Nowhere to spend child care FSA funds
It is a common practice for employers to offer employees a health care flexible spending account (“Health FSA”) option under a cafeteria plan. However, employers (and their COBRA administrators) may not be aware that Health...more
In IR-2024-65 (the “IR”), the IRS warns taxpayers that some companies are misrepresenting the circumstances under which food and wellness expenses can be paid or reimbursed under health flexible spending arrangements (“health...more
On March 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (the “Department”) announced that Liberty University (“Liberty”) has agreed to pay a fine of $14 million for material and ongoing violations of the federal Clery Act. This...more
Our last two alerts in this series covered key considerations for early-stage companies in the alternative protein industry and provided an overview of financing in the alternative protein industry. This alert follows those...more
In recent years, there has been an increased interest in Poland in the services of so-called "family offices", ie private wealth management. Undoubtedly, the demand for such services has grown with the increased affluence...more
When conflict arises in the settling of an estate – especially a high-net-worth estate – the parties involved may look to the courts to help resolve the dispute. Litigation is one way to settle probate disputes, but it is...more
The IRS has announced increased annual limits for retirement and other benefit plans for 2024. While the increases for 2024 are smaller than we’ve seen in prior years, they still may have a significant impact on plans and...more
On April 28, 2023, the IRS Office of Chief Counsel issued Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum 202317020 (CCA Memo), with an important reminder to employers who provide health and dependent care flexible spending arrangements...more
As a reminder, the deadline for submitting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees is July 31. Employers that sponsor self-insured group health plans should report and pay PCORI fees using the most recently...more
On March 17, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new frequently asked questions (FAQs) addressing whether certain costs related to nutrition, wellness, and general health are medical expenses under Sec. 213 of the...more
A recent proposal issued by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, along with various other current private- and public-sector initiatives, signals a strong interest in promoting investment in and the growth of an...more
The IRS responded to rising inflation with its recent announcement regarding the limitations applicable to retirement and other benefit plans for 2023. Many limits will have significant increases compared to previous years,...more
As of January 2019, all consumable CBD products—including extracts and isolates—were confirmed as novel foods for England and Wales, and therefore must be approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) before they can be sold...more
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (“PCORI”) is an independent nonprofit research organization that funds comparative clinical research, among other things. PCORI is funded through annual fees — provided for in...more
In the first article of this Health FSA series, we covered how to determine if an employer’s Health FSA is discriminatory. In the second and final article of this series, we’ll cover what employers should consider if their...more
Last year about this time, we wrote of how far we had come collectively in the world of employee benefits roughly one year after the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We reveled at how we kept on keeping on, what we were able...more
On Wednesday, March 30, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it fined student loan servicer Edfinancial Services (Edfinancial) $1 million for allegedly misrepresenting Federal Family Education Loan...more
As employers and insurers continue to establish programs to enable participants in group health plans to receive at-home COVID-19 tests at no cost, even without a prescription, the Department of Labor (DOL) has issued...more
The IRS and Social Security Administration have announced cost-of-living increases for retirement plans and other employee benefit plans for 2022....more
On March 26, 2021, in Announcement 2021-7, the IRS notified taxpayers that amounts paid for personal protective equipment, such as masks, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, for the primary purpose of preventing the spread...more
As noted in our prior blog posts here and here, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “Act”) includes several types of relief for flexible spending accounts (“FSAs”), impacting both health and dependent care FSAs. ...more
As noted in our prior blog posts here and here, Section 214 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (“Act”) permits employers to amend their flexible spending account (FSA) plans to help participants avoid forfeiting...more
In this legal update, our employee benefits attorneys cover three recent health and welfare plan developments....more
Section 214 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) provides a substantial amount of flexibility for the operation of health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). The CAA did, however, leave many...more
A spate of recent legislation and IRS guidance promises to make 2021 an active year for any employer seeking to provide its employees with a competitive array of employee benefits. My “top 5” list of employee benefits that...more