On July 19, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the “Tri-Agencies”) issued new frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the implementation of...more
The Internal Revenue Service updated and expanded the ability to correct plan operational and document defects with the new and improved Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (Rev. Proc. 2021-30) (EPCRS). Issued and...more
The Internal Revenue Service has provided additional guidance on the the American Rescue Plan Act’s COBRA premium assistance. Greta Cowart summarizes the top 10 takeaways of Notice 2021-31 specifically related to group health...more
Payroll Tax Relief Under CARES Act, FFCRA, and Executive Order -
While the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act permitted employers to defer depositing the portion of the FICA taxes the employer pays...more
8/12/2020
/ 401k ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Defined Benefit Plans ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Contributions ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employment Tax ,
Executive Orders ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
FICA Taxes ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
IRA Rollovers ,
IRS ,
Medical Leave ,
Payroll Taxes ,
Pension Funds ,
Pensions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Relief ,
Wage and Hour
After the CARES Act was enacted, plan administrators had questions regarding how to determine if a participant is eligible to receive a Coronavirus distribution, Coronavirus loan, or delay of loan payments because a...more
6/23/2020
/ 401k ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deferred Compensation ,
Eligibility ,
Employee Benefits ,
Furloughs ,
Hardship Distributions ,
IRS ,
Layoffs ,
Pensions ,
Relief Measures ,
Retirement Plan
As employers start to think about asking their employees to return to work, in addition to all of the employment law issues, there are also employee benefit plan considerations. Employers need to consider all their benefit...more
5/14/2020
/ Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CARES Act ,
COBRA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
HDHP ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
IRS ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Deductions ,
Telehealth
Jackson Walker posted its update to FAQs on employment issues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The JW updates reflect recent Department of Labor (DOL) regulations and guidelines for employer compliance with the...more
4/13/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EFMLA ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
IRS ,
Paid Leave ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released 66 questions and answers illuminating important calculations, procedural requirement, and document retention requirements related to the tax credits available under the Families...more
4/9/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Federal Taxes ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Paid Leave ,
Popular ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Record Retention ,
Self-Insured Health Plans ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Relief
More Relief Provided Late on Friday -
On March 20, 2020, a joint news release issued by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Treasury Department, and the U.S. Department of Labor announced regulations to be issued this...more
3/23/2020
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disaster Preparedness ,
Employee Assistance Programs ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
IRS ,
Medicare ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Payroll Taxes ,
Qualified Disaster Relief Payments ,
Sick Pay ,
Social Security ,
Tax Credits ,
U.S. Treasury
Many employers are wrestling with the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the U.S. and its impact on the workforce. Many employers also offer high-deductible health plans (HDHP) that can only cover the specified...more
3/12/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Insurance Industry ,
IRS ,
New Guidance ,
Notice Requirements
Healthcare coverage became an employer-offered benefit during World War II as the result of the federal government’s wage and price controls. Since that time, Medicare has become an important part of how healthcare is...more
7/12/2019
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disability ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Costs ,
IRS ,
Medicare Secondary Payer Act ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Tax Credits
Health and Welfare Plan Update -
It is 9:00 p.m., do you know where your health plan data is? As IT systems continue to expand, and data is accessed, moved and stored in many new and different ways, the Office for Civil...more
4/4/2019
/ 401k ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Business Associates ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Cloud Storage ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
Health Care Providers ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
IRS ,
Lump Sum Payments ,
OCR ,
Pensions ,
Plan Administrators ,
Plan Participants ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Request for Production ,
Retirement Plan ,
TPAs ,
Trump Administration