For an employee who is a U.S. taxpayer, both the employer and the employee are liable for a portion of Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes (collectively referred to as “FICA” taxes) on the employee’s compensation. ...more
Section 409A, the provision of the Internal Revenue Code that regulates the time and form of payment of nonqualified deferred compensation, contains a helpful exception for “short-term deferrals.” Specifically, Section 409A...more
Companies implement bonus plans to meet a variety of business objectives: retention, specific company business goals, change of control, and others. In designing bonus plans, there are a variety of legal fields that must be...more
• Now that the IRS has issued additional guidance on the practical considerations of the election to defer compensation allowed by Section 83(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, it has become clearer that...more
On August 21, 2018, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2018-68, which provides eagerly awaited guidance for changes that were made to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code...more
On December 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act), which imposes a new excise tax on certain tax-exempt organizations for compensation paid to their covered employees in excess...more
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act proposed by the US House of Representatives on November 2 (House Bill) proposes major modifications to employee and partner compensation and benefits-related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code,...more
On November 9, 2017, in what many employers will view as a positive development, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to send to the full House of Representatives a version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Proposed...more
On November 2, 2017, Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Proposed Bill") in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Proposed Bill...more
The House Ways and Means Committee on November 2, 2017, released the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which may have significant impact on the taxation of equity and performance-based compensation for both private and public...more
Recently we blogged about pitfalls and potential adverse tax consequences for U.S. taxpayers with respect to deferred share unit awards that pay out following the participant’s termination of services. But what about...more
On June 22, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published its long-awaited proposed regulations (the Proposed Regulations) under Section 457(f) of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code). Section 457(f) governs the taxation...more
The IRS recently issued proposed regulations under Internal Revenue Code Section 457 that address, among other things, the interplay between Code Section 457(f) and Code Section 409A. Additionally, the IRS issued clarifying...more
On the TV show Futurama, the aged proprietor of the delivery company Planet Express, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, had a habit of entering a room where the other characters were gathered and sharing his trademark line,...more
On June 21, 2016, after more than 15 years of ongoing deliberations, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the Dept. of Treasury) issued proposed regulations under Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code),...more
In general, proposed rulemaking issued in December 2008 with respect to income inclusion under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (available here) provides that if there is a Section 409A violation...more
The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") recently proposed new regulations that are intended to clarify and modify existing IRS guidance regarding the application of Internal Revenue Code section 409A ("Section 409A") to various...more
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service recently issued comprehensive proposed regulations governing nonqualified plans subject to tax under Internal Revenue Code § 457. Code § 457 prescribes the tax rules...more
On June 21, 2016, the IRS issued proposed 409A regulations intended to (a) clarify certain provisions of the final 409A regulations that were published in 2008, (b) withdraw and replace provisions in those earlier regulations...more
In an unexpected development, on June 21, 2016, the IRS issued proposed regulations that clarify and modify the final regulations issued in 2007 and the proposed income inclusion regulations issued in 2008. In many cases,...more
On June 21, the IRS issued long awaited proposed regulations under Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code that affect a broad range of compensation arrangements at tax exempt organizations. If a compensation arrangement is...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently updated its “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Audit Techniques Guide.” The Guide provides a framework for the IRS to audit nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans. Since...more
The Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation team at Polsinelli Shughart have analyzed the potential implications of the new Medicare Tax to their clients' businesses and can provide direct and practical advice on your...more