EBP tax compliance testing tips
Employee benefit plan tax professionals need to dig deep in search of affiliates under common control and must carefully assess whether plans are skewed in favor of highly compensated employees.
Employee benefits
IRS provides cafeteria plan relief for the pandemic
The IRS issued guidance on how employers can amend their health flexible spending arrangements and dependent care assistance programs to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Guidance permits change in vehicle use valuation during pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS is allowing employers to switch from the vehicle lease valuation method to the cents-per-mile method for determining the value of an employee’s personal use of a vehicle during the pandemic.
2021 standard mileage rates decrease
The IRS issued the 2021 standard mileage rates for use in computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes. The rates all decreased from 2021 to 2020.
Final rules govern disallowed transportation fringe benefits
The IRS finalized proposed rules on the disallowance of deductions for transportation fringe benefits, which was enacted by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
IRS finalizes qualified plan loan rollover rules
The IRS finalized proposed regulations on the qualified plan loan rollover rules amended by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with just one change in response to a comment.
Inflation-adjusted income ranges for 2021 IRA and 401(k) plans
The IRS announced that the income ranges for employee participation in workplace 401(k) plans and IRA contributions will increase from 2020 to 2021. Most of the other retirement plan contribution limits stayed the same, however.
Unclaimed property distributions allowed as self-certified rollovers
The IRS issued guidance adding state unclaimed property fund distributions to the list of reasons that taxpayers may self-certify that they missed the 60-day deadline to roll over funds to a qualified retirement plan.
Inflation-adjusted limit for 2021 HRAs issued
The IRS issued the 2021 limit for excepted benefit health reimbursement arrangements using the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers inflation-adjustment method.
Premium tax credit unaffected by zeroing of personal exemptions
The IRS makes clear in final regulations that the health care premium tax credit calculation is unaffected by the personal exemption decrease to zero.
Proposed regs. govern qualified plan loan rollovers
The IRS issued proposed regulations explaining the extended rollover period that applies to qualified plan loan offsets after the rules were amended by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
How to report coronavirus paid sick leave and family leave to employees
The IRS issued guidance on how employers should report qualified sick and family leave paid to employees under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Rollover relief for required minimum distributions
The IRS provides relief for taxpayers who had already taken required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2020 before the CARES Act suspended the RMD requirement for 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on taxpayers and the stock market.
Proposed regs. explain disallowed transportation fringe benefits
The IRS issued proposed regulations implementing changes to Sec. 274 that disallow a deduction for the expense of any Sec. 132(f) qualified transportation fringe provided to an employee, effective for amounts paid or incurred after Dec. 31, 2017.
Leave-based donation program available during pandemic
The IRS announced that employers may make donations this year to charitable organizations that provide relief to COVID-19 pandemic victims in exchange for personal leave that their employees forgo.
Rules proposed for direct primary care arrangements, health care sharing ministries
The IRS issued proposed regulations defining direct primary care arrangements with doctors and health care sharing ministries and how payments for them can qualify as Sec. 213 medical expenses.
IRS permits remote signatures for plan loan consents
In another response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRS is allowing retirement plan participants who want to take coronavirus-related distributions from their retirement plans to provide remote signatures, even for spousal consents.
HSA contribution limits increase for 2021
The IRS issued its annual inflation-adjusted contribution limits for contributions to health savings accounts permitted to participants in high-deductible health plans. Most of the amounts increased slightly over the 2020 amounts.
IRS allows midyear changes to health coverage, dependent care elections
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the IRS is allowing employers to permit their employees to change their health coverage elections or dependent care elections during the year and is extending the carryover period for health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) expenses.
Coronavirus paid sick leave and family leave guidance issued
The IRS issues rules to implement paid sick and child care leave credits enacted in response to the pandemic.
