W-2s and 1099s will not have new fields this year, but the IRS has now provided guidance on how employees can still claim tax deductions for tips and overtime pay. This is our fourth update on the evolving tips and overtime...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released guidance on November 5, 2025, granting employers relief from tax penalties for failing to provide employees information related to their (1) “qualified tips” and (2) “qualified...more
A quick review of the cannabis landscape reveals that most of the tax-related activity remains at the state level. At present, most states have decriminalized the use of cannabis products; it remains illegal in only a...more
Cannabis businesses' wages are ineligible for business income deductions for pass-throughs because they sell controlled substances, according to the U.S. Tax Court. The ruling on Sept. 11, 2025 clarifies that wages disallowed...more
With tax day quickly approaching on April 15, 2024, employers in Pennsylvania may want to take note of a December 2023 state tax law that might have flown under the radar. The law made employee contributions to...more
In last month’s Compliance Check, we discussed how to handle a situation where the 401(k) plan administrator is unable to reach a plan participant, i.e., a “missing participant.” In this month’s Compliance Check, we focus on...more
According to the Internal Revenue Code, Taxpayers have three obligations: (1) to file timely returns; (2) to file accurate returns; and (3) to pay the required tax voluntarily and timely. ...more
Many employers offer employees the option to use the employer’s cafeteria plan to opt-out of group health plan coverage and receive taxable cash payments. As open enrollment gears up this fall, it is important for employers...more
Governmental agencies have been issuing a variety of guidance in the past 24 months that have changed certain reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to employee benefit plans, as well as providing for certain new...more
When it was announced that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act included a new 20% deduction for qualified business income (“QBI”) of pass-through businesses, many business owners started planning for huge tax savings. Hopefully, their...more
As a follow-up to our recent blog Count Down to Open Enrollment – Some Quick Thoughts, below is a little more detail on how seemingly simple wellness program design changes can have significant legal consequences....more
Due to the significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) at the end of last year, the Department of the Treasury has been very busy issuing guidance and proposed...more
The IRS and Treasury have released proposed regulations under newly-enacted Internal Revenue Code Section 199A, which creates a deduction for qualified business income that non-corporate taxpayers receive from passthrough...more
According to an Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) issue brief, approximately 20 million individuals maintained health savings accounts (HSAs) in 2016. Of the 5.5 million HSA accounts represented in EBRI’s HSA...more
BACKGROUND - The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) adopted a new 20% deduction for non-corporate taxpayers. It only applies to “qualified business income.” The deduction, sometimes called the “pass-through deduction,” is...more
Aside from corporate tax reductions, one of the most important aspects of the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act beginning this year is the new 20% deduction for “pass-thru” businesses – i.e. businesses that are not corporations. With...more
Section 530 Relief - Employers that have workers which the employer classifies as “independent contractors” (Form 1099) risk having these workers reclassified by the IRS as employees. This is a major audit area for the...more
The tax reform bills introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate dramatically reduce the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% and create added incentives for taxpayers to invest capital into U.S. businesses with...more
Voluntary compliance is the foundation of our US tax system. Taxpayers determine the correct amount of their tax and complete appropriate returns, rather than the Government determine their tax for them. According to the...more
Effective January 1, 2017, small employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees will be allowed to offer employees a standalone health reimbursement account (“HRA”) without being subject to an excise tax under a law passed...more
In Depth - Beginning with W-2 forms filed with respect to 2016 wages, a new law requires employers to file the government copy by January 31, 2017, for both paper and electronic copies. The accelerated deadline also...more
On May 5, 2016, the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service published final and temporary regulations amending Treasury Regulations §301.7701-2 under Section 7701 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as...more
The United States Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act (the "Act") in a recent decision involving the use of the insurance exchanges. Employers are now certain that they must deal with the requirements of the Act...more
On June 29, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015. Neatly tucked away in the “Offsets” provision of the Act are sizeable increases in the dollar amounts of the penalties under...more
The Internal Revenue Service has issued proposed regulations on reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The regulations, released on September 9, 2013, address two separate ACA reporting requirements: one...more