employers permit employees to pay for employer-sponsored health coverage, on a pre-tax basis, under Internal Revenue Code section 125 (“cafeteria”) plans. These plans generally require employees...
View ArticleIRS Acts Quickly to Facilitate Donations for Ebola Victims and Offer Tax Relief
While employers and employees alike are asking questions about the proper workplace response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, these same folks are also asking how they can help the victims, their...
View ArticleOn-Premises Fringe Benefits, Part I: Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch?
It is no secret that many Silicon Valley employers serve free gourmet meals to their employees—the Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit magazine, Time, Forbes, and other media sources have reported on this...
View ArticleOn-Premises Fringe Benefits, Part II: Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch?
In part one of this two-part series, “On-Premises Fringe Benefits, Part I: Is There Such a Thing as a Free Lunch?,” I discussed the Internal Revenue Code’s provisions on tax-free employer-provided...
View ArticleACA Fees, and Forms, and Delays, Oh My!
In the latest round of delays under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Employee Benefits Security Administration recently announced that the deadline for health plans to provide enrollment information...
View ArticleNew ACA Guidance Permits Employer-Initiated Measurement Period Changes
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released Affordable Care Act (ACA) guidance addressing how to determine full-time status when an employee’s measurement period changes. The guidance, IRS...
View ArticleFeb. 2 Deadline Looming to Implement Retroactive Increase in 2014 Mass...
Affected employers must move quickly to take advantage of a special administrative procedure regarding a retroactive increase in excludable transit benefits enacted on December 19, 2014, under the Tax...
View ArticleIndependent Contractor . . . or Not? DOL and Wisconsin DWD Team Up to Reduce...
On January 20, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that Wisconsin had become the latest state to join the “Misclassification Initiative,” which is designed to protect the rights of...
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