The Department of Labor (DOL) released the final changes to Form 5500 relating to the September 2021 notice of proposed form revisions (NPFR) to amend the Form 5500. The changes fall into seven major categories. These changes are effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2023 and will be incorporated into the 2023 Form 5500.
As a reminder, the Form 5500 provides the DOL, Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation with information about a retirement plan’s operations, qualifications, financial condition, and compliance with government regulations.
Below, we review some of the key changes to Form 5500 and what the adjustments are.
Are You a Large Plan or a Small Plan? The Rules Have Changed
Historically, determining whether your plan was “large” versus “small” was based on the number of eligible participants in your plan. If your plan had at least 100 eligible participants on the first day of the plan year, you were considered a large plan—regardless of how many participants had accounts or elected to participate in the plan.
As a result, the DOL’s recent changes to Form 5500 redefine large plans by the number of participants with account balances on the first day of the plan year. If your plan has at least 100 participants with active accounts, then you are a large plan, and an annual audit is required. (Note that this provision only applies to defined contribution plans and is in effect for plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2023.)
This provision will significantly change the threshold for the status of large versus small plans. The DOL estimates 19,500 large plans will no longer be subject to the annual audit requirement relating to this participant-count methodology change.
While this change is likely good news for many plan sponsors, there are some potential issues. For example, a failed compliance test or the allocation of forfeitures could push plans over the 100-participant threshold. If a plan fails the Actual Deferral Percentage or the Actual Contribution Percentage test, participants who closed out their accounts may need to be reinstated for reimbursement purposes. To avoid this issue, plan sponsors should carefully review their plan documents to determine whether they are able to “push out” participants with account balances under $5,000.
More Updates Coming Down the Pike
The DOL’s final changes includes several other changes. Mock-ups of the new forms and instructions for the following items will be available later this year at Reginfo.gov:
- Consolidated Form 5500 for Defined Contribution Groups
- Streamlined reporting on the 5500 for pooled employer plans and multiple-employer plans
- New breakout categories for administrative expenses (Schedule H)
- Revisions to the financial and funding reporting requirements for defined benefit plans
- New Internal Revenue Code (IRC) compliance questions to improve tax oversight
Certain revisions from the NPFR have been delayed including proposed revisions to the content requirements for the schedules of assets filed by large plans. The DOL wants to modernize data reported in a plan’s individual investments to improve consistency, transparency, and usability of plan investment information, but feedback revealed that service providers need more time.
Insight: Partner With Service Providers to Build Your Strategy
Most plan sponsors process distributions with the help of service providers, so it is important to partner with such service providers to keep an eye on your number of participants—especially if you are close to the threshold of 100 active plan participants. Plan sponsors should clarify if it is their goal to remain a small plan, familiarize themselves with the options presented in the plan document to move participants out of the plan, and determine the procedure for a potential distribution.
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July 13, 2023Blog / Employee Benefit PlansThe Department of Labor (DOL) released the final changes to Form 5500 relating to the September 2021 notice of proposed form revisions (NPFR) to amend the Form 5500. The changes fall into seven major categories. These changes are effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2023 and will be incorporated into the 2023 Form 5500.
As a reminder, the Form 5500 provides the DOL, Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation with information about a retirement plan’s operations, qualifications, financial condition, and compliance with government regulations.
Below, we review some of the key changes to Form 5500 and what the adjustments are.
Are You a Large Plan or a Small Plan? The Rules Have Changed
Historically, determining whether your plan was “large” versus “small” was based on the number of eligible participants in your plan. If your plan had at least 100 eligible participants on the first day of the plan year, you were considered a large plan—regardless of how many participants had accounts or elected to participate in the plan.
As a result, the DOL’s recent changes to Form 5500 redefine large plans by the number of participants with account balances on the first day of the plan year. If your plan has at least 100 participants with active accounts, then you are a large plan, and an annual audit is required. (Note that this provision only applies to defined contribution plans and is in effect for plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2023.)This provision will significantly change the threshold for the status of large versus small plans. The DOL estimates 19,500 large plans will no longer be subject to the annual audit requirement relating to this participant-count methodology change.
While this change is likely good news for many plan sponsors, there are some potential issues. For example, a failed compliance test or the allocation of forfeitures could push plans over the 100-participant threshold. If a plan fails the Actual Deferral Percentage or the Actual Contribution Percentage test, participants who closed out their accounts may need to be reinstated for reimbursement purposes. To avoid this issue, plan sponsors should carefully review their plan documents to determine whether they are able to “push out” participants with account balances under $5,000.
More Updates Coming Down the Pike
The DOL’s final changes includes several other changes. Mock-ups of the new forms and instructions for the following items will be available later this year at Reginfo.gov:
Consolidated Form 5500 for Defined Contribution Groups
Streamlined reporting on the 5500 for pooled employer plans and multiple-employer plans
New breakout categories for administrative expenses (Schedule H)
Revisions to the financial and funding reporting requirements for defined benefit plans
New Internal Revenue Code (IRC) compliance questions to improve tax oversight
Certain revisions from the NPFR have been delayed including proposed revisions to the content requirements for the schedules of assets filed by large plans. The DOL wants to modernize data reported in a plan’s individual investments to improve consistency, transparency, and usability of plan investment information, but feedback revealed that service providers need more time.
Insight: Partner With Service Providers to Build Your Strategy
Most plan sponsors process distributions with the help of service providers, so it is important to partner with such service providers to keep an eye on your number of participants—especially if you are close to the threshold of 100 active plan participants. Plan sponsors should clarify if it is their goal to remain a small plan, familiarize themselves with the options presented in the plan document to move participants out of the plan, and determine the procedure for a potential distribution.
Learn how Harris CPAs can help you here! [...]
February 21, 2023Blog / Employee Benefit PlansSECURE 2.0 was signed into law on December 29, 2022, makes sweeping changes to retirement savings plans. Before plan sponsors can take advantage of the many provisions in SECURE 2.0, the DOL will need to provide additional regulations and guidance on some of the provisions. In other words, there is more to come on SECURE 2.0.
In the meantime, the DOL is focused on 17 items recently released in its biannual regulatory agenda. Plan sponsors and other industry experts should pay attention to this agenda to be sure they understand how these changes may affect them—particularly in areas such as changes to the fiduciary rule, updates on pooled employer plans, and final rules on lifetime income illustrations.
In total, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) listed three pre-rule stage items, nine proposed rule stage items, and five final rule stage items in its recently released regulatory agenda.
Pre-Rule Stage:
Improving Participant Engagement and Effectiveness: The DOL’s EBSA has been tasked with finding ways to improve retirement plan disclosures to enhance outcomes for employees. The EBSA will start by consulting with plan sponsors and other stakeholders to explore ways to improve such disclosures.
Pooled Employer Plans: The SECURE Act of 2019 amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow pooled employer plans to be a type of single employer pension benefit plan. The EBSA will begin exploring the need for regulatory guidance to run these plans.
Requirements Related to Advanced Explanation of Benefits and Other Provisions Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021: The EBSA is reviewing whether regulation or guidance is needed to ensure patients have transparency in their health care treatment options and expected costs before a scheduled service. Request for comments closed in November 2022 and an analysis is expected in April 2023.
Proposed-Rule Stage
Definition of the Term “Fiduciary”: The DOL’s is proposing to amend ERISA’s definition of fiduciary to more closely reflect today’s relationships between participants, service providers, and others who provide investment advice for a fee. This proposal has been carried over since the Spring 2021 regulatory agenda and has no timeline for completion.
Improvement of the Form 5500 and Implementing Related Regulations: Working with the Internal Revenue Service and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the DOL intends to modernize the Form 5500 to make investment data more mineable. This proposal has been carried over since Fall 2021 and movement on it is expected by June 2023.
Definition of Employer Under Section 3(5) of ERISA – Association Health Plans: The EBSA will explore whether to replace or remove its 2018 final rule that set alternative criteria when an employer association could act on behalf of an employer to create a multiple employer group health plan. Action on this is expected in March 2023.
Adoption of Amended and Restated Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program: The EBSA took public comments until January 20, 2023 on its plan to expand the scope of transactions eligible for self-correction.
Final Rule Stage
Pension Benefit Statements – Lifetime Income Illustrations: The SECURE Act added a lifetime income illustration requirement for certain defined contribution plans. The final rule is expected to be released in May 2023.
Prohibited Transaction Exemption Procedures: An April 2023 final rule is expected that would modify the DOL’s process for granting prohibited transaction exemption.
Independent Contractor Classification
Under the Wage and Hour Division agenda, the DOL announced that it expects to issue a final rule clarifying independent contractor status in May 2023. This ruling has been issued, delayed, and debated in court by the Biden and Trump administrations. The current administration believes the 2021 regulation does not reflect what is written in the Fair Labor Standards Act and will issue its updated rule to complement the law. [...]
June 15, 2022Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real EstateThe Internal Revenue Service on June, 9th announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rate for the final 6 months of 2022. Taxpayers may use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and certain other purposes.
For the final 6 months of 2022, the standard mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5 cents per mile, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of the year. The new rate for deductible medical or moving expenses (available for active-duty members of the military) will be 22 cents for the remainder of 2022, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of 2022. These new rates become effective July 1, 2022.
In recognition of recent gasoline price increases, the IRS made this special adjustment for the final months of 2022. The IRS normally updates the mileage rates once a year in the fall for the next calendar year. For travel from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2022.
While fuel costs are a significant factor in the mileage figure, other items enter into the calculation of mileage rates, such as depreciation and insurance and other fixed and variable costs.
The optional business standard mileage rate is used to compute the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use in lieu of tracking actual costs. This rate is also used as a benchmark by the federal government and many businesses to reimburse their employees for mileage.
Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.
The 14 cents per mile rate for charitable organizations remains unchanged as it is set by statute.
Midyear increases in the optional mileage rates are rare, the last time the IRS made such an increase was in 2011.
Mileage Rate Changes
PurposeRates 1/1 through 6/30/22Rates 7/1 through 12/31/22Business58.562.5Medical/Moving1822Charitable1414
Link to the full article on the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-increases-mileage-rate-for-remainder-of-2022
Link to Optional Standard Mileage Rates IRS Announcement: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/a-22-13.pdf [...]
February 7, 2022Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real Estate / UncategorizedThis year we sift through the noise of headlines to understand what is actually happening in the economy. Steve Scranton, CFA from Washington Trust Bank dives into the economic outlook for the Treasure Valley and also insight into Supply Chain issues around the world. We concluded with a tax update by our very own Robert Shappee, CPA, CCIFP reviewing recent legislation, and what strategies you might be able to take advantage of in 2022. Below is a video of our full presentation. [...]
January 21, 2022Blog / Employee Benefit PlansEmployers have spent the last two years dealing with many challenges and disruptions, and they are now looking to move forward in 2022 against a backdrop of economic and pandemic-related uncertainty and market volatility. To help plan sponsors navigate the challenging road ahead, professionals from BDO’s ERISA Center of Excellence recently held a year-end webinar: ERISA Update—Past, Present and Future. Here, we outline four themes that plan sponsors should be keeping a close eye on in 2022.
The #1 Financial Story of the Year: Inflation
You can’t go anywhere without hearing about inflation—and for a good reason. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.8% from November 2020 to November 2021, the largest 12-month increase in nearly 40 years. But how do increases in prices for gas (up 58%), meat (up 13%) and cars (up 31%) affect retirement accounts?
For participants in defined contribution plans, these price hikes mean that their paychecks don’t go as far in covering living expenses. As a result, some participants may choose to decrease their plan contribution rates to increase the amount of take-home pay. A significant number of participants may stop contributing altogether, which could alter the plan’s fee structures. Rising prices could also lead to increases in loans and hardship withdrawals. Finally, while financial wellness plans have been in place at many organizations for some time, plan sponsors should consider whether such benefits properly address participants’ concerns about inflation.
New Strategies for Massive Shifts in the Labor Market
The coronavirus pandemic caused many companies to shut their doors and employees to work from home. As a result, the hybrid and remote work environment evolved faster than expected. In addition, there was a massive exodus from traditional 9-to-5 jobs in America. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 6.3 million people left the workforce in November 2021 alone.
In response to the tight labor market, employers should consider a variety of strategies to attract and retain top talent. Potential solutions include stronger retirement benefits (such as matching contributions), referral bonuses, more flexible hours, remote work stipends, childcare assistance or parental family leave and shorter work days around holiday time.
Cybersecurity Practices Draw Increasing DOL Scrutiny
Last April, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its first-ever guidance on cybersecurity best practices for fiduciaries, recordkeepers and participants. Soon after that, the DOL began conducting investigations on retirement plan cybersecurity practices. The DOL has asked for a comprehensive set of documents related to the plan’s cybersecurity or data security practices to assess cybersecurity risk and the safety of plan data. The DOL is also reviewing relationships with service providers, such as recordkeepers, attorneys, investment managers, and advisors, to ensure that they are doing their part to protect plan data.
Plan sponsors should take a proactive approach to cybersecurity in 2022, including reviewing the DOL’s guidance and comparing it to their plan operations to determine whether operational changes are required. Plan sponsors also should discuss cyber risk measures with service providers to learn about their cybersecurity protocols. In particular, plan sponsors should review whether service providers are contractually permitted to cross-sell participant data. Lastly, plan sponsors should carefully review providers’ SOC1 reports, which is an essential step to monitor service providers properly.
Growing Interest in ESOPs
We are receiving many inquiries about setting up and administering Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), which are qualified defined contribution plans available for S corporations and C corporations. Starting in 2020, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 allows employers to retroactively adopt and fund a tax-qualified retirement plan, including an ESOP, by the extended due date of the employer’s federal tax return, creating a retroactively effective tax deduction. The National Defense Authorization Act signed into law on December 27, 2021 contains the first-ever government contracting program to specifically encourage ESOPs. Section 874 of the new law creates a five-year Department of Defense pilot program that allows companies that are or become 100% ESOP-owned to receive noncompete follow-on contracts for federal government work. In addition, pending bills in Congress include provisions that may encourage more employers to pursue this structure.
ESOPs can be an attractive exit strategy for employers who want to leave their business in employees’ hands, protect their legacy and continue to influence the company’s trajectory after the transaction. The latest figures (2019) show that there are nearly 6,600 ESOPs in the U.S., covering 14 million participants with $1.7 billion in plan assets.
Insight: Do Your Homework to Hit the Ground Running in 2022
While the direct health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to dominate headlines, issues created in the wake of this crisis will garner increased attention in 2022. Inflation, the rapidly changing workforce, cybersecurity and other audit concerns are areas that plan sponsors will need to focus on in the upcoming year. [...]
December 8, 2021Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansOver the past few years, several laws and regulations were passed to loosen rules on hardship distributions for 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans. These new provisions came in handy for many participants who needed an easier way to access retirement accounts during the pandemic. While there was an extension to give plan sponsors more time to revise plans to reflect the changes, the final day to amend pre-approved qualified retirement plans that adopted hardship distribution regulations is Dec. 31, 2021.
While it is not required, plans can include provisions that allow in-service distributions if the participant has an immediate and heavy need and the withdrawal is necessary to meet that need.
In summary, here are the five ways that plans could have been changed to make hardship withdrawals:
Eliminate the six-month suspension on contributions after hardship withdrawal
Expand safe harbors to include federally declared disaster-related expenses
Replace facts and circumstances test with three-part test to determine financial need
Eliminate need of loan requirement prior to hardship distribution
Expand sources of funds for hardship distributions
Plans need to have the proper amendments if hardship withdrawals were allowed on or after Jan. 1, 2020.
With the Dec. 31 deadline approaching, plan sponsors should act quickly to examine whether these changes were made to their plans. As listed in a previous Insight, some of these changes were mandatory, while others were optional. Pre-approved plans should contact service providers to see whether amendments were added to the plan document. In addition, safe harbor plans should ensure that the safe harbor notice includes the proper hardship withdrawal information. [...]
December 3, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real EstateAs the U.S. entered 2021, many assumed that newly elected President Joe Biden along with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate would swiftly enact tax increases on both corporations and individuals to pay for the cost of proposed new infrastructure and social spending plans, potentially using the budget reconciliation process to do so. Since then, various versions of tax and spending measures have been negotiated and debated by members of Congress and the White House. As 2021 heads to a close, tax increases are still expected, but the timing and content of final changes are still not certain.
On November 5, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives delayed voting on its version of the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376), a package of social spending measures funded by tax increases. The delay allows members more time to review the budget impact of the provisions in the bill. Some of the legislation’s major tax proposals, which mainly target large profitable corporations and high-income individuals, include:
A 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on companies that report financial statement profits of over $1 billion.
A 1% surtax on corporate stock buybacks.
A 15% country-by-country minimum tax on foreign profits of U.S. corporations.
A 5% surtax on individual incomes over $10 million, an additional 3% surtax on incomes over $25 million and expansion of the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax.
At the time of writing, the House had not yet voted on the Build Back Better Act. Once the House votes, the legislation will be taken up by the Senate. If enacted in its current form, the legislation would generally be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021; however, many of the corporate and international proposals affecting businesses would apply for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022 – i.e., they would be deferred for one year.
The information contained in this article is based on tax proposals as of November 4, 2021 and is subject to change based on final legislation. Businesses should continue to track the latest tax proposals to understand the impacts of possible new legislation, particularly when engaging in tax planning. Despite the delays and uncertainty around exactly what tax changes final legislation will contain, there are actions that businesses can consider taking to minimize their tax liabilities.
Consider tax accounting method changes and strategic tax elections
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) lowered the regular corporate tax rate to 21% and eliminated the corporate alternative minimum tax beginning in 2018. The current version of the proposed Build Back Better Act would leave the 21% regular corporate tax rate unchanged but, beginning in 2023, would create a new 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on the adjusted financial statement income of corporations with such income over $1 billion. Companies with adjusted financial statement income over $1 billion, therefore, should take into account the proposed 15% corporate alternative minimum tax when considering 2021 tax planning actions that could affect future years.
Companies that want to reduce their 2021 tax liability should consider traditional tax accounting method changes, tax elections and other actions for 2021 to defer recognizing income to a later taxable year and accelerate tax deductions to an earlier taxable year, including the following:
Changing from recognizing certain advance payments (e.g., upfront payments for goods, services, gift cards, use of intellectual property, sale or license of software) in the year of receipt to recognizing a portion in the following taxable year.
Changing from the overall accrual to the overall cash method of accounting.
Changing from capitalizing certain prepaid expenses (e.g., insurance premiums, warranty service contracts, taxes, government permits and licenses, software maintenance) to deducting when paid using the “12-month rule.”
Deducting eligible accrued compensation liabilities (such as bonuses and severance payments) that are paid within 2.5 months of year end.
Accelerating deductions of liabilities such as warranty costs, rebates, allowances and product returns under the “recurring item exception.”
Purchasing qualifying property and equipment before the end of 2021 to take advantage of the 100% bonus depreciation provisions and the Section 179 expensing rules.
Deducting “catch-up” depreciation (including bonus depreciation, if applicable) by changing to shorter recovery periods or changing from non-depreciable to depreciable.
Optimizing the amount of uniform capitalization costs capitalized to ending inventory, including changing to simplified methods available under Section 263A.
Electing to fully deduct (rather than capitalize and amortize) qualifying research and experimental (R&E) expenses attributable to new R&E programs or projects that began in 2021. Similar planning may apply to the deductibility of software development costs attributable to new software projects that began in 2021. (Note that capitalization and amortization of R&E expenditures is required beginning in 2022, although the proposed Build Back Better Act would delay the effective date until after 2025).
Electing to write-off 70% of success-based fees paid or incurred in 2021 in connection with certain acquisitive transactions under Rev. Proc. 2011-29.
Electing the de minimis safe harbor to deduct small-dollar expenses for the acquisition or production of property that would otherwise be capitalizable under general rules.
Is “reverse” planning better for your situation?
Depending on their facts and circumstances, some businesses may instead want to accelerate taxable income into 2021 if, for example, they believe tax rates will increase in the near future or they want to optimize usage of NOLs. These businesses may want to consider “reverse” planning strategies, such as:
Implementing a variety of “reverse” tax accounting method changes.
Selling and leasing back appreciated property before the end of 2021, creating gain that is taxed currently offset by future deductions of lease expense, being careful that the transaction is not recharacterized as a financing transaction.
Accelerating taxable capital gain into 2021.
Electing out of the installment sale method for installment sales closing in 2021.
Delaying payments of liabilities whose deduction is based on when the amount is paid, so that the payment is deductible in 2022 (e.g., paying year-end bonuses after the 2.5-month rule).
Write-off bad debts and worthless stock
Given the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses should evaluate whether losses may be claimed on their 2021 returns related to worthless assets such as receivables, property, 80% owned subsidiaries or other investments.
Bad debts can be wholly or partially written off for tax purposes. A partial write-off requires a conforming reduction of the debt on the books of the taxpayer; a complete write-off requires demonstration that the debt is wholly uncollectible as of the end of the year.
Losses related to worthless, damaged or abandoned property can generate ordinary losses for specific assets.
Businesses should consider claiming losses for investments in insolvent subsidiaries that are at least 80% owned and for certain investments in insolvent entities taxed as partnerships (also see Partnerships and S corporations, below).
Certain losses attributable to COVID-19 may be eligible for an election under Section 165(i) to be claimed on the preceding taxable year’s return, possibly reducing income and tax in the earlier year or creating an NOL that may be carried back to a year with a higher tax rate.
Maximize interest expense deductions
The TCJA significantly expanded Section 163(j) to impose a limitation on business interest expense of many taxpayers, with exceptions for small businesses (those with three-year average annual gross receipts not exceeding $26 million ($27 million for 2022), electing real property trades or businesses, electing farming businesses and certain utilities.
The deduction limit is based on 30% of adjusted taxable income. The amount of interest expense that exceeds the limitation is carried over indefinitely.
Beginning with 2022 taxable years, taxpayers will no longer be permitted to add back deductions for depreciation, amortization and depletion in arriving at adjusted taxable income (the principal component of the limitation).
The Build Back Better Act proposes to modify the rules with respect to business interest expense paid or incurred by partnerships and S corporations (see Partnerships and S corporations, below).
Maximize tax benefits of NOLs
Net operating losses (NOLs) are valuable assets that can reduce taxes owed during profitable years, thus generating a positive cash flow impact for taxpayers. Businesses should make sure they maximize the tax benefits of their NOLs.
Make sure the business has filed carryback claims for all permitted NOL carrybacks. The CARES Act allows taxpayers with losses to carry those losses back up to five years when the tax rates were higher. Taxpayers can still file for “tentative” refunds of NOLs originating in 2020 within 12 months from the end of the taxable year (by December 31, 2021 for calendar year filers) and can file refund claims for 2018 or 2019 NOL carrybacks on timely filed amended returns.
Corporations should monitor their equity movements to avoid a Section 382 ownership change that could limit annual NOL deductions.
Losses of pass-throughs entities must meet certain requirements to be deductible at the partner or S corporation owner level (see Partnerships and S corporations, below).
Defer tax on capital gains
Tax planning for capital gains should consider not only current and future tax rates, but also the potential deferral period, short and long-term cash needs, possible alternative uses of funds and other factors.
Noncorporate shareholders are eligible for exclusion of gain on dispositions of Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). The Build Back Better Act would limit the gain exclusion to 50% for sales or exchanges of QSBS occurring after September 13, 2021 for high-income individuals, subject to a binding contract exception. For other sales, businesses should consider potential long-term deferral strategies, including:
Reinvesting capital gains in Qualified Opportunity Zones.
Reinvesting proceeds from sales of real property in other “like-kind” real property.
Selling shares of a privately held company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Businesses engaging in reverse planning strategies (see Is “reverse” planning better for your situation? above) may instead want to move capital gain income into 2021 by accelerating transactions (if feasible) or, for installment sales, electing out of the installment method.
Claim available tax credits
The U.S. offers a variety of tax credits and other incentives to encourage employment and investment, often in targeted industries or areas such as innovation and technology, renewable energy and low-income or distressed communities. Many states and localities also offer tax incentives. Businesses should make sure they are claiming all available tax credits for 2021 and begin exploring new tax credit opportunities for 2022.
The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a refundable payroll tax credit for qualifying employers that have been significantly impacted by COVID-19. Employers that received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan can claim the ERC but the same wages cannot be used for both programs. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden on November 15, 2021, retroactively ends the ERC on September 30, 2021, for most employers.
Businesses that incur expenses related to qualified research and development (R&D) activities are eligible for the federal R&D credit.
Taxpayers that reinvest capital gains in Qualified Opportunity Zones may be able to defer the federal tax due on the capital gains. An additional 10% gain exclusion also may apply if the investment is made by December 31, 2021. The investment must be made within a certain period after the disposition giving rise to the gain.
The New Markets Tax Credit Program provides federally funded tax credits for approved investments in low-income communities that are made through certified “Community Development Entities.”
Other incentives for employers include the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the Federal Empowerment Zone Credit, the Indian Employment Credit and credits for paid family and medical leave (FMLA).
There are several federal tax benefits available for investments to promote energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives. In addition, the Build Back Better Act proposes to extend and enhance certain green energy credits as well as introduce a variety of new incentives. The proposals also would introduce the ability for taxpayers to elect cash payments in lieu of certain credits and impose prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements in the determination of certain credit amounts.
Partnerships and S corporations
The Build Back Better Act contains various tax proposals that would affect partnerships, S corporations and their owners. Planning opportunities and other considerations for these taxpayers include the following:
Taxpayers with unused passive activity losses attributable to partnership or S corporation interests may want to consider disposing of the interest to utilize the loss in 2021.
Taxpayers other than corporations may be entitled to a deduction of up to 20% of their qualified business income (within certain limitations based on the taxpayer’s taxable income, whether the taxpayer is engaged in a service-type trade or business, the amount of W-2 wages paid by the business and the unadjusted basis of certain property held by the business). Planning opportunities may be available to maximize this deduction.
Certain requirements must be met for losses of pass-through entities to be deductible by a partner or S corporation shareholder. In addition, an individual’s excess business losses are subject to overall limitations. There may be steps that pass-through owners can take before the end of 2021 to maximize their loss deductions. The Build Back Better Act would make the excess business loss limitation permanent (the limitation is currently scheduled to expire for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026) and change the manner in which the carryover of excess business losses may be used in subsequent years.
Under current rules, the abandonment or worthlessness of a partnership interest may generate an ordinary deduction (instead of a capital loss) in cases where no partnership liabilities are allocated to the interest. Under the Build Back Better Act, the abandonment or worthlessness of a partnership interest would generate a capital loss regardless of partnership liability allocations, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021. Taxpayers should consider an abandonment of a partnership interest in 2021 to be able to claim an ordinary deduction.
Following enactment of the TCJA, deductibility of expenses incurred by investment funds are treated as “investment expenses”—and therefore are limited at the individual investor level— if the fund does not operate an active trade or business (i.e., if the fund’s only activities are investment activities). To avoid the investment expense limitation, consideration should be given as to whether a particular fund’s activities are so closely connected to the operations of its portfolio companies that the fund itself should be viewed as operating an active trade or business.
Under current rules, gains allocated to carried interests in investment funds are treated as long-term capital gains only if the investment property has been held for more than three years. Investment funds should consider holding the property for more than three years prior to sale to qualify for reduced long-term capital gains rates. Although the Build Back Better Act currently does not propose changes to the carried interest rules, an earlier draft of the bill would have extended the current three-year property holding period to five years. Additionally, there are multiple bills in the Senate that, if enacted, would seek to tax all carry allocations at ordinary income rates.
Under the Build Back Better Act, essentially all pass-through income of high-income owners that is not subject to self-employment tax would be subject to the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT). This means that pass-through income and gains on sales of assets allocable to partnership and S corporation owners would incur NIIT, even if the owner actively participates in the business. Additionally, taxpayers that currently utilize a state law limited partnership to avoid self-employment taxes on the distributive shares of active “limited partners” would instead be subject to the 3.8% NIIT. If enacted, this proposal would be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021. Taxpayers should consider accelerating income and planned dispositions of business assets into 2021 to avoid the possible additional tax.
The Build Back Better Act proposes to modify the rules with respect to business interest expense incurred by partnerships and S corporations effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. Under the proposed bill, the Section 163(j) limitation with respect to business interest expense would be applied at the partner and S corporation shareholder level. Currently, the business interest expense limitation is applied at the entity level (also see Maximize interest expense deductions, above).
Various states have enacted PTE tax elections that seek a workaround to the federal personal income tax limitation on the deduction of state taxes for individual owners of pass-through entities. See State pass-through entity tax elections, below.
Planning for international operations
The Build Back Better Act proposes substantial changes to the existing U.S. international taxation of non-U.S. income beginning as early as 2022. These changes include, but are not limited to, the following:
Imposing additional interest expense limitations on international financial reporting groups.
Modifying the rules for global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI), including calculating GILTI and the corresponding foreign tax credits (FTCs) on a country-by-country basis, allowing country specific NOL carryforwards for one taxable year and reducing the QBAI reduction to 5%.
Modifying the existing FTC rules for all remaining categories to be calculated on a country-by-country basis.
Modifying the rules for Subpart F, foreign derived intangible income (FDII) and the base erosion anti-abuse tax (BEAT).
Imposing new limits on the applicability of the Section 245A dividends received deduction (DRD) by removing the application of the DRD rules to non-controlled foreign corporations (CFCs).
Modifying the rules under Section 250 to remove the taxable income limitation as well as reduce the GILTI and FDII deductions to 28.5% and 24.8%, respectively.
Businesses with international operations should gain an understanding of the impacts of these proposals on their tax profile by modeling the potential changes and considering opportunities to utilize the favorable aspects of the existing cross-border rules to mitigate the detrimental impacts, including:
Considering mechanisms/methods to accelerate foreign source income (e.g., prepaying royalties) and associated foreign income taxes to maximize use of the existing FTC regime and increase current FDII benefits.
Optimizing offshore repatriation and associated offshore treasury aspects while minimizing repatriation costs (e.g., previously taxed earnings and profits and basis amounts, withholding taxes, local reserve restrictions, Sections 965 and 245A, etc.).
Accelerating dividends from non-CFC 10% owned foreign corporations to maximize use of the 100% DRD currently available.
Utilizing asset step-up planning in low-taxed CFCs to utilize existing current year excess FTCs in the GILTI category for other CFCs in different jurisdictions.
Considering legal entity restructuring to maximize the use of foreign taxes paid in jurisdictions with less than a 16% current tax rate to maximize the GILTI FTC profile of the company.
If currently in NOLs, considering methods to defer income or accelerate deductions to minimize detrimental impacts of existing Section 250 deduction taxable income limitations in favor of the proposed changes that will allow a full Section 250 deduction without a taxable income limitation.
In combination with the OECD Pillar One/Two advancements coupled with U.S. tax legislation, reviewing the transfer pricing and value chain structure of the organization to consider ways to adapt to such changes and minimize the future effective tax rate of the organization.
Review transfer pricing compliance
Businesses with international operations should review their cross-border transactions among affiliates for compliance with relevant country transfer pricing rules and documentation requirements. They should also ensure that actual intercompany transactions and prices are consistent with internal transfer pricing policies and intercompany agreements, as well as make sure the transactions are properly reflected in each party’s books and records and year-end tax calculations. Businesses should be able to demonstrate to tax authorities that transactions are priced on an arm’s-length basis and that the pricing is properly supported and documented. Penalties may be imposed for non-compliance. Areas to consider include:
Have changes in business models, supply chains or profitability (including changes due to the effects of COVID-19) affected arm’s length transfer pricing outcomes and support? These changes and their effects should be supported before year end and documented contemporaneously.
Have all cross-border transactions been identified, priced and properly documented, including transactions resulting from merger and acquisition activities (as well as internal reorganizations)?
Do you know which entity owns intellectual property (IP), where it is located and who is benefitting from it? Businesses must evaluate their IP assets — both self-developed and acquired through transactions — to ensure compliance with local country transfer pricing rules and to optimize IP management strategies.
If transfer pricing adjustments need to be made, they should be done before year end, and for any intercompany transactions involving the sale of tangible goods, coordinated with customs valuations.
Multinational businesses should begin to monitor and model the potential effects of the recent agreement among OECD countries on a two pillar framework that addresses distribution of profits among countries and imposes a 15% global minimum tax.
Considerations for employers
Employers should consider the following issues as they close out 2021 and head into 2022:
Employers have until the extended due date of their 2021 federal income tax return to retroactively establish a qualified retirement plan and fund the plan for 2021.
Contributions made to a qualified retirement plan by the extended due date of the 2021 federal income tax return may be deductible for 2021; contributions made after this date are deductible for 2022.
The amount of any PPP loan forgiveness is excluded from the federal gross income of the business, and qualifying expenses for which the loan proceeds were received are deductible.
The CARES Act permitted employers to defer payment of the employer portion of Social Security (6.2%) payroll tax liabilities that would have been due from March 27 through December 31, 2020. Employers are reminded that half of the deferred amount must be paid by December 31, 2021 (the other half must be paid by December 31, 2022). Notice CP256-V is not required to make the required payment.
Employers should ensure that common fringe benefits are properly included in employees’ and, if applicable, 2% S corporation shareholders’ taxable wages. Partners should not be issued W-2s.
Publicly traded corporations may not deduct compensation of “covered employees” — CEO, CFO and generally the three next highest compensated executive officers — that exceeds $1 million per year. Effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expands covered employees to include five highest paid employees. Unlike the current rules, these five additional employees are not required to be officers.
Generally, for calendar year accrual basis taxpayers, accrued bonuses must be fixed and determinable by year end and paid within 2.5 months of year end (by March 15, 2022) for the bonus to be deductible in 2021. However, the bonus compensation must be paid before the end of 2021 if it is paid by a Personal Service Corporation to an employee-owner, by an S corporation to any employee-shareholder, or by a C corporation to a direct or indirect majority owner.
Businesses should assess the tax impacts of their mobile workforce. Potential impacts include the establishment of a corporate tax presence in the state or foreign country where the employee works; dual tax residency for the employee; and payroll tax, benefits, and transfer pricing issues.
State and local taxes
Businesses should monitor the tax rules in the states in which they operate or make sales. Taxpayers that cross state borders—even virtually—should review state nexus and other policies to understand their compliance obligations, identify ways to minimize their state tax liabilities and eliminate any state tax exposure. The following are some of the state-specific areas taxpayers should consider when planning for their tax liabilities in 2021 and 2022:
Does the state conform to federal tax rules (including recent federal legislation) or decouple from them? Not all states follow federal tax rules. (Note that states do not necessarily follow the federal treatment of PPP loans. See Considerations for employers, above.)
Has the business claimed all state NOL and state tax credit carrybacks and carryforwards? Most states apply their own NOL/credit computation and carryback/forward provisions. Has the business considered how these differ from federal and the effect on its state taxable income and deductions?
Has the business amended any federal returns? Businesses should make sure state amended returns are filed on a timely basis to report the federal changes. If a federal amended return is filed, amended state returns may still be required even there is no change to state taxable income or deductions.
Has a state adopted economic nexus for income tax purposes, enacted NOL deduction suspensions or limitations, increased rates or suspended or eliminated some tax credit and incentive programs to deal with lack of revenues due to COVID-19 economic issues?
The majority of states now impose single-sales factor apportionment formulas and require market-based sourcing for sales of services and licenses/sales of intangibles using disparate sourcing methodologies. Has the business recently examined whether its multistate apportionment of income is consistent with or the effect of this trend?
Consider the state and local tax treatment of merger, acquisition and disposition transactions, and do not forget that internal reorganizations of existing structures also have state tax impacts. There are many state-specific considerations when analyzing the tax effects of transactions.
Is the business claiming all available state and local tax credits, e.g., for research activities, employment or investment?
For businesses selling remotely and that have been protected by P.L. 86-272 from state income taxes in the past, how is the business responding to changing state interpretations of those protections with respect to businesses engaged in internet-based activities?
Has the business considered the state tax impacts of its mobile workforce? Most states that provided temporary nexus and/or withholding relief relating to teleworking employees lifted those orders during 2021 (also see Considerations for employers, above).
Has the state introduced (or is it considering introducing) a tax on digital services? The definition of digital services can potentially be very broad and fact specific. Taxpayers should understand the various state proposals and plan for potential impacts.
Remote retailers, marketplace sellers and marketplace facilitators (i.e., marketplace providers) should be sure they are in compliance with state sales and use tax laws and marketplace facilitator rules.
Assessed property tax values typically lag behind market values. Consider challenging your property tax assessment.
State pass-through entity elections
The TCJA introduced a $10,000 limit for individuals with respect to federal itemized deductions for state and local taxes paid during the year ($5,000 for married individuals filing separately). At least 20 states have enacted potential workarounds to this deduction limitation for owners of pass-through entities, by allowing a pass-through entity to make an election (PTE tax election) to be taxed at the entity level. PTE tax elections present state and federal tax issues for partners and shareholders. Before making an election, care needs to be exercised to avoid state tax traps, especially for nonresident owners, that could exceed any federal tax savings. (Note that the Build Back Better Act proposes to increase the state and local tax deduction limitation for individuals to $80,000 ($40,000 for married individuals filing separately) retroactive to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020. In addition, the Senate has begun working on a proposal that would completely lift the deduction cap subject to income limitations.)
Accounting for income taxes – ASC 740 considerations
The financial year-end close can present unique and challenging issues for tax departments. Further complicating matters is pending U.S. tax legislation that, if enacted by the end of the calendar year, will need to be accounted for in 2021. To avoid surprises, tax professionals can begin now to prepare for the year-end close:
Evaluate the effectiveness of year-end tax accounting close processes and consider modifications to processes that are not ideal. Update work programs and train personnel, making sure all team members understand roles, responsibilities, deliverables and expected timing. Communication is especially critical in a virtual close.
Know where there is pending tax legislation and be prepared to account for the tax effects of legislation that is “enacted” before year end. Whether legislation is considered enacted for purposes of ASC 740 depends on the legislative process in the particular jurisdiction.
Document whether and to what extent a valuation allowance should be recorded against deferred tax assets in accordance with ASC 740. Depending on the company’s situation, this process can be complex and time consuming and may require scheduling deferred tax assets and liabilities, preparing estimates of future taxable income and evaluating available tax planning strategies.
Determine and document the tax accounting effects of business combinations, dispositions and other unique transactions.
Review the intra-period tax allocation rules to ensure that income tax expense/(benefit) is correctly recorded in the financial statements. Depending on a company’s activities, income tax expense/(benefit) could be recorded in continuing operations as well as other areas of the financial statements.
Evaluate existing and new uncertain tax positions and update supporting documentation.
Make sure tax account reconciliations are current and provide sufficient detail to prove the year-over-year change in tax account balances.
Understand required tax footnote disclosures and build the preparation of relevant documentation and schedules into the year-end close process.
Begin Planning for the Future
Future tax planning will depend on final passage of the proposed Build Back Better Act and precisely what tax changes the final legislation contains. Regardless of legislation, businesses should consider actions that will put them on the best path forward for 2022 and beyond. Business can begin now to:
Reevaluate choice of entity decisions while considering alternative legal entity structures to minimize total tax liability and enterprise risk.
Evaluate global value chain and cross-border transactions to optimize transfer pricing and minimize global tax liabilities.
Review available tax credits and incentives for relevancy to leverage within applicable business lines.
Consider the benefits of an ESOP as an exit or liquidity strategy, which can provide tax benefits for both owners and the company.
Perform a cost segregation study with respect to investments in buildings or renovation of real property to accelerate taxable deductions, and identify other discretionary incentives to reduce or defer various taxes.
Perform a state-by-state analysis to ensure the business is properly charging sales taxes on taxable items, but not exempt or non-taxable items, and to determine whether the business needs to self-remit use taxes on any taxable purchases (including digital products or services).
Evaluate possible co-sourcing or outsourcing arrangements to assist with priority projects as part of an overall tax function transformation. [...]
December 3, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / GovernmentAs we approach year end, now is the time for individuals, business owners, and family offices to review their 2021 and 2022 tax situations and identify opportunities for reducing, deferring, or accelerating tax obligations. Areas potentially impacted by proposed tax legislation still in play should be reviewed, as well as applicable opportunities and relief granted under legislation enacted during the past year.
The information contained within this article is based on tax proposals as presented in the November 3, 2021, version of the Build Back Better Act. Our guidance is subject to change when final legislation is passed. Taxpayers should consult with a trusted advisor when making tax and financial decisions regarding any of the items below.
Individual Tax Planning Highlights
2021 Federal Income Tax Rate Brackets
2022 Federal Income Tax Rate Brackets
Proposed Surcharge on High-Income Individuals, Estates and Trusts
The draft Build Back Better Act released on November 3, 2021 would impose a 5% surcharge on modified adjusted gross income that exceeds $5 million for married individuals filing separately, $200,000 for estates and trusts and $10 million for all other individuals. An additional 3% surcharge would be imposed on modified adjusted gross income in excess of $12.5 million for married individuals filing separately, $500,000 for estates and trusts and $25 million for all other individuals. The proposal would be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021 (i.e., beginning in 2022).
While keeping the proposed surcharges in mind, taxpayers should consider whether they can minimize their tax bills by shifting income or deductions between 2021 and 2022. Ideally, income should be received in the year with the lower marginal tax rate, and deductible expenses should be paid in the year with the higher marginal tax rate. If the marginal tax rate is the same in both years, deferring income from 2021 to 2022 will produce a one-year tax deferral and accelerating deductions from 2022 to 2021 will lower the 2021 income tax liability.
Actions to consider that may result in a reduction or deferral of taxes include:
Delaying closing capital gain transactions until after year end or structuring 2021 transactions as installment sales so that gain is deferred past 2021 (also see Long Term Capital Gains, below).
Considering whether to trigger capital losses before the end of 2021 to offset 2021 capital gains.
Delaying interest or dividend payments from closely held corporations to individual business-owner taxpayers.
Deferring commission income by closing sales in early 2022 instead of late 2021.
Accelerating deductions for expenses such as mortgage interest and charitable donations (including donations of appreciated property) into 2021 (subject to AGI limitations).
Evaluating whether non-business bad debts are worthless by the end of 2021 and should be recognized as a short-term capital loss.
Shifting investments to municipal bonds or investments that do not pay dividends to reduce taxable income in future years.
On the other hand, taxpayers that will be in a higher tax bracket in 2022 or that would be subject to the proposed 2022 surcharges may want to consider potential ways to move taxable income from 2022 into 2021, such that the taxable income is taxed at a lower tax rate. Current year actions to consider that could reduce 2022 taxes include:
Accelerating capital gains into 2021 or deferring capital losses until 2022.
Electing out of the installment sale method for 2021 installment sales.
Deferring deductions such as large charitable contributions to 2022.
Long-Term Capital Gains
The long-term capital gains rates for 2021 and 2022 are shown below. The tax brackets refer to the taxpayer’s taxable income. Capital gains also may be subject to the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax.
2021 Long-Term Capital Gains Rate Brackets
2022 Long-Term Capital Gains Rate Brackets
Long-term capital gains (and qualified dividends) are subject to a lower tax rate than other types of income. Investors should consider the following when planning for capital gains:
Holding capital assets for more than a year (more than three years for assets attributable to carried interests) so that the gain upon disposition qualifies for the lower long-term capital gains rate.
Considering long-term deferral strategies for capital gains such as reinvesting capital gains into designated qualified opportunity zones.
Investing in, and holding, “qualified small business stock” for at least five years. (Note that the November 3 draft of the Build Back Better Act would limit the 100% and 75% exclusion available for the sale of qualified small business stock for dispositions after September 13, 2021.)
Donating appreciated property to a qualified charity to avoid long term capital gains tax (also see Charitable Contributions, below).
Net Investment Income Tax
An additional 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) applies on net investment income above certain thresholds. For 2021, net investment income does not apply to income derived in the ordinary course of a trade or business in which the taxpayer materially participates. Similarly, gain on the disposition of trade or business assets attributable to an activity in which the taxpayer materially participates is not subject to the NIIT.
The November 3 version of the Build Back Better Act would broaden the application of the NIIT. Under the proposed legislation, the NIIT would apply to all income earned by high income taxpayers unless such income is otherwise subject to self-employment or payroll tax. For example, high income pass-through entity owners would be subject to the NIIT on their distributive share income and gain that is not subject to self-employment tax. In conjunction with other tax planning strategies that are being implemented to reduce income tax or capital gains tax, impacted taxpayers may want to consider the following tax planning to minimize their NIIT liabilities:
Deferring net investment income for the year.
Accelerating into 2021 income from pass-through entities that would be subject to the expanded definition of net investment income under the proposed tax legislation.
Social Security Tax
The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program is funded by contributions from employees and employers through FICA tax. The FICA tax rate for both employees and employers is 6.2% of the employee’s gross pay, but only on wages up to $142,800 for 2021 and $147,000 for 2022. Self-employed persons pay a similar tax, called SECA (or self-employment tax), based on 12.4% of the net income of their businesses.
Employers, employees, and self-employed persons also pay a tax for Medicare/Medicaid hospitalization insurance (HI), which is part of the FICA tax, but is not capped by the OASDI wage base. The HI payroll tax is 2.9%, which applies to earned income only. Self-employed persons pay the full amount, while employers and employees each pay 1.45%. An extra 0.9% Medicare (HI) payroll tax must be paid by individual taxpayers on earned income that is above certain adjusted gross income (AGI) thresholds, i.e., $200,000 for individuals, $250,000 for married couples filing jointly and $125,000 for married couples filing separately. However, employers do not pay this extra tax.
Long-Term Care Insurance and Services
Premiums an individual pays on a qualified long-term care insurance policy are deductible as a medical expense. The maximum deduction amount is determined by an individual’s age. The following table sets forth the deductible limits for 2021 and 2022 (the limitations are per person, not per return):
Retirement Plan Contributions
Individuals may want to maximize their annual contributions to qualified retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) while keeping in mind the current proposed tax legislation that would limit contributions and conversions and require minimum distributions beginning in 2029 for large retirement funds without regard to the taxpayer’s age.
The maximum amount of elective contributions that an employee can make in 2021 to a 401(k) or 403(b) plan is $19,500 ($26,000 if age 50 or over and the plan allows “catch up” contributions). For 2022, these limits are $20,500 and $27,000, respectively.
The SECURE Act permits a penalty-free withdrawal of up to $5,000 from traditional IRAs and qualified retirement plans for qualifying expenses related to the birth or adoption of a child after December 31, 2019. The $5,000 distribution limit is per individual, so a married couple could each receive $5,000.
Under the SECURE Act, individuals are now able to contribute to their traditional IRAs in or after the year in which they turn 70½.
The SECURE Act changes the age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from tax-qualified retirement plans and IRAs from age 70½ to age 72 for individuals born on or after July 1, 1949. Generally, the first RMD for such individuals is due by April 1 of the year after the year in which they turn 72.
Individuals age 70½ or older can donate up to $100,000 to a qualified charity directly from a taxable IRA.
The SECURE Act generally requires that designated beneficiaries of persons who die after December 31, 2019, take inherited plan benefits over a 10-year period. Eligible designated beneficiaries (i.e., surviving spouses, minor children of the plan participant, disabled and chronically ill beneficiaries and beneficiaries who are less than 10 years younger than the plan participant) are not limited to the 10-year payout rule. Special rules apply to certain trusts.
Small businesses can contribute the lesser of (i) 25% of employees’ salaries or (ii) an annual maximum set by the IRS each year to a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan by the extended due date of the employer’s federal income tax return for the year that the contribution is made. The maximum SEP contribution for 2021 is $58,000. The maximum SEP contribution for 2022 is $61,000. The calculation of the 25% limit for self-employed individuals is based on net self-employment income, which is calculated after the reduction in income from the SEP contribution (as well as for other things, such as self-employment taxes).
2021 could be the final opportunity to convert non-Roth after-tax savings in qualified plans and IRAs to Roth accounts if legislation passes in its current form. Proposed legislation would prohibit all taxpayers from funding Roth IRAs or designated Roth accounts with after-tax contributions starting in 2022, and high-income taxpayers from converting retirement accounts attributable to pre-tax or deductible contributions to Roths starting in 2032.
Proposed legislation would require wealthy savers of all ages to substantially draw down retirement balances that exceed $10 million after December 31, 2028, with potential income tax payments on the distributions. As account balances approach the mandatory distribution level, extra consideration should be given before making an annual contribution.
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
The foreign earned income exclusion is $108,700 in 2021, to be increased to $112,000 in 2022.
Alternative Minimum Tax
A taxpayer must pay either the regular income tax or the alternative minimum tax (AMT), whichever is higher. The established AMT exemption amounts for 2021 are $73,600 for unmarried individuals and individuals claiming head of household status, $114,600 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses, $57,300 for married individuals filing separately and $25,700 for estates and trusts. For 2022, those amounts are $75,900 for unmarried individuals and individuals claiming the head of household status, $118,100 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses, $59,050 for married individuals filing separately and $26,500 for estates and trusts.
Kiddie Tax
The unearned income of a child is taxed at the parents’ tax rates if those rates are higher than the child’s tax rate.
Limitation on Deductions of State and Local Taxes (SALT Limitation)
For individual taxpayers who itemize their deductions, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) introduced a $10,000 limit on deductions of state and local taxes paid during the year ($5,000 for married individuals filing separately). The limitation applies to taxable years beginning on or after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. Various states have enacted new rules that allow owners of pass-through entities to avoid the SALT deduction limitation in certain cases.
The November 3 draft of the Build Back Better Act would extend the TCJA SALT deduction limitation through 2031 and increase the deduction limitation amount to $72,500 ($32,250 for estates, trusts and married individuals filing separately). An amendment currently on the table proposes increasing the deduction limitation amount to $80,000 ($40,000 for estates, trusts and married individuals filing separately). The proposal would be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, therefore applying to the 2021 calendar year.
Charitable Contributions
The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act of 2020 extended the temporary suspension of the AGI limitation on certain qualifying cash contributions to publicly supported charities under the CARES Act. As a result, individual taxpayers are permitted to take a charitable contribution deduction for qualifying cash contributions made in 2021 to the extent such contributions do not exceed the taxpayer’s AGI. Any excess carries forward as a charitable contribution that is usable in the succeeding five years. Contributions to non-operating private foundations or donor-advised funds are not eligible for the 100% AGI limitation. The limitations for cash contributions continue to be 30% of AGI for non-operating private foundations and 60% of AGI for donor advised funds. The temporary suspension of the AGI limitation on qualifying cash contributions will no longer apply to contributions made in 2022. Contributions made in 2022 will be subject to a 60% AGI limitation. Tax planning around charitable contributions may include:
Maximizing 2021 cash charitable contributions to qualified charities to take advantage of the 100% AGI limitation.
Deferring large charitable contributions to 2022 if the taxpayer would be subject to the proposed individual surcharge tax.
Creating and funding a private foundation, donor advised fund or charitable remainder trust.
Donating appreciated property to a qualified charity to avoid long term capital gains tax.
Estate and Gift Taxes
The November 3 draft of the Build Back Better Act does not include any changes to the estate and gift tax rules. For gifts made in 2021, the gift tax annual exclusion is $15,000 and for 2022 is $16,000. For 2021, the unified estate and gift tax exemption and generation-skipping transfer tax exemption is $11,700,000 per person. For 2022, the exemption is $12,060,000. All outright gifts to a spouse who is a U.S. citizen are free of federal gift tax. However, for 2021 and 2022, only the first $159,000 and $164,000, respectively, of gifts to a non-U.S. citizen spouse are excluded from the total amount of taxable gifts for the year. Tax planning strategies may include:
Making annual exclusion gifts.
Making larger gifts to the next generation, either outright or in trust.
Creating a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) or a Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) or selling assets to an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT).
Net Operating Losses
The CARES Act permitted individuals with net operating losses generated in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2021, to carry those losses back five taxable years. The unused portion of such losses was eligible to be carried forward indefinitely and without limitation. Net operating losses generated beginning in 2021 are subject to the TCJA rules that limit carryforwards to 80% of taxable income and do not permit losses to be carried back.
Excess Business Loss Limitation
A non-corporate taxpayer may deduct net business losses of up to $262,000 ($524,000 for joint filers) in 2021. The limitation is $270,000 ($540,000 for joint filers) for 2022. The November 3 draft of the Build Back Better Act would make permanent the excess business loss provisions originally set to expire December 31, 2025. The proposed legislation would limit excess business losses to $500,000 for joint fliers ($250,000 for all other taxpayers) and treat any excess as a deduction attributable to a taxpayer’s trades or businesses when computing excess business loss in the subsequent year. [...]
November 12, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real Estate / UncategorizedHarris CPAs has announced a merger with Deagle Ames, LLC and Ataraxis Accounting and Advisory, Chtd of Twin Falls, Idaho effective October 16, 2021. The mergers add a total of 22 professionals to the Harris CPAs team, and a new office location in Twin Falls.
Deagle Ames, LLC offers tax planning and preparation, advisory and accounting services and has worked side by side with their business owners to help them stay competitive and profitable for nearly 65 years from two office in Twin Falls and Buhl. “This merger provided a unique opportunity for us to expand our service offerings to our clients. Their core values strongly mirror our own and we are excited to be a part of their continuous growth,” said Pam McClain, managing partner of Deagle Ames. Pam and her team of 12 other professionals remain in their current office locations in Twin Falls on 5th Ave S and in Buhl on Main St.
Ataraxis Accounting and Advisory Services, Chtd is located in Twin Falls and provides tax planning and preparation, advisory and accounting services. They have an established reputation for quality service and deep client relationships in the area. “We are enthusiastic to continue the high level of service we have provided our clients for nearly 50 years,” said Lisa Donnelley, Managing Partner at Ataraxis. “Joining the team at Harris CPAs will allow us to take advantage of their advanced technology in service delivery and provide our clients additional technical resources.” Lisa and her team of 7 other professionals have relocated to the new Harris location at 161 5th Ave S, Suite 200 in the historic downtown Twin Falls.
Harris CPAs has been a leading provider of assurance, tax, accounting, and advisory services in Idaho since 1996 with additional offices in Meridian, Boise and Coeur d’Alene. They serve clients throughout the United States and in all stages of the business cycle. The merger also provides Harris CPAs with a new competitive advantage in the agriculture industry.
A ribbon cutting with the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce will take place on December 2, 2021 at 161 5th Ave S, Suite 200, Twin Falls, ID 83301, followed by a welcoming reception.
For more information, please contact Tara Davis, Marketing Manager for Harris CPAs at (208) 333-8965 or taradavis@harriscpas.com. [...]
September 13, 2021Blog / Employee Benefit PlansWhen workers change jobs and relocate, plan sponsors face several challenges, including locating former employees who have left funds in a qualified retirement plan and failed to keep their contact information current. The scope of the missing participants problem is enormous: A 2018 survey found that one out of every five job changes results in a missing participant. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in economic and physical dislocation of millions of employees, the issue has taken on even greater urgency: Some 5% of U.S. adults relocated due to the financial pressures of the pandemic, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center.
In early 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a three-part package of sub-regulatory guidance related to missing participants that addresses the fiduciary responsibilities of plan sponsors related to these plan participants and beneficiaries.
DOL’s Recommended Best Practices for Missing Participants
The DOL’s “Missing Participants — Best Practices for Pension Plans” describes a range of steps that retirement plan fiduciaries should consider to locate missing or nonresponsive participants. Plan fiduciaries should determine which practices will be most effective for the plan’s specific population.
Some examples of the DOL’s recommended best practices include:
Maintain accurate information by periodically contacting participants and their beneficiaries to confirm or update their information (i.e. home and business addresses, phone numbers, social media handles, and next of kin/emergency contact information)
Implement effective communication strategies, including using plain language in all communications and building steps into plan onboarding, enrollment, and exit processes to confirm or update contact information
Search for missing participants by performing the following:
Checking related plan and employer records for contact information
Attempt to contact them via email addresses, phone numbers, and social media
Use free online search engines, public record databases (such as those for licenses, mortgages and real estate taxes), obituaries, social media engines, certified mail, and/or a commercial locator services to locate individuals
Document all procedures, communications, and actions taken to implement policies. For plans using third-party recordkeepers to maintain plan records and handle participant communications, ensure that the recordkeeper is performing agreed-upon services and work with them to identify and correct shortcomings in the plan’s recordkeeping and communication practices.
Outlining EBSA’s Investigative Approach
The Compliance Assistance Release 2021-01 outlines the general investigative approach that will guide the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) under the Terminated Vested Participants Project audits. It is also intended to facilitate voluntary compliance efforts on the part of plan fiduciaries. In opening an investigation, EBSA seeks to determine the scope of any potential problems a plan may have with recordkeeping or administration of benefits for terminated vested participants and beneficiaries.
Potential red flags that an EBSA investigator would look for are the following:
Systemic errors in plan recordkeeping and administration, which may include missing and incomplete data, such as names, dates of birth, and social security numbers
Inadequate procedures to identify and locate missing participants and beneficiaries
Inadequate procedures to contact terminated vested participants (TVPs) nearing normal retirement age to inform them of their right to commence payment of their benefits
Inadequate procedures for contacting TVPs and the beneficiaries of deceased TVPs who are not in pay status at or near the date that they must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs)
Inadequate procedures for addressing uncashed distribution checks
Making Use of the PBGC Missing Participant Program
Additionally, the Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) 2021-01 announced a temporary enforcement policy applicable to terminating defined contribution plans. The DOL will not pursue Plan fiduciaries of such plans that use the PBGC Missing Participants Program as long as they satisfy certain conditions to qualify for the safe harbor by conducting a “diligent search.” Following the transfer of the assets, the PBGC will include participants’ information in a searchable database and take certain steps to locate the participants.
The guidance describes which participant accounts may be transferred to the PBGC and the rules for participant notices. The PBGC cites multiple benefits of the program, including:
Benefits of any size can be transferred to the PBGC
Periodic active searches by the PBGC increase the likelihood of connecting missing participants with their benefits
Benefits aren’t diminished by ongoing maintenance fees or distribution charges
Transferred amounts grow with interest
Lifetime income options are available for balance transfers over $5,000
Insight:
Meeting your fiduciary obligations with respect to missing participants
While the DOL’s latest guidance on missing participants doesn’t have the force and effect of the law, plan sponsors should carefully review this guidance and adjust their processes and procedures as necessary ahead of any potential missing participant investigations. Your representative is available to review your plan, address any red flags, and implement best practices in managing the challenges caused by missing participants. [...]
September 13, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real EstateOne of the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was to introduce the Paycheck Protection Program. This allowed small business to obtain crucial funding and keep their staff employed through the pandemic. Now that the dust has settled on the three rounds of PPP loan funding, it important to consider the tax implications of these loans and the forgiveness thereof.
First off, if the loan was not forgiven (the business for whatever reason did not qualify for forgiveness), the loan is treated the same as any other debt. The principle will be required to be paid back and the interest will be deductible as a business expense.
If the business does qualify for forgiveness, the amount forgiven will be treated as tax-exempt income. This created some initial confusion as expenses incurred to generate tax-exempt income are generally not deductible (thus making the forgiveness essentially taxable in a roundabout way). As this was not the intent of congress, the CARES Act was amended by the Tax Relief Act of 2020 to allow for these expenses to be fully deductible. This was a win-win for taxpayers as it allowed for the exclusion from income of the forgiveness while still being able to deduct the payroll, rent, utilities, and other qualifying expenses used to obtain the forgiveness.
If you or your business has taken advantage of the tax-favorable provision and have questions or need assistance applying for forgiveness, please reach out to one of our advisors. We are always happy to help!
By: Matt Goodfellow, CPA- Harris CPAs [...]
April 13, 2021Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansEfforts to keep up with the myriad of challenges that retirement plan sponsors faced in 2020 may have caused some to overlook significant changes related to hardship distributions that were enacted before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These changes are designed to make it easier for participants to access funds from their 401(k) plans if they are experiencing significant financial hardship, and several changes apply to 403(b) plans as well. Some of these provisions were optional from 2018 to 2019 but became mandatory in 2020 for plan sponsors that chose to allow hardship distributions.
Now is the time for plan sponsors to examine whether they are complying with these changes in how they administer their plans and whether their plan documents accurately reflect these changes.
Background on Hardship Distribution Rule Changes
Plans are allowed—but not required—to offer taxable, in-service hardship distributions to participants who demonstrate an “immediate and heavy financial need” that could be satisfied only by taking money from their retirement accounts. In the past, that need was determined by facts and circumstances and certain safe harbors built into the law.
Over the past several years, legislation (e.g., the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations have introduced changes to make it easier for participants to withdraw funds from their accounts via hardship distributions.
Significant Hardship Distribution Provisions Now in Effect
The most significant changes related to hardship distributions that are now in effect include:
Elimination of six-month suspension on contributions (mandatory): Previously, plan sponsors were required to suspend participant contributions for six months after the participant took a hardship distribution. Some plan sponsors viewed this suspension as a way to help participants seriously consider the consequences of taking a distribution on their retirement savings, and not view their 401(k) as an ATM. For hardship distributions made on or after January 1, 2020, plan sponsors cannot impose the six-month suspension and must allow participants to immediately contribute to their retirement accounts. This change was optional in 2019 but became mandatory in 2020.
Expanded safe harbors (mandatory): To determine whether participants qualify for hardship distributions, plans can use the hardship safe harbor test and/or the hardship facts and circumstances without regard to any safe harbors. Many plans include both options for maximum flexibility. Previously, there were six safe harbors that plan sponsors could use to determine whether participants qualify for hardship distributions; these safe harbors were available if the participant needed funds to pay for medical expenses, home purchases, college tuition, funeral expenses and home casualty repairs, as well as to prevent eviction or foreclosure. The new rules add a seventh safe harbor to this list: disaster-related expenses of participants who live in a federally declared disaster area. Plan sponsors had the option of including this as a safe harbor in 2019, but its inclusion became mandatory in 2020.
Three-part test replaces some facts-and-circumstances determinations (mandatory): Previously, plan sponsors had to evaluate certain facts and circumstances to determine whether a participant qualified for a hardship distribution. For hardship distributions made on or after January 1, 2020, the new rules allow employees to self-certify that: 1) distributions do not exceed the amount the employee needs; 2) participants exhausted other resources, including deferred compensation; and 3) participants do not have reasonably available assets to take care of their needs.
Elimination of loan requirement (optional): Previously, participants had to have taken the maximum allowed loans from their plans before being allowed to permanently withdraw funds via a hardship distribution. Now plan sponsors can—but are not required to—allow participants to take a hardship distribution without first having to take a loan.
Expanded sources of funds for hardship distributions (optional): Plan sponsors now can—but are not required to—allow hardship distributions to be made from Qualified Non-Elective Employer Contributions (QNECs), Qualified Matching Contributions (QMACs), and traditional and Qualified Automatic Contribution Arrangement (QACA) safe harbor contributions and earnings.
Our Insight:
Ensure Operational and Plan Document Alignment Before December 31, 2021 Deadline
Plan sponsors need to be aware that some of the changes discussed above were optional in 2018 and 2019 but became mandatory in 2020, while others remain optional. This creates a confusing situation for plan sponsors as they work to comply with these changes—especially amid all of the other changes related to the pandemic.
Regardless, plan sponsors need to understand the hardship distribution-related changes and comply with them, both in terms of how they operate their plans and how they are reflected in the plan document. Plan sponsors have until December 31, 2021 to amend their documents to reflect these changes. In addition, it is important to notify participants about these changes.
Plan sponsors, even those that use preapproved plans, should meet with their service providers and advisors to review the current plan operations and plan document to identify any areas that are not aligned with the new rules. Lastly, while it is better to bring the plan in compliance as soon as possible, the IRS also has its Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System to fix errors found in retirement plans. [...]
March 18, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real EstateThe American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021, provides additional major relief to individuals and businesses that continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ARPA includes the following provisions related to individual taxpayers:
Additional recovery rebate credit
Unemployment compensation received in 2020 partially excluded from gross income
Child tax credit expanded for 2021
Child and dependent care credit enhanced and refundable
Student loan discharges excluded from gross income
Additional Recovery/Rebate Credit
Two rounds of economic impact payments have already been sent to individual taxpayers. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) enacted on March 27, 2020 granted eligible individuals a recovery rebate credit of $1,200 for single filers and $2,400 for joint filers (plus $500 per qualifying child). The rebate amount was advanced based on 2018 or 2019 income, but the credit is determined based on 2020 income. The Covid-Related Tax Relief Act of 2020 (CRTRA), enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act on December 27, 2020, granted eligible individuals a second refundable tax credit against their 2020 taxable income equal to $600 for single filers and $1,200 for joint filers (plus $600 per qualifying child). The CRTRA rebate amount is determined based on 2020 income, but the credit was advanced to taxpayers based on their 2019 income tax return.
The ARPA grants eligible individuals a third refundable tax credit equal to $1,400 for single filers and $2,800 for joint filers, plus $1,400 for each dependent of the taxpayer. The credit is for the 2021 tax year; however, the rebate amount is advanced based on 2019 income, or 2020 income if the 2020 tax return has been filed. Similar to the CARES Act and CRTRA, the ARPA credit begins to phase out when the single filer’s adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers and $112,500 for head of household filers). The credit completely phases out when a single filer’s AGI exceeds $80,000 ($160,000 for joint filers and $120,000 for head of household filers).
Individuals eligible for the third economic impact payment do not include nonresident aliens, individuals who may be claimed as a dependent on another person’s return, estates or trusts. Children who are or can be claimed as dependents by their parents are not eligible individuals, even if the parent chooses not to claim the child as a dependent.
A dependent of the taxpayer includes a qualifying child and a qualifying relative. A qualifying child includes a child, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, or a descendent of any of them (i) who is under age 19 or a student under age 24 at the end of the year, (ii) who has not provided more than half of their own support, (iii) who has lived with the taxpayer for more than half of the year and (iv) who has not filed a joint return (other than only for a refund claim) with the individual’s spouse. For a qualifying child who is permanently and totally disabled at any time during the tax year, all of the foregoing requirements apply except for age—age is irrelevant. A qualifying relative includes a child, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, father or mother, grandparent, stepfather or stepmother, or an individual with the same place of abode as taxpayer (i) whose gross income is less than $4,300 (excluding social security benefits), (ii) who has not provided more than half of their own support, and (iii) who is not a qualifying child. For a qualifying relative who is permanently and totally disabled at any time during the tax year, gross income does not include income for services performed at a school that provides special instruction or training designed to alleviate the disability of the individual and that is operated as a non-profit organization. The availability of medical care at the school must be the principal reason for the individual’s presence there, and the income must arise solely from activities at the school that are incidental to the medical care.
The ARPA provides that no advance refund amount will be made if the taxpayer was deceased before January 1, 2021, nor will any amount be determined for a qualifying dependent of a taxpayer if the taxpayer (both taxpayers on a joint return) was deceased before January 1, 2021. Further, in the case of a joint return where only one spouse has a valid Social Security number (SSN), that spouse is eligible to receive the $1,400 rebate if he or she meets all other requirements of joint filers (i.e., AGI limitations). However, for military service members, both spouses are eligible for the economic income payment if at least one spouse was a member of the U.S. armed forces at any time during the tax year and at least one spouse’s SSN in included on the joint return. If a dependent is considered when calculating the credit, the dependent must have a valid SSN.
Individuals who did not file a tax return in 2019 or 2020 may still receive an automatic advance based on the individual’s status as a beneficiary of social security, railroad retirement benefits or VA (Veteran’s Administration) benefits. Individuals who otherwise are not required to file and are not receiving social security benefits are still eligible for the rebate but will be required to file a tax return to claim the benefit.
Unemployment Income
For tax year 2020, if a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income is less than $150,000, the taxpayer may exclude up to $10,200 of unemployment compensation from gross income. There is no phaseout, and the $150,000 limit applies to single filers, joint filers and head of household filers. In the case of joint filers, the $10,200 exclusion amount applies separately to each filer. If the taxpayer has filed his or her 2020 tax return, the he or she will need to file an amended return to receive the tax benefit. The act also extends the federal unemployment compensation benefits in the amount of $300 per week through September 6, 2021.
Child Tax Credit
The ARPA expands the child tax credit amounts and eligibility requirements for tax year 2021. The credit is increased from $2,000 to $3,000 per qualifying child ($3,600 for children under age 6). The definition of a qualifying child is expanded to include a child who has not turned 18 by the end of 2021. The credit is fully refundable for a taxpayer with a principal place of abode in the U.S. for more than one-half the tax year, or for a taxpayer who is a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico for the tax year.
The additional $1,000 credit amount per qualifying child ($1,600 per qualifying child under age 6) begins to phase out at a rate of $50 for each $1,000 when a single filer’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers and $112,500 for head of household filers). A single filer with one qualifying child over age 6 will phase out of the increased credit amount if the taxpayer’s MAGI exceeds $95,000. Similarly situated joint filers will phase out of the increased credit amount if their MAGI exceeds $170,000.
After application of the phase-out rules for the temporarily increased credit amount, the remaining $2,000 of credit is subject to the phaseout rules under existing law ($400,000 for joint filers and $200,000 for all other filers). A single filer with one qualifying child will phase out of the remaining credit if his or her MAGI exceeds $240,000, while joint filers with one qualifying child will phase out of the remaining credit if their MAGI exceeds $440,000.
The ARPA directs the IRS to establish a program in which monthly advance payments equal to 1/12th of the estimated 2021 Child Tax Credit amount will be paid to the taxpayer during the period July 2021 through December 2021. The remaining 50% of the annual estimated amount will be claimed on the 2021 tax return. Initially, the advanced amount will be determined based on a taxpayer’s 2019 or 2020 tax filing. However, upon receipt of a more recent tax filing or other taxpayer-provided eligibility information, the IRS may modify the advance amount.
The IRS announced on March 12, 2021 that it is reviewing implementation plans for the ARPA and that it will be issuing guidance on relevant provisions.
Child and Dependent Care Credit
The child and dependent care credit also is expanded for tax year 2021. The limitation for employment-related expenses considered in determining the credit is increased from $3,000 to $8,000 for one qualifying individual and from $6,000 to $16,000 for two or more qualifying individuals. Further, the applicable percentage of employment-related expenses that are allowed as a credit against tax is increased from 35% to 50%. As a result, for taxpayers with one qualifying individual, the maximum credit is increased from $1,050 to $4,000. For taxpayers with two or more qualifying individuals, the maximum credit is increased from $2,100 to $8,000.
The credit begins to phase out when the taxpayer’s AGI exceeds $125,000. The applicable percentage is reduced by 1 percentage point for each $2,000 (or fraction thereof) by which the taxpayer’s AGI exceeds $125,000. However, the applicable percentage is not reduced below 20% except for taxpayers with AGI in excess of $400,000. Consequently, the applicable percentage is 50% for taxpayers with AGI of $125,000 or less, 20% for taxpayers with AGI greater than $185,000 but not greater than $400,000, and phases out completely for taxpayers with AGI greater than $440,000.
The credit is refundable for taxpayers that have a principal place of abode in the U.S. for more than one-half of the tax year.
Student Loan Discharges
For tax years 2021 through 2025, partial or full discharge of an eligible student loan may be excluded from gross income. The types of eligible student loans include (1) loans for post-secondary educational if made, insured or guaranteed by a federal, state or local government; (2) certain private education loans; and (3) original or refinanced loans made by an educational institution, charitable contributions to which would be limited to 50% of an individual taxpayer’s AGI if the loan is made with federal, state or local government or with certain private education lenders pursuant to a program designed to encourage students to serve in occupations, or areas, with unmet needs under the supervision of a tax-exempt governmental unit or organization described in Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).
If the discharge of a loan made by an educational organization or a private education lender is in exchange for services performed for that organization or private lender, these rules do not exclude the discharge of the loan from gross income. [...]
March 16, 2021Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a rapid response by the federal government to help businesses and employees cope with the economic issues caused by the pandemic. Many aspects of the wide-range law make significant changes affecting employer-sponsored retirement plans and their participants.
Since Congress passed the CARES Act in March 2020, we have received numerous questions from plan sponsors about the law’s impact on plans and participants. Below is a list of some of the most common questions plan sponsors face, along with our brief answers.
1. Did COVID-19 furloughs create partial plan terminations?
If an employer furloughed a significant portion of its workforce because of COVID-19 or the resulting economic downturn, it is possible that those furloughs triggered a partial plan termination. A partial plan termination happens generally when 20% or more of participants terminate employment without full vesting during a particular year. Partial terminations can occur in connection with a significant corporate event such as a plant closing, or as a result of general employee turnover due to adverse economic conditions or other reasons that are not within the employer’s control. A furlough is an involuntary, unpaid temporary leave, but the individual is still considered an employee. A furloughed employee would generally not be considered in the calculation for a partial plan termination as long as the employee returns to work within the plan year. Determining whether a partial plan termination occurred requires plan sponsors to calculate the turnover rate as well as take a careful look at the facts and circumstances surrounding the action(s). There is no one perfect formula that fits all situations.
Plan sponsors now have until March 31, 2021 to return the size of their workforces to a level that would avoid a partial plan termination.
2. If yes, do plans sponsors have to vest everyone or just the furloughed workers?
When a partial plan termination does occur, affected employees (i.e., those who have been terminated) automatically become 100% vested in all employer contributions, including matching contributions. Please visit our plan termination article for more information.
3. When do plan sponsors apply the partial termination rules?
The applicable period depends upon the plan’s circumstances, but it usually takes place during a specific plan year; the timeframe may be extended to more than one plan year if there are multiple, related severance events. See the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) issue snapshot on partial plan terminations.
4. Are sick leave and family leave payments that are mandated by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) treated as plan compensation?
Probably yes, since FFCRA paid time off would be included in Box 1 of Form W-2 and many retirement plans define “compensation” as including Box 1, W-2 compensation. But plan sponsors will need to look at how their plan defines “compensation.” If paid time off is excluded, then FFCRA paid time off would likewise be excluded (but such exclusion seems to be rare).
5. Why are auditors asking plan sponsors to document their Going Concern positions in a memo?
Many plan sponsors are unsure of their ability to fund Employer contributions to their plans and have made changes to plans as a result of the pandemic. As outlined in FASB ASU 2014-15, the responsibility for performing the annual going-concern assessment is placed on management. It is critical for management to prepare this analysis for their financial statements, including a memo on their considerations. The memo helps auditors evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about the plan’s ability to continue as a going concern. This formerly was the auditor’s responsibility, but in the past five years, this has shifted and is now a standard duty of the plan sponsor.
6. What are the most commonly adopted provisions from the CARES Act?
According to research from Plan Sponsor Council of America, 46% of surveyed plans have elected to allow repayment of coronavirus-related distributions during the next three years, followed closely by 45% allowing some distributions until December 31, 2020. Only 9% of those surveyed adopted or plan to adopt no provisions.
7. What is the difference between “temporary impairment” and “other than temporary impairment”?
These are accounting principles used to describe the nature of the decrease in an asset’s value, which is a standard topic that needs explanation in the plan’s audit. “Temporary impairment” refers to normal market fluctuations in a specific investment; “other than temporary impairment” refers to a permanent decline in the investment with little to no chance of recovery. Given the extraordinary nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its varying economic impact across industries and businesses, it is important to work with auditors to determine the correct classification of losses.
8. How can plan sponsors change the timing and frequency of the employer matching contribution from each pay cycle to a year-end contribution?
There are IRS and plan document limitations related to changes in certain types of Employer contributions, such as Safe Harbor contributions. However, generally a sponsor can more easily change the timing of the deposit of those contributions into the plan, rather than change the formula and eligibility provisions of the Employer contribution. When cashflow is tight, consider funding the contribution on an annual, quarterly, monthly, or per payroll period basis to fit your needs. Employers generally have until the extended due date of their federal income tax return for that tax year to deposit Employer contributions into the retirement plan. Plan sponsors should check their plan documents (and summary plan description) to see if an amendment is needed to change the timing of when Employer contributions are made to the plan.
9. Do plan sponsors have to implement the CARES Act provisions for the new distribution and loan options?
The CARES Act expanded current rules on coronavirus-related distributions and loans, increasing the amount affected participants can pull from their accounts as well as the time they can take to repay the money, if applicable to the transaction. It’s important for plan sponsors to understand that the distribution and loan provisions are optional, as outlined in IRS Notice 2020-50. Plan sponsors should be aware that they may choose amongst the provisions and adopt the ones that they feel their participants would benefit from the most.
10. If plan sponsors implement a change to their plan allowed by the CARES Act, when should the plan document be amended to reflect the change?
Plan sponsors are permitted to make the CARES Act options available immediately even before a written amendment is made to the plan document. The deadline to formally adopt the amendments has been extended to December 31, 2022 (for calendar years) or the end of the plan year starting in 2022 (for non-calendar years).
11. Can plan sponsors stop making employer contributions?
In general, plans can reduce or eliminate discretionary non-elective and discretionary matching contributions without needing to amend plan documents, but plan sponsors need to examine plan documents to make this decision. Note that plans operating as Safe Harbor plans face a different set of requirements. See the section, “Can plans reduce or eliminate matching contributions?” in this BDO article to learn more about these requirements and other options plan sponsors have for conserving cash during the pandemic.
12. Can participants still take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) even though RMDs were waived for 2020?
Yes, but only if the plan allows withdrawals. The CARES Act allows participants to waive the RMD for 2020, but the law does not prohibit participants from taking a withdrawal. First, check the plan document to see whether withdrawals are allowed; then, see whether the plan has relaxed withdrawal rules as a result of the CARES Act to determine maximum amounts. [...]
March 5, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Real Estate
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Act), signed into law on December 27, 2020, contains significant enhancements and improvements to the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). The ERC, which was created by the CARES Act on March 27, 2020, is designed to encourage employers (including tax-exempt entities) to keep employees on their payroll and continue providing health benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. The ERC is a refundable payroll tax credit for wages paid and health coverage provided by an employer whose operations were either fully or partially suspended due to a COVID-19-related governmental order or that experienced a significant reduction in gross receipts.
Employers may use ERCs to offset federal payroll tax deposits, including the employee FICA and income tax withholding components of the employer’s federal payroll tax deposits.
ERC for 2020
The Act makes the following retroactive changes to the ERC, which apply during the period March 13, 2020 through December 31, 2020:
Employers that received PPP loans may qualify for the ERC with respect to wages that are not paid with proceeds from a forgiven PPP loan.
The Act clarifies how tax-exempt organizations determine “gross receipts.”
Group health care expenses are considered “qualified wages” even when no other wages are paid to the employee.
INSIGHTS:
Employers that received a PPP loan and that were previously prohibited from claiming the ERC may now retroactively claim the ERC for 2020.
With respect to the retroactive measures in the Act, employers that paid qualified wages in Q1 through Q3 2020 may elect to treat the qualified wages as being paid in Q4 2020. This should allow employers to claim the ERC in connection with such qualified wages via a timely filed IRS Form 7200 or Form 941, as opposed to requiring an amended return (IRS Form 941-X) for the prior quarter(s) in 2020.
ERC for 2021 (January 1 – June 30, 2021)
In addition to the retroactive changes listed above, the following changes to the ERC apply from January 1 to June 30, 2021:
Increased Credit Amount
The ERC rate is increased from 50% to 70% of qualified wages and the limit on per-employee wages is increased from $10,000 for the year to $10,000 per quarter.
Broadened Eligibility Requirements
The gross receipts eligibility threshold for employers is reduced from a 50% decline to a 20% decline in gross receipts for the same calendar quarter in 2019.
A safe harbor is provided allowing employers to use prior quarter gross receipts compared to the same quarter in 2019 to determine eligibility.
Employers not in existence in 2019 may compare 2021 quarterly gross receipts to 2020 quarters to determine eligibility.
The credit is available to certain government instrumentalities, including colleges, universities, organizations providing medical or hospital care, and certain organizations chartered by Congress.
Determination of Qualified Wages
The 100-full time employee threshold for determining “qualified wages” based on all wages paid to employees is increased to 500 or fewer full-time employees.
The Act strikes the limitation that qualified wages paid or incurred by an eligible employer with respect to an employee may not exceed the amount that employee would have been paid for working during the 30 days immediately preceding that period (which, for example, allows employers to take the ERC for bonuses paid to essential workers).
Advance Payments
Under rules to be drafted by Treasury, employers with less than 500 full-time employees will be allowed advance payments of the ERC during a calendar quarter in which qualifying wages are paid. Special rules for advance payments are included for seasonal employers and employers that were not in existence in 2019.
INSIGHTS:
Employers that previously reached the credit limit on some of their employees in 2020 can continue to claim the ERC for those employees in 2021 to the extent the employer remains eligible for the ERC.
Qualification for employers in 2021 based on the reduction in gross receipts test may provide new opportunities for businesses in impacted industries.
Eligible employers with 500 or fewer employees may now claim up to $7,000 in credits per quarter, paid to all employees, regardless of the extent of services performed. Previously this rule was applicable to employers with 100 or fewer employees and a maximum of $5,000 in credit per employee per year. Aggregation rules apply to determine whether entities under common control are treated as a single employer.
The Act may provide significant opportunities for your company. However, the interplay between the Act, the CARES Act and various Internal Revenue Code sections is nuanced and complicated so professional advice may be needed. [...]
January 4, 2021Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real Estate / UncategorizedA video introduction of our new office at 1120 S Rackham Way, Meridian
While 2020 has dealt its fair share of curve balls, one thing that has not wavered is our commitment to helping our clients and their businesses succeed and make it through these unforeseen circumstances. We are grateful to each and every one of our clients for the relationships we have created over the years. Our success would not be possible without you. We have been excited to see our team grow significantly over the last few years, and the time has come where we have finally outgrown our current space.
We are excited to announce that we have moved and are now open at our new location! It was important to us to remain in Meridian, which has become a central location for the entire Treasure Valley, and to continue to provide easy access to our office for our clients. Our new office location is just down the road from our former location, and is in the new Eagle View Landing Business Complex in Meridian.
We look forward to celebrating this move with you and inviting you to our new space when it is safe to do so. We truly value our relationship with each and every one of our clients and look forward to working with you in the new year!
NEW ADDRESS:1120 S Rackham Way, Suite 100 | Meridian, ID 83642(Map Source: https://bvadev.com/properties)
Take a Look Inside:
(Swipe to advance slideshow) [...]
December 29, 2020Blog / Construction / Engineering / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real EstateOn December 27, 2020, the president signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (bill), a massive tax, funding, and spending bill that contains a nearly $900 billion coronavirus aid package. The over 5,500-page emergency coronavirus relief package aims to bolster the economy, provide relief to small businesses and the unemployed, deliver checks to individuals and provide funding for COVID-19 testing and the administration of vaccines.
The coronavirus relief package contains another round of financial relief for individuals in the form of cash payments and enhanced federal unemployment benefits. Individuals who earn $75,000 or less annually generally will receive a direct payment of $600. Qualifying families will receive an additional $600 for each child. According to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, these checks could be distributed before the end of 2020. To provide emergency financial assistance to the unemployed, federal unemployment insurance benefits that expire at the end of 2020 will be extended for 11 weeks through mid-March 2021, and unemployed individuals will receive a $300 weekly enhancement in unemployment benefits from the end of December 2020 through mid-March. The CARES Act measure that provided $600 in enhanced weekly unemployment benefits expired on July 31, 2020.
The bill earmarks an additional $284 billion for a new round of forgivable small-business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and contains a number of important changes to the PPP. It expands eligibility for loans, allows certain particularly hard-hit businesses to request a second loan, and provides that PPP borrowers may deduct PPP expenses attributable to forgiven PPP loans in computing their federal income tax liability and that such borrowers need not include loan forgiveness in income.
The bill allocates $15 billion in dedicated funding to shuttered live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions, with $12 billion allocated to help business in low-income and minority communities.
The bill also extends and expands the employee retention credit (ERC) and extends a number of tax deductions, credits and incentives that are set to expire on December 31, 2020.
This alert highlights the main tax provisions included in the bill.
Paycheck Protection Program
The PPP, one of the stimulus measures created by the CARES Act, provides for the granting of federally guaranteed loans to small businesses, nonprofit organizations, veterans organizations and tribal businesses in an effort to keep businesses operating and retain staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PPP loans are administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA)).
A recipient of a PPP loan under the CARES Act (the first round) could use the funds to meet payroll costs, certain employee healthcare costs, interest on mortgage obligations, rent and utilities. At least 60% of the loan funds were required to be spent on payroll costs for the loan to be forgiven.
Eligible businesses
Business are eligible for the second round of PPP loans regardless of whether a loan was received in the first round. The bill changes the definition of a “small business.” Small businesses are defined as businesses with no more than 300 employees and whose revenues dropped by 25% during one of the first three quarters of 2020 (or the fourth quarter if the business is applying after January 1, 2021). The decrease is determined by comparing gross receipts in a quarter to the same in the prior year. Businesses with more than 300 employees must meet the SBA’s usual criteria to qualify as a small business.
Borrowers may receive a loan amount of up to 2.5 (3.5 for accommodation and food services sector businesses) times their average monthly payroll costs in 2019 or the 12 months before the loan application, capped at $2 million per borrower, reduced from a limit of $10 million in the first round of PPP loans. The bill also expands the types of organizations that may request a PPP loan. Eligibility for a PPP loan is extended to:
Tax-exempt organizations described in Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(6) that have no more than 300 employees and whose lobbying activities do not comprise more than 15% of the organization’s total activities (but the loan proceeds may not be used for lobbying activities)
“Destination marketing organizations” that do not have more than 300 employees
Housing cooperatives that do not have more than 300 employees
Stations, newspapers and public broadcasting organizations that do not have more than 500 employees
The following businesses, inter alia, are not eligible for a PPP loan:
Publicly-traded businesses and entities created or organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong that hold directly or indirectly at least 20% of the economic interest of the business or entity, including as equity shares or a capital or profit interest in a limited liability company or partnership, or that retain as a member of the entity’s board of directors a China-resident person
Persons required to submit a registration statement under the Foreign Agents Registration Act
Persons that receive a grant under the Economic Aid to Hard Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act
Uses of loan proceeds
The bill adds four types of non-payroll expenses that can be paid from and submitted for forgiveness, for both round 1 and round 2 PPP loans, but it is unclear whether borrowers that have already been approved for partial forgiveness can resubmit an application to add these new expenses:
Covered operational expenditures, i.e., payments for software or cloud computing services that facilitate business operations, product or service delivery, the processing, payment or tracking of payroll expenses, human resources, sales and billing functions, or accounting or tracking of supplies, inventory, records and expenses
Covered property damage, i.e., costs related to property damage and vandalism or looting due to public disturbances that took place in 2020, which were not covered by insurance or other compensation
Covered supplier costs, i.e., expenses incurred by a borrower under a contract or order in effect before the date the PPP loan proceeds were disbursed for the supply of goods that are essential to the borrower’s business operations
Covered worker protection equipment, i.e., costs of personal protective equipment incurred by a borrower to comply with rules or guidance issued by the Department of Health & Human Services, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Centers for Disease Control, or a state or local government
To qualify for full forgiveness of a PPP loan, the borrower must use at least 60% of the funds for payroll-related expenses over the relevant covered period (eight or 24 weeks).
Increase in loan amount
The bill contains a provision that allows an eligible recipient of a PPP loan to request an increased amount, even if the initial loan proceeds were returned in part or in full, and even if the lender of the original loan has submitted a Form 1502 to the SBA (the form sets out the identity of the borrower and the loan amount).
Expense deductions
The bill confirms that business expenses (that normally would be deductible for federal income tax purposes) paid out of PPP loans may be deducted for federal income tax purposes and that the borrower’s tax basis and other attributes of the borrower’s assets will not be reduced as a result of the loan forgiveness. This has been an area of uncertainty because, while the CARES Act provides that any amount of PPP loan forgiveness that normally would be includible in gross income will be excluded from gross income, it is silent on whether eligible business expenses attributable to PPP loan forgiveness are deductible for tax purposes. The IRS took the position in guidance that, because the proceeds of a forgiven PPP loan are not considered taxable income, expenses paid with forgiven PPP loan proceeds may not be deducted. The bill clarifies that such expenses are fully deductible—welcome news for struggling businesses. Importantly, the effective date of this provision applies to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of the CARES Act. Thus, taxpayers that filed tax returns without deducting PPP-eligible deductions should consider amending such returns to claim the expenses.
Loan forgiveness covered period
The bill clarifies the rules relating to the selection of a PPP loan forgiveness covered period. Under the current rules, only borrowers that received PPP proceeds before June 5, 2020 could elect an eight-week covered period. The bill provides that the covered period begins on the loan origination date but allows all loan recipients to choose the ending date that is eight or 24 weeks later.
Loan forgiveness
PPP loan recipients generally are eligible for loan forgiveness if they apply at least 60% of the loan proceeds to payroll costs (subject to the newly added eligible expenditures, as described above), with partial forgiveness available where this threshold is not met. Loans that are not forgiven must be repaid.
Currently, PPP loan recipients apply for loan forgiveness on either SBA Form 3508, Form 3508 EZ or Form 3508S, all of which required documentation that demonstrates that the claimed amounts were paid during the applicable covered period, subject to reduction for not maintaining the workforce or wages at pre-COVID levels.
The bill provides a new simplified forgiveness procedure for loans of $150,000 or less. Instead of the documentation summarized above, these borrowers cannot be required to submit to the lender any documents other than a one-page signed certification that sets out the number of employees the borrower was able to retain because of the PPP loan, an estimate of the amounts spent on payroll-related costs, the total loan value and that the borrower has accurately provided all information required and retains all relevant documents. The SBA will be required to develop the simplified loan forgiveness application form within 24 days of the enactment of the bill and generally may not require additional documentation. Lenders will need to modify their systems used for applications to make an electronic version of the new forgiveness application available to eligible borrowers.
Employment Retention Credit and Families First Coronavirus Response Credit
The bill extends and expands the ERC and the paid leave credit under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
ERC
The ERC, introduced under the CARES Act, is a refundable tax credit equal to 50% of up to $10,000 in qualified wages (i.e., a total of $5,000 per employee) paid by an eligible employer whose operations were suspended due to a COVID-19-related governmental order or whose gross receipts for any 2020 calendar quarter were less than 50% of its gross receipts for the same quarter in 2019.
The bill makes the following changes to the ERC, which will apply from January 1 to June 30, 2021:
The credit rate is increased from 50% to 70% of qualified wages and the limit on per-employee wages is increased from $10,000 for the year to $10,000 per quarter.
The gross receipts eligibility threshold for employers is reduced from a 50% decline to a 20% decline in gross receipts for the same calendar quarter in 2019, a safe harbor is provided allowing employers to use prior quarter gross receipts to determine eligibility and the ERC is available to employers that were not in existence during any quarter in 2019. The 100-employee threshold for determining “qualified wages” based on all wages is increased to 500 or fewer employees.
The credit is available to certain government instrumentalities.
The bill clarifies the determination of gross receipts for certain tax-exempt organizations and that group health plan expenses can be considered qualified wages even when no wages are paid to the employee.
New, expansive provisions regarding advance payments of the ERC to small employers are included, such as special rules for seasonal employers and employers that were not in existence in 2019. The bill also provides reconciliation rules and provides that excess advance payments of the credit during a calendar quarter will be subject to tax that is the amount of the excess.
Treasury and the SBA will issue guidance providing that payroll costs paid during the PPP covered period can be treated as qualified wages to the extent that such wages were not paid from the proceeds of a forgiven PPP loan. Further, the bill strikes the limitation that qualified wages paid or incurred by an eligible employer with respect to an employee may not exceed the amount that employee would have been paid for working during the 30 days immediately preceding that period (which, for example, allows employers to take the ERC for bonuses paid to essential workers).
The bill makes three retroactive changes that are effective as if they were included the CARES Act. Employers that received PPP loans may still qualify for the ERC with respect to wages that are not paid for with proceeds from a forgiven PPP loan. The bill also clarifies how tax-exempt organizations determine “gross receipts” and that group health care expenses can be considered “qualified wages” even when no other wages are paid to the employee.
FFCRA
The FFCRA paid emergency sick and child-care leave and related tax credits are extended through March 31, 2021 on a voluntary basis. In other words, FFCRA leave is no longer mandatory, but employers that provide FFCRA leave from January 1 to March 31, 2021 may take a federal tax credit for providing such leave. Some clarifications have been made for self-employed individuals as if they were included in the FFCRA.
Other Tax Provisions in the CAA
The bill includes changes to some provisions in the IRC:
Charitable donation deduction: For taxable years beginning in 2021, taxpayers who do not itemize deductions may take a deduction for cash donations of up to $300 made to qualifying organizations. The CARES Act revised the charitable donation deduction rules to encourage donations following a decline after the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017.
Medical expense deduction: The income threshold for unreimbursed medical expense deductions is permanently reduced from 10% to 7.5% so that more expenses may be deducted.
Business meal deduction: Businesses may deduct 100% of business-related restaurant meals during 2021 and 2022 (the deduction currently is available only for 50% of those expenses).
Extenders: The bill provides for a five-year extension of the following tax provisions that are scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2020:
The look-through rule for certain payments from related controlled foreign corporations in IRC Section 954(c)(6), which was extended to apply to taxable years of foreign corporations beginning before January 1, 2026 and to taxable years of U.S. shareholders with or within which such taxable years of foreign corporations end
New Markets Tax Credit
Work Opportunity Tax Credit
Health Coverage Tax Credit
Carbon Oxide Sequestration Credit
Employer credit for paid family and medical leave
Empowerment zone tax incentives
Exclusion from gross income of discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness
Seven-year recovery period for motorsports entertainment complexes
Expensing rules for certain productions
Oil spill liability trust fund rate
Incentive for certain employer payments of student loans (notably, the bill does not include other student loan relief so that borrowers will need to resume payments on such loans and interest will begin to accrue).
Permanent changes: The bill makes several tax provisions permanent that were scheduled to expire in the future, in addition to the medical expense deduction threshold mentioned above:
The deduction of the costs of energy-efficient commercial building property (now subject to inflation adjustments)
The gross income deduction provided to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders for state and local tax benefits and certain qualified payments
The transition from a deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses to an increased income limitation on the lifetime learning credit
The railroad track maintenance credit
Certain provisions, refunds and reduced rates related to beer, wine and distilled spirits, as well as minimum processing requirements for certain craft beverages produced outside the U.S. [...]
November 17, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansPlan sponsors have a fiduciary obligation to ensure that participant 401(k) contributions (including participant loan repayments) are deposited into participant accounts as soon as reasonably possible. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has caused many issues for plan sponsors trying to remit those deposits on time. The Department of Labor (DOL) has provided relief for plan sponsors who have been late remitting employee contributions to their service providers because of the pandemic, but plan sponsors still have an obligation to accurately document what caused the delay.
Usual Remittance Timing Requirements
Under normal circumstances, plan sponsors must separate employee elective deferrals from the employer’s general assets as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than the 15th business day of the following month. Plans with fewer than 100 participants are permitted seven business days to complete the transaction, but large plans with 100 or more participants are held to the “as soon as reasonably possible” standard. Failing to comply with these requirements may trigger a prohibited transaction and carry significant penalties, including plan disqualification.
Relief for COVID-19 Remittance Delays
In recognition of the logistical challenges that plan sponsors are facing during the pandemic as many plan administrators are working remotely or have limited access to their offices, the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Disaster Relief Notice 2020-01. The Notice covers a variety of reliefs relating to various requirements and deadlines, including late participant remittances. Under the relief measures, the DOL would not take enforcement action against plan sponsors who were delayed with their participant 401(k) contribution deposits from March 1, 2020, until the 60th day following the announced end of the National Emergency resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. For delays caused by the pandemic that have been properly documented, the DOL does not require plan sponsors to report those remittances as late nor calculate lost earnings on those remittances.To qualify for the disaster relief, the late deposits must be attributed directly to the pandemic. The plan sponsor must document the cause of the delay, including specific dates and other details. As the work environment continues to change, a best practice is to document each event as it occurs (while still current), rather than waiting and attempting to later document the details when auditors and/or DOL officials ask for the information.Service providers for the plan also may be able to help the plan sponsor detail the history of the company’s contribution deposits. For instance, service providers often can provide quarterly reports on transactions, account balances, reconciliation issues, and more that can assist the plan sponsor in documenting the causes of late remittances.
Insight—Create a Remittance History
The DOL is providing a significant amount of flexibility and relief to sponsors struggling to remit timely during the pandemic. Plan sponsors have a responsibility to act reasonably, prudently and in the interest of participants. They must comply as soon as administratively practicable under the pandemic circumstances.
Documenting contributions that were not able to be deposited within the prescribed timeframes were caused solely by the COVID-19 outbreak is an important task for plan sponsors. Creating a detailed remittance history (starting with March 1, 2020) can a helpful way for the plan sponsor to explain how the delays were related to COVID-19.If you have questions about documenting your remittance history as a result of COVID-19, Disaster Relief Notice 2020-01, or how this relief might relate to your 401(k) plan deposits, please contact your representative.
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August 21, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansOur special guest speaker, Ben Gibbons of Holland & Hart, discusses the latest retirement plan-related COVID-19 guidance and how it impacts plan sponsors and their retirement plans.
Harris CPAs Employee Benefit Plan Industry team has been working hard on creating new resources for our clients during these challenging times in the form of webinars, blogs, and a special dedicated COVID-19 resources page on our website. As always, if you have any additional questions regarding your plan, ideas for future topics, or need to run through your plan’s specific scenario, please don’t hesitate to reach out to anyone on our EBP team. You can find out more about the team, and their contact info by clicking on our Harris CPAs Employee Benefits Industry Services. [...]
July 2, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans / Uncategorized(An intro from Derrick Lasley, CPA, Manager at Harris CPAs, explaining partial plan terminations.)
The U.S. unemployment rate reached 14.7% in April, its highest level since the Great Depression, as companies looked to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic. While downsizing the workforce can help companies remain afloat, plan sponsors need to understand how these decisions could affect their retirement plans.
If layoffs are significant, a partial plan termination may occur and create major financial implications for a plan sponsor.
Determining Whether a Partial Plan Termination Has Been TriggeredWhile generally speaking a partial plan termination occurs when 20 percent or more of employees participating in a defined benefit or defined contribution plan are involuntarily terminated from employment, there is no perfect formula. Plan sponsors are required to review the “facts and circumstances” surrounding the reductions in workforce. Different rules may apply if the terminated employees work across business lines in an entity or the terminations span more than one plan year.
Simple math is only a starting point:The first step in determining the size of the layoff for purposes of a partial plan termination is to take the total number of vested and unvested employees that were involuntarily terminated and divide by the total number of plan participants during the applicable period (usually the plan year). While this calculation is a starting point, the final ruling will be based on the facts and circumstances surrounding the terminations.
Only involuntary terminations apply:Only employees who are terminated for involuntary reasons count toward the partial plan termination trigger. The IRS says that routine turnovers and certain spin-offs may not count toward a partial plan termination. Employers may provide evidence to the IRS that the turnover rate was not the result of an employer-initiated severance.
Partial plan terminations can be triggered by various reasons:Partial plan terminations can happen for reasons that are less obvious, such as when plan amendments exclude employees or adversely affect vesting rights, or when reduced or eliminated future benefit accruals result in a reversion to the employer.
The key takeaway:Plan sponsors that are unsure whether their facts and circumstances trigger a partial plan termination can request a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Consequences of a Partial Plan Termination
Failure to comply with rules and requirements following a partial plan termination can have dire financial consequences for the plan sponsor, including disqualifying the entire plan, which could result in major tax liabilities and penalties.
When a partial plan termination does occur, affected employees (i.e., those who have been terminated that year) automatically become 100 percent vested in all employer contributions, including matching contributions. In general, a plan will remain qualified only if it makes all employees affected by a partial plan termination whole.
If an error in making affected employees whole has occurred, it is possible to fix the error using the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS).
Considerations for Defined Benefit and Multiemployer Plans
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) wants to be informed of reportable events that could trigger a partial plan termination. These include when the number of active participants in a plan goes below 80 percent or when operations at a facility stop, reducing the number of eligible employees by 15 percent. The PBGC needs to be informed of these events so it can prepare for the possibility of having to take over such plans.
Multiemployer plans need to be aware that partial terminations can happen when there is a partial suspension of an employer’s contributions or a 70 percent contribution decline over a three-year period. A variety of calculations are required depending upon the multiemployer plan’s industry and other circumstances, but the 70-percent threshold is a good barometer to track. Insight: Plan Ahead for Year-End Calculations and Vesting PaymentsCompanies often implement layoffs as a way to reduce expenses, but layoffs can lead to some unforeseen expenses of their own. It is important to realize that partial plan terminations can create major cash outflows in the form of vesting payments to affected employees.
While calculations related to partial plan terminations generally aren’t required until the end of the plan year, plan sponsors may decide to take the time up front to determine whether their workforce reductions will trigger this event. By preparing for any potential funding requirements, companies may avoid surprise expenses. Employers should carefully review their turnover rates and plan ahead for the possibility of having to fully vest terminated employees.
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May 20, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansThe government rolled out The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in the recent stock market downturn, which allows retirement account owners to take withdrawals for emergency costs related to the pandemic and partially delays the tax consequences. To be eligible, you must meet one of the following criteria:
You tested positive for COVID-19.
You have a spouse or a dependent who tested positive for COVID-19.
You have experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, laid off, reduced work hours, unable to work or furloughed.
If you meet one of these requirements, you are eligible to take emergency withdrawals from your retirement account in any amount up to $100,000 from a 401(k), IRA or a similar type of retirement account until December 31, 2020, without being charged the usual 10% early withdrawal penalty.
The CARES Act also allows account owners to spread the income tax due as a result of these withdrawals over a three-year period, beginning in the year the distribution is taken. Account owners can choose to pay all of the income tax on the distribution in the first year, if so desired. This will would make sense for those in which 2020 ends up being a low-income year.
REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS (RMDs)
Retirement account owners are usually required to take distributions from their retirement accounts each year after age 70.5, also known as Required Minimum Distributions (RMD), but the CARES Act has now increased this age to 72. If you turned age 70.5 in 2019 and owe an RMD by April 1, 2020, the CARES Act allows the account owners to skip your 2019 RMD if it was your first year and you had not yet made an RMD by this date. If you already took an RMD for 2019 in 2020, then within 60 days of the distribution, you can do a rollover to an IRA account and not have it treated as a taxable distribution if it is a direct rollover from a 401(k) account. If the 60-day deadline for a rollover contribution falls between April 1 and July 14, you have until July 15, 2020, to put the funds in a retirement account.
The CARES Act also allows retirees to skip required minimum distributions in 2020 from a 401(k), IRA, 403(b), 457(b) and inherited IRA account, which saves retirees from making distributions from their retirement accounts when the stock market is low, possibly withdrawing from a depleted account and pushing it to an investment loss. Distributions from traditional 401(k)s and IRAs are taxed as ordinary income. If a retiree does not need to make any distributions in order to maintain a standard of living, it is highly recommended to postpone making any distributions in 2020 and defer paying income taxes on these retirement savings.
As always, the professionals at Harris CPAs are here to help you navigate these new benefits, and other aspects of the CARES Act.
By Melissa Liu, Harris CPAs
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April 9, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit Plans / Non-Profit / GovernmentThe Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, extends several key deadlines for 403(b) and defined benefit plan sponsors.
403(b) remedial amendment period extended to June 30, 2020: The law extends the initial remedial amendment period for 403(b) plans from March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020. This gives plan sponsors three additional months to update or restate their pre-approved and individually designed 403(b) plan documents. Original instructions for the program, which give plan sponsors the opportunity to fix mistakes in their plan document retroactive to Jan. 1, 2010, can be found here. In keeping with the original provision, the new law doesn’t extend to operational failures.
Single-employer defined benefit contribution relief until Jan. 1, 2021: Single-employer defined benefit plan sponsors can delay minimum funding contributions until Jan. 1, 2021. Employers will remain responsible for paying interest on the delayed contribution amounts at the plan’s effective rate.
Pre-approved defined benefit plan extensions: The deadline for employers to adopt a pre-approved defined benefit plan and submit a determination letter under the second six-year remedial amendment cycle has been moved from April 30, 2020 to July 31, 2020. Similarly, the end of the second six-year remedial amendment cycle for pre-approved defined benefit plans has been moved from April 30, 2020 to July 31, 2020. The third six-year remedial amendment cycle for pre-approved defined benefit plans will now begin Aug. 1, 2020, and the end date will remain Jan. 31, 2025. The submission period for opinion letter applications will still begin Aug. 1, 2020 and end July 31, 2021. Plan sponsors can expect the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) to issue guidance on the extensions to the second and third six-year remedial amendment cycles in the near future. The original instructions for the pre-approved plan program can be found here.
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April 8, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansBusiness leaders face an array of questions they need to answer and information they must analyze during the rapidly evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While decisions about safety and business operations are obviously top priorities now, plan sponsors still must maintain compliance for their retirement plans. We are here to help you navigate these decisions. We address three of the most immediate questions that companies should be considering related to their retirement plans.
Will the Department of Labor and/or Treasury delay filing deadlines?
As of March 27, filing deadlines for retirement plan documents haven’t been delayed. While President Trump has declared a nationwide emergency, no subsequent guidance or relief has been issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) or the Treasury Department, which oversees the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).Historically, departments have issued guidance and postponed deadlines during natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The IRS has broad authority to postpone certain deadlines after the president declares a disaster.On March 16, the American Retirement Association (ARA) issued a letter asking the Treasury Department and DOL to push upcoming deadlines, including:
Extend Form 5500 deadlines to October 15 for calendar plan years (and similar extensions for non-calendar plan years)
90-day extension for failed ADP or ACP testing and a similar extension for distributing excess contributions without the 10% tax penalty
120-day extension for defined benefit plan reinstatement (currently April 30, 2020)
90-day extension for 1099-R e-filings for employers (currently March 31, 2020)
Reasonable relief from required plan participant notices
Insight: We are closely monitoring the situation and will issue an alert to plan sponsors if filing deadlines change. Until then, plan sponsors should prepare to meet the current requirements.
Can plans reduce or eliminate matching contributions?
Reducing or eliminating matching contributions may seem like an immediate way to reduce cash outflows. But plan sponsors need to examine their plan documents to determine whether changes can be made, and the requirements related to such decisions. In general, plans can reduce or eliminate discretionary non-elective and discretionary matching contributions without needing to amend plan documents. If a company decides to do this, however, it is important to have a thoughtful strategy for how to communicate these changes to employees. Many plans operate as Safe Harbor 401(k) plans, which waive certain nondiscrimination testing requirements. The safe harbor match can be reduced or eliminated only if (1) the plan sponsor is operating at an economic loss, or (2) the annual safe harbor notice includes a statement that reserves the right to change the contribution schedule midyear. Satisfying one of these options still comes with a few strings attached:
Participants must receive a notice 30 days before the effective date of the change and be given a reasonable timeframe to change their deferral amount
The plan loses its safe harbor status for the year and must undergo nondiscrimination ADP/ACP testing
Insight: Plan sponsors need to carefully consult their plan documents to understand their options for potentially reducing or eliminating matching contributions, as well as the process and timing requirements for such decisions. In terms of depositing employee contributions, plan sponsors should keep to their regular schedule; failure to do so may result in severe penalties.
Is cybersecurity still a high-priority consideration for plan sponsors?
Absolutely; retirement plan communications contain highly sensitive information. As more people are working from home, cyber criminals see this as an opportunity to access sensitive data through phishing emails and exploit gaps in remote technology systems. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning for people to be aware of cyber scams related to COVID-19. CISA also offered recommendations for organizations with employees working offsite.
We’re Here to Help
Plan sponsors face many weighty, complex decisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we recognize that retirement plan oversight is just one small part of a company’s responsibilities. We are committed to keeping you updated on the rapidly evolving flow of news and regulations related to retirement plans.
< Back to Harris CPAs COVID-19 Resource Page [...]
April 7, 2020Blog / COVID-19 / Employee Benefit PlansAs the number of employers and employees impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) grows each day, employers with workplace retirement plans may find that employees may be looking to those plans now more than ever to help cover financial hardships they are experiencing. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (H.R. 748) includes several relief provisions for tax-qualified retirement plans, expands health care flexible spending accounts so funds can be used for over-the-counter items, clarifies some health insurance plan questions, and, through year-end, allows employers to reimburse employees for student loan payments tax-free. This alert explains those items. Further guidance will be needed from the IRS and DOL to answer many open questions about how these relief provisions are intended to work.
Defined Benefit (DB) Retirement Plans
Although it is not clear, based on past practices, the IRS may require employers to make an election to use the provisions described below. Plan amendments memorializing those elections would be needed by January 1, 2022.
Funding Relief. Many employers who sponsor defined benefit (DB) retirement plans (including cash balance plans) are facing large contribution requirements due to very low interest rates and a volatile stock market. The CARES Act provides short-term relief for single-employer DB plans. Specifically, employers have until January 1, 2021, to make any minimum required contributions that were originally due during 2020. The relief applies to quarterly contributions and any year-end contributions, regardless of plan year. When paid, contributions will need to include interest for the late payment.
AFTAP Relief. Also, when determining whether Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 436 benefit restrictions apply to any plan year that includes the 2020 calendar year, sponsors can (but are not required to) choose to use the plan’s adjusted funding target attainment percentage (AFTAP) for the plan year ending in 2019. This could help employers avoid freezing benefits and continue offering lump sums and other accelerated payment forms in 2020, even if the plan’s funded status significantly declined due to COVID-19.
RMDs Not Waived for DB Plans. DB plans are not eligible for 2020 RMD waivers (that relief is only available for defined contribution plans (see below)).
Defined Contribution (DC) Retirement Plans
Coronavirus-Related Distributions and Expanded Plan Loans. Employers who have DC plans — like a 401(k) plan or 403(b) plan — can let participants take up to $100,000 in “coronavirus-related distributions” by December 31, 2020. The distributions would be exempt from the 10% early withdrawal penalty and taxable over three years. Participants can take up to three years to repay all or any part of those distributions (and the repayment would be treated as a tax-free rollover when repaid to the plan).
From March 27 to September 23, 2020 (i.e., for 180 days after the CARES Act became law), “qualified individuals” can borrow up to the lesser of $100,000 (instead of just $50,000) or 100% of their entire vested account balance (instead of just 50%). For all new or existing plan loans to an affected participant, repayments due before December 31, 2020, may be delayed one year (but interest is charged during the delay). Also, the one-year delay would not count toward the maximum five-year repayment period for plan loans.
These special “coronavirus-related distributions” and expanded plan loan provisions are available to “qualified individuals,” which means any participant who self-certifies that he or she:
Has been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 (with a test approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention);
Has a spouse or dependent who has been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 (with a test approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); or
Has experienced adverse financial consequences from being quarantined, furloughed or laid off; having work hours reduced; being unable to work due to lack of child care; closing or reducing the hours of a business owned or operated by the individual; or from other factors, as determined by the Treasury Secretary.
Insight: When former employees no longer have payments made via payroll deductions the loans frequently go into default, resulting in taxable income for the participant at the end of the calendar quarter following the default date and a Form 1099-R would be issued showing the loan balance as taxable income for the year. However, the CARES Act appears to provide a one-year grace period for any loans that were outstanding on or after March 27, 2020. It seems that this one-year extension could delay the income inclusion for one year if a participant with an outstanding loan would otherwise default on the loan due to nonpayment including loss of employment due to a COVID-19 related business closure. To prevent such loan defaults, employers may want to amend the loan documents and/or loan policy so that affected participants can take advantage of the one-year delay even if the participant’s employment is terminated or if the participant is laid off.
Participants that don’t qualify for “coronavirus-related distributions” may qualify for a regular “hardship” withdrawal due to an immediate and heavy financial need, if the plan allows. There are many situations that qualify a participant for regular hardship withdrawals, including expenses or loss of income incurred due to a disaster declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA. Regular hardship withdrawals cannot be repaid to the plan, must be taken into income in the year distributed, and are subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty (although they are not subject to 20% withholding). Generally, DC plans may also allow in-service distributions for participants who are over age 59½ and may allow vested employer contributions to be withdrawn under a “5 year” or “2 year” rule, so long as the plan document allows it (or is amended to allow it).
2020 Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Suspended. The CARES Act waives all 2020 RMDs from DC plans (and IRAs). That waiver includes initial payments to participants who turned age 70½ in 2019 and who did not take their initial RMD last year because they had a grace period until April 1, 2020. The RMD relief does not apply to DB plan participants.
Plan Amendments. Employers can immediately implement the provisions provided by the CARES Act but generally have until the end of the first plan year beginning on or after January 1, 2022, to amend their DC plans for this relief. Amendments to adopt provisions that are not included in the CARES Act require amendment by December 31, 2020.
Insight: This deadline appears to be the same for individually designed DC plans and for IRS preapproved DC plans
What Should Retirement Plan Sponsors Do Now?
Employers who sponsor workplace retirement plans should review plan procedures to determine if any changes are needed to implement the CARES Act. For example:
For DC plans that will allow “coronavirus-related distributions” in 2020, a new distribution code would be needed, so that those distributions are not subject to the 10% early distribution penalty tax or the mandatory 20% withholding that would otherwise apply. If employers have more than one DC plan in their controlled group, procedures are needed so that the amount of such distributions made to any individual does not exceed a total of $100,000. These procedures would be similar to those for plans that made qualified disaster distributions over the past few years for certain hurricanes, floods or wildfires. If the DC plan will allow coronavirus-related distributions to be repaid to the plan, procedures are needed to treat those as rollover contributions and to limit the amount of such repayments to the amount of coronavirus-related distributions that the employee took from all DC plans in the controlled group.
If a DC plan sponsor wants to increase the maximum plan loan amounts available under the plans during 2020, existing plan loan procedures would need to be updated to allow for that increase. Plan sponsors who limit how many outstanding loans a participant can have at any time may want to increase that limit to allow participants to use the increased loan limits. Permissible one-year delays in loan repayments should be documented (such as updating amortization schedules), so that loans will not go into default. DC plans that do not currently allow participant plan loans could be amended to add them.
DC plan sponsors will need to update their plan operation immediately for the waived 2020 RMD distributions. Plans would use similar procedures as were used when 2009 RMD payments were waived after the 2008 economic crisis.
The plan’s definitions of covered compensation should be reviewed to ensure it is aligned with the sponsor’s intent, especially with regard to determining if employee assistance and paid leave will be subject to employees’ deferral elections and employer contributions.
Employers may also want to remind participants that they can change elective deferral amounts at any time in accordance with the plan document and to inform them how to take advantage of any changes in plan operations or procedures due to the CARES Act.
Health Plans
Tax-Free Over-the-Counter Products. The CARES Act allows employees to use funds in health care flexible savings accounts (FSAs) to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medical products, including those needed in quarantine and social distancing, without a prescription. This change also applies to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Employers must generally have a “high deductible health plan” (HDHP) to have an HSA for their employees. Several years ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) eliminated the ability to use health care FSAs for OTC products, so the CARES Act rolls back that prohibition. The CARES Act also provides that menstrual products qualify as OTC products that can be purchased with health care FSA or HSA funds.
Insight: Employers may want to consult with their vendors to ensure that debit cards or other service delivery mechanisms are updated to accommodate this change in the law, so that employees may begin using health care FSAs or HSAs immediately to purchase COVID-19 related OTC items, such as pain relievers, hand sanitizers, cleaning products, etc.
Insight: Employers may want to remind employees of change in family circumstance requirements that might allow them to change their health care elections including pretax contributions to medical FSAs. Likewise, plan administrators should prepare for an increased number of requests for change.
Health Care Services
The CARES Act requires employer-sponsored group health plans (and health insurers) to address several health care services related to COVID-19, including the following.
COVID-19 Testing. Group health plans and insurers are required to cover approved diagnostic testing for COVID-19, including in vitro diagnostic testing, without any cost-sharing to participants, at their in-network negotiated rate (or if no negotiated in-network rate, an amount that equals the cash price for such tests as publicly listed by the provider).
COVID-19 Prevention. Group health plans and insurers are required to cover any qualifying preventative services related to COVID-19 without cost-sharing to participants. Plans are required to cover these services within 15 days after the date that a recommendation is made regarding the preventative service. Preventative services includes (1) any item, service, or immunization that is intended to prevent or mitigate COVID-19 and is evidence-based with an “A” or “B” rating in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations or (2) an immunization with a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Expanded Telehealth. Effective March 27, 2020, for plan years beginning on or before December 31, 2021, employers with a HDHP and an accompanying HSA can provide coverage for telehealth services before participants reach their deductible without disqualifying them from being eligible to contribute to their HSA. For calendar year plans, this provision would generally apply for 2020 and 2021. This is consistent with the IRS’s previous announcement that an HDHP will not fail to be an HDHP solely because it provides coverage for COVID-19 related diagnostic testing and services prior to participants satisfying their deductible.
Tax-Free Student Loan Repayments
From March 27 until December 31, 2020, employers can contribute up to $5,250 towards an employee’s student loans and such amount will be excluded from the employee’s taxable income. The employer could either pay the amount to the lender or to the employee. The amount could be applied to principal or interest for “qualified education loans” defined in IRC Section 221(d)(1). The $5,250 limit applies in the aggregate to both the new student loan repayment benefit and other employer-provided, tax-free educational assistance (e.g., tuition, fees, books).
Insight: This appears to be the first time an employer’s payment of an employee’s student loan debt can be made tax-free to employees.
< Back to Harris CPAs COVID-19 Resource Page [...]
March 11, 2020Blog / Employee Benefit PlansBenefits leaders spend a lot of time understanding the complex rules that govern plans, and often less time making sure controls are in place to protect against fraud. Unfortunately, thieves who understand how benefit plans operate can work undetected—sometimes for a long period of time—and cause massive disruption to organizations and plan participants.
The Department of Labor (DOL) has been hard at work to protect employee benefit plans from fraudulent transactions. Last year, the DOL restored more than $2.5 billion to plans, participants and beneficiaries, with $2 billion coming from enforcement investigations. Many of these cases could have been prevented with stronger internal controls, beginning with better segregation of duties.
Developing a thorough approach to fraud prevention may seem like a daunting challenge for benefits managers who find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities. Fortunately, these professionals can improve their ability to prevent fraud by educating themselves on common schemes as well as best practices in oversight of benefit plans.
What Does Fraud Look Like?
Staying informed on recent examples of benefit plan fraud can help benefits managers identify gaps in their control processes. As highlighted in the examples below, fraud can hit a benefit plan from a number of potential directions. For example, it can be committed by a payroll benefits manager, a company officer, or a service provider.
Examples of fraud cases affecting benefit plans from the DOL and American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) include:
An operator of a company that provided investment advice and administrative services to pension plans was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.6 million in restitution for forging documents, writing phony checks and cheating beneficiaries of a Florida-based rehabilitation center of their defined benefit plan assets.
The CEO and other fiduciaries of an Ohio-based industrial company were required to pay back and restore nearly $29,000 to the company 401(k) plan after federal enforcement officials found that they failed to forward employee contributions to their retirement accounts.
A director of a plan administrator’s defined benefit plan embezzled approximately $3 million from the plan over a period of 4-6 years by paying bogus expenses, recorded as miscellaneous plan expenses, to fictitious companies he created. The scheme, which was eventually caught by the DOL, went undetected for several years because the amount taken was under the auditor’s materiality level for the $1 billion plan.
An outside investment manager for a defined benefit plan reported investments and investment gains that did not exist. The fraud went undetected for a period of six months before being discovered.
A payroll supervisor requested distribution checks for former employees who had been laid off and requested that the checks be sent to her to distribute through final payroll checks to the employees. The supervisor then deposited these funds in her own savings account. $250,000 was later restored to the plan.
An employee of a defined contribution severance plan created fictitious participants in the system and cut benefit checks. The scheme was caught at the check cashing facility.
A plan administrator used forfeitures to pay personal credit card balances.
An HR employee figured out how to process loans against participants’ accounts and manually prepared annual participant statements to hide the loans. The plan used a small service organization that sent the participant statements to the sponsor for mailing. Proper controls weren’t in place to ensure the statements were private and to approve the loans.
An individual was offered a position but never actually started the job. The plan sponsor entered the individual as an employee in the HR system, enrolled the person in the benefit plan, and then started issuing paychecks with deductions for contributions to the plan. This scheme went on for three years and was eventually uncovered when the employee running the scam requested a distribution.
Spotting these crimes might seem easy in retrospect, but how can you improve your chances of discovering fraud that is occurring right under your nose? Some potential warning signs include:
Participants reporting inaccuracies or anomalies, such as late plan statements and errors in account balances, contribution amounts or distribution checks
Changes in the investment lineup without proper notification
Late transfers to participant accounts
One-time transactions or unusual payments to vendors
Unusual, lavish lifestyle or sudden changes in behavior of a plan administrator
Improving Internal Controls and Segregating Duties
Your internal controls should be customized to fit your organization’s benefits lineup. Internal controls can be simplified so they become a regularly scheduled part of managing benefits offerings. Some examples of internal controls best practices include regularly monitoring outside service providers, reconciling recordkeeping and custodial records, periodically reviewing distribution reports and matching up third-party reports with payroll records. The goal of internal controls should be to help prevent mistakes, reduce the risk of fraud and reassure plan sponsors that benefits are compliant with the law.
Segregation of duties is paramount in helping to prevent fraud and detect it once it occurs. Employees who have access to both plan assets and records already have opportunity to commit fraud; now they just need the incentive and a way to rationalize their behavior. At a minimum, custody of assets and related authorizations should be separated from recording functions. It is important to review the oversight and executional roles involved in administering your benefit plan and ensure that your plan has separated duties appropriately.
Benefits leaders should also encourage plan participants to help prevent fraud. Providing participants with examples of fraud patterns, encouraging strong passwords, discouraging users from sharing information (even with loved ones) and creating a process to report potential fraud can help bring awareness to this growing problem. Studies have shown that fraudulent activity is most often reported by someone internally; a fraud hotline or similar whistleblowing channel is a powerful tool in limiting potential fraud.
By Jam Yap and Beth Garner, BDO
(This article originally appeared on BDO USA, LLP’s website (February 2019). Copyright © 2020 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved. www.bdo.com. Harris CPAs is an independent member of the BDO Alliance USA.)
Other Recent Employee Benefit Plan Blogs:
Plan Sponsor Alert: Changes to the 2023 Form 5500
Insight on DOL’s 2023 New Regulatory Agenda for Plan Sponsors
IRS Announces Increased Mileage Rate for Remainder of 2022
Harris CPAs 2022 Economic & Tax Update Recap
ERISA Update and Outlook for 2022 [...]
December 24, 2019Blog / Construction / Engineering / Employee Benefit Plans / Manufacturing / Retail / Non-Profit / Government / Real EstateHarris CPAs is excited to announce the acquisition of AnchorPoint Accounting of Boise, Idaho and Clark Anderson McNelis & Co. of Coeur d’Alene, effective January 1, 2020. These acquisitions add a total of 8 professionals to Harris CPAs’ Meridian and Coeur d’Alene offices.
AnchorPoint Accounting, located in Boise, Idaho, offers tax planning and preparation, advisory and accounting services and has worked side by side with their business owners to help them stay competitive and profitable since 2015. “This merger provides a unique opportunity for us to utilize the resources of a larger firm and expand our service offerings to our clients, while also maintaining our ability to provide close personal and professional attention to each of our clients. Adding additional team members to each client’s team will help strengthen our relationship as their business advisors,” said Dustin Siddoway, CPA and Founder of AnchorPoint Accounting. The merger also provides Harris CPAs with a new competitive advantage in the dentistry practice, as well as an expanded client base in the construction industry, one of Harris CPAs largest practice areas. Dustin and his team of professionals have relocated to Harris’ main office in Meridian.
Clark Anderson McNelis & Co. is located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and has provided tax planning and preparation, reviews and compilations, valuation and litigation support services and other accounting services since 1986. They have an established reputation for quality service and deep client relationships in the northern Idaho region. After opening a new office in Coeur d’Alene in November 2018, Harris CPAs was excited for the opportunity to continue to expand their presence in the region through this merger. “We are enthusiastic to continue the high level of service we have provided our clients for over 30 years,” said Curtis A. Clark, CPA/ABV and Managing Partner at Clark Anderson McNelis & Co . “Joining the team at Harris CPAs will allow us to take advantage of their advanced technology in service delivery and provide our clients additional technical resources. Their core values strongly mirror our own and we are excited to be a part of their continuous growth.” Harris CPAs Director, Hale Fields, has moved to Clark Anderson McNelis & Co. office, which will now be Harris’ primary office in northern Idaho. Curtis brings along a team of 4 other professionals who will also join the Harris team.
These are the first acquisitions for Harris CPAs. “We are excited for the opportunity that these mergers represent on both ends,” said Robert Shappee, Partner at Harris CPAs. “By building on both firms’ strengths and reputations as CPAs and business advisors, we are able to expand and grow our practice in the local market in Northern Idaho, while expanding our depth of knowledge in multiple industries and service lines.” [...]
November 21, 2019Blog / Employee Benefit PlansBy Junlin Huang, CPA
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (P.L. 115-97) repeals the individual mandate effectively beginning after December 31 ,2018. However, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer mandate remains in effect for 2019 and beyond, which means employers are still required to provide affordable coverage, and furnish and file a Form 1095 -C with the IRS.
Who must comply?
ACA requires information reporting by Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) on the health coverage offered to their full-time employees. An ALE is defined as having at least 50 full-time employees, including full-time equivalent employees, who work at least 30 hours a week. There are stiff penalties associated with non-compliance.
Information to be Reported to the IRS
Employers must report information to the IRS including identification of the ALE, identification of full-time employees who receive health coverage, and duration of the coverage.
How Do I Report?
Each ALE Member must file a Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage, and Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns.
Self-Insured Employers
Self-insured employers who sponsor self-insured group health plans must comply with the information reporting requirement whether or not they are ALEs. Self-insured ALEs still must use Forms 1095-C and 1094-C. However, these non-ALEs use Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, and Form 1094-B. Transmittal of Heath Coverage Information Returns to fulfill the information reporting requirement.
What is the Deadline for 1095?
For 2019 tax year. Forms 1095-C and 1094-C are required to be filed by February 28, 2020 if filling on paper (or March 31 ,2020 if filling electronically), even if the employer maintains a non-calendar year health plan. Employers can apply for 30–day extension of time to file by completing Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns.
Let us Help!
Let us take the guesswork out of staying in compliance with the ACA Employer Mandate. The professionals at Harris CPAs can prepare, and if applicable, electronically file the Form 1095-C on your behalf. Please contact (208) 333-8965 for more info.
Other Recent Employee Benefit Plan Blogs:
Plan Sponsor Alert: Changes to the 2023 Form 5500
Insight on DOL’s 2023 New Regulatory Agenda for Plan Sponsors
IRS Announces Increased Mileage Rate for Remainder of 2022
Harris CPAs 2022 Economic & Tax Update Recap
ERISA Update and Outlook for 2022 [...]
September 2, 2019Blog / Employee Benefit PlansMillennials are now the largest segment of the workforce. Is your company successfully recruiting millennial talent in this very competitive labor market? Here are some helpful tips on tailoring your company benefits to more successfully recruit and retain millennials. — Patricia Schirmer, Harris CPAs
Attracting and retaining millennials, the largest segment of today’s workforce, is a priority for companies in one of the tightest labor markets in history. One way to do this is to re-evaluate the company’s benefits—particularly the retirement plan—so that they better align with millennials’ needs and priorities.
Like all generations, millennials—defined as those born between 1981 and 1996, according to the Pew Research Center—may have different career and financial goals than previous generations. While some of these generational differences may be exaggerated, it’s still important for employers to understand the priorities of their younger workers and offer benefits that these employees will value and appreciate.
Facts and Myths About Millennial Workers
Millennials have a reputation for being frequent job-hoppers, but it’s important to understand the data that give rise to this assumption. Gallup data show that 21% of millennials reported changing jobs in the last year—more than three times higher than older generations. Gallup also found that only 29% of millennials report being emotionally and behaviorally connected to their jobs, compared to 32% for Generation X and 33% for baby boomers.
These differences, however, may have more to do with the stage workers are at in their careers than generation gaps in attitudes about work. The Pew Research Center found that millennials aren’t changing jobs at a faster rate than Generation X did at similar ages. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found similar results when comparing millennials with baby boomers, according to a 2018 report by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS).
Regardless of the reasons for millennials’ job-changing patterns, there is no denying that it has an impact on millennials’ relatively low participation rates in retirement plans. The NIRS study showed that in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, 66 percent of millennials worked at a company that provided a retirement plan, roughly equal to the percentages for Gen X and baby boomers. But only 34 percent of millennials participated in the retirement plan, compared with about 50 percent for older generations.
NIRS concludes that this discrepancy is mostly attributable to the fact that millennials are less likely to be eligible to participate in their company’s retirement plan. There are two main causes of this: 1) millennials are nearly twice as likely to be employed as part-time workers than older generations and 2) more than half of millennials have tenures of less than one year at their current company.
Tailoring Your 401(k) Plan
Given these factors, employers who want to increase retirement plan participation rates among their millennial employees may want to examine the eligibility guidelines for their retirement plans. Other ways that employers can tailor a retirement plan to better align with the needs and priorities of millennial workers include:
Mobile access to plan information: Millennials expect to receive information via interactive digital formats, so plan sponsors should incorporate this into how they provide information about—and access to—the retirement plan. Formats that plan sponsors may want to incorporate into their communications strategies include videos or infographics (as opposed to static, text-heavy PDFs), apps that make selecting investment options simple and online calculators that facilitate financial planning.
Socially responsible investment options: One of the biggest areas of growth in the asset management industry is investments that focus on more than just financial returns, often referred to as socially responsible investing or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. Millennials are driving much of this growth, so they may want to see these types of strategies as options in their retirement plans. Plan sponsors may consider adding these strategies to their 401(k) lineups or at least provide ESG ratings for the plan’s current investment options.
Portability of benefits: When they change jobs, workers often cash out of their 401(k) plans. Making it easier for new employees to roll 401(k) assets from their previous employer into the new plan can help employees keep their assets growing and may encourage further savings.
Student loan assistance: A survey by Bankrate.com shows that 29 percent of millennials are delaying saving for retirement because of student debt. Plans sponsors can now help employees address their debt problems through the company’s retirement plan. The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a private letter ruling allowing one company to make matching contributions to participants’ 401(k) accounts when they pay down a certain percentage of student loan debt.
BDO Insight: Understand Millennial Drivers Before Making Changes
Organizations that are trying to engage their millennial workforce may want to evaluate their employee benefit offering, including their retirement benefit plan programs. Benefit plans that address millennial concerns, interests and communication styles may be an effective way for companies to boost participation and engagement—and, in turn, improve retention.
Before overhauling the plan design, employers should do their homework to understand millennials’ priorities for retirement and other benefits and the reasons why millennials do or don’t participate in retirement plans. Once these drivers are understood, organizations can design plans aimed at achieving company goals while addressing the specific needs and interests of its workforce. Contact your BDO representative to discover ways you can boost millennial engagement.
By: Beth Garner and Mary Espinosa, BDO USA LLP
This article originally appeared on www.bdo.com © 2019 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved. [...]
July 3, 2019Blog / Employee Benefit Plans / Non-Profit / GovernmentThe IRS has released new requirements regarding plan documents for 403(b) plans that will likely result in amending your current plan document or restating your plan entirely. Now is the time to make sure your 403(b) plan is compliant before the remedial period ends March 31, 2020. Let us help you determine if changes need to be made or if you are already in the clear!— Patricia Schirmer, Harris CPAs
Maintaining compliance for 403(b) retirement plans historically has been challenging given the lack of historical regulatory oversight, guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and non-profit organizations’ limited resources. But the IRS has taken steps to address this, including publishing a list of providers offering pre-approved prototype plans and creating a remediation period ending in March 2020 for sponsors to self-correct non-compliant plan documents.
Background on 403(b) Compliance and Remediation
In 2007, IRS regulations were updated to require sponsors of retirement plans that fall under the Internal Revenue Code 403(b) to adopt and follow a plan document for their retirement plans as of January 1, 2009. Subsequently, relief was granted to extend this deadline to January 1, 2010. Before this time, many 403(b) plans did not have a plan document outlining specific operational and governing terms of the plan.
The IRS didn’t provide robust guidance on how to create the plan document, so many plan sponsors made a good faith effort and cobbled together a collection of investment, administrative and service provider agreements—often referred to as the “paper-clip approach”—to comply with the new requirement.
In March 2013, the IRS made things a little easier by issuing a new ruling, Revenue Procedure 2013-22, which created a pathway for the agency to issue advisory letters for 403(b) prototype plan documents. The program offers sponsors of 403(b) plans an alternative to adopting individually designed plans in order to satisfy the written plan requirements of the 2007 regulations. The IRS will issue opinion letters on 403(b) prototype or volume submitter plans. By adopting a prototype or volume submitter plan that has already received an IRS opinion letter, the sponsor can feel confident that they have satisfied the latest regulatory requirements.
The IRS, however, didn’t avail this program to plans with individually designed plan documents, as this was not considered the best use of the Service’s limited resources. Considering there is no IRS determination letter process available to individually designed 403(b) plans currently, plan sponsors do not have many other choices. The best option of individually designed plans would be to hire an ERISA attorney to provide assurance that their plan documents were up to date with the latest regulations.
Under Rev Proc 2013-22, the IRS offers a remedial amendment period, giving 403(b) plan sponsors the ability to restate or amend their plan documents to comply with the law. Eligible plan sponsors—ones that had a plan document in place by January 1, 2010—are allowed to correct certain defects that go back to the original effective date of the plan. The types of defects that can be corrected under the remedial amendment period would be missing amendments for certain regulatory updates such as EGTRRA and the HEART Act to name a few. But again this remediation period only applies to those plans using prototype or volume submitter plan documents.
Finally, in 2017, the IRS announced that it would close the remedial amendment program on March 31, 2020. Plan sponsors who have a prototype plan document have until this date to retroactively fix any regulatory compliance issues they may have.
What if your organization failed to adopt a plan document as of January 1, 2010? There is a fix for that. The plan should file through the voluntarily correction program under the IRS EPCRS program. Unfortunately, Rev Proc 2013-22 does not give folks who miss the boat in 2010 until 2020 to fix a missing document.
Operation Mistakse
Perhaps during the process of reviewing your plan document, you find an operation error. An operational error is a mistake that occurs when the plan is not complying with the terms of the plan document. For example, a plan document might allow all employees to participant in a 403(b) plan, but in operation, the HR department is not allowing part time employees to participate. These types of operation errors cannot be corrected under Rev Proc 2013-22.
But not to worry. Correcting operation errors can be daunting. So the IRS created the 403(b) Plan Fix-It Guide, which lists common errors, as well as how to find, fix and avoid them. The IRS also published a more general informational publication about 403(b) plans and resources to help plans stay in compliance.
BDO Insight: Start Now to Capitalize on the Remediation Window
It’s important for plan sponsors to start examining their plan documents now, to determine if they are in compliance with the latest regulations. Amendments may take months to prepare and adopt. Just like filing taxes, the closer you get to the deadline, the harder—and possibly more costly—it will be to address any issues that need to be resolved.
As a resource, the IRS created a list of providers offering pre-approved 403(b) prototype plans, making it easier for plan sponsors to ensure their plan is in compliance with the law. Plan sponsors with individually designed 403(b) plans don’t have to adopt a prototype plan, but staying on top of the necessary amendments may be time-consuming. The IRS has also published a Required Amendments List that plan sponsors can reference each year when determining if another update is needed.
Feeling good about your plan document because it was prepared by your plan’s service provider? Be sure to check that it is the latest version and whether a version with an IRS opinion letter is available. Often pre-approved prototype providers will send messages to notify plan sponsors about updates to the law and required amendments to comply with the federal changes. Check with your provider to make sure that service is offered.
To be clear, all remedial amendments to 403(b) plans should be adopted back to the January 1, 2010. If you adopt a new prototype as of 2019 going forward, your plan document before 2019 may still not be in compliance. Be sure to adopt retroactively to 2010 as allowed under the Rev Proc. Plan sponsors can adopt a pre-approved 403(b) plan prior to the March 31, 2020, deadline as an alternative to creating amendments to an existing plan.
Lastly, plan sponsors should engage an attorney who is an expert with the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). By selecting an ERISA attorney, plan sponsors can be more confident that they are following IRS rules when it comes to amending plan documents. Your BDO representative can also help with questions you may have concerning the retroactive fixes to your 403(b) plan document.
By: Wendy Schmitz and Beth Garner, BDO USA LLP
This article originally appeared as a BDO USA, LLP “Employee Benefit Plan” alert (June 2019). Copyright © 2019 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved. www.bdo.com [...]
March 19, 2019Blog / Employee Benefit PlansPart of offering a defined contribution plan, whether a 401(k) or a 403(b) plan, is making sure that the money participants contribute from their paycheck is deposited in their retirement account in a timely manner. While this might seem like a relatively minor and simple task in the scope of a plan sponsor’s fiduciary duties, the Department of Labor (DOL) views non-compliance with remittance rules as a major issue, and missing deadlines for deposits—even by a couple of days—can carry significant penalties.
Unfortunately, there is much confusion about how quickly plan sponsors are required to make these deposits. The DOL expects plan sponsors to separate employee elective deferrals and loan repayments from the employer’s general assets as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than the 15th business day of the following month. Small plans, which have fewer than 100 participants, have a safe harbor of seven business days to make this transaction happen, but larger plans are expected to do this as soon as reasonably possible.
Many plan sponsors mistakenly—and understandably—think this means that they have until the 15th of the next month, which is just what the DOL says. They see this as a safe harbor—which it is not. The DOL requires participant contributions and loan repayments to be transferred as soon as reasonably possible. The 15th deadline is the last possible day that can be considered timely.
Defining What Is “Reasonable”
So what is reasonable? It varies depending on the company’s circumstances. For companies with more streamlined operations, it may be within a few business days of completing payroll withholding taxes. But some companies with multiple locations, it may be up to eight days to be reasonable. Others differentiate between regular and business days. Many companies outline the remittance schedule in the plan document. Whether the plan has a remittance policy or not, the DOL will look at the deposit history and assume that the pattern established by the plan sponsor is the default procedure.
The DOL considers late participant contributions and loan repayments to be prohibited transactions under the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); they are subject to an excise tax based on the amount of the late remittance as well as other possible penalties. After a late remittance is determined, plan sponsors need to report the transaction on their Form 5500.
Often, plan sponsors are unaware of remittance violations. Holidays, key employee absences or other factors could play into the delayed remittance that may go unnoticed by the plan sponsor. It’s not uncommon for BDO experts to find late transfers when conducting the regularly scheduled audit that is required for larger plans.
Avoiding Missed Remittance Deadlines
Given the lack of clarity about remittance rules, what can plan sponsors do to strengthen their practices related to depositing employee contributions? First, it’s important to think about what works for your company. If the company has multiple locations, do you need more time to organize the remittance? And how often are you able to review your transactions to make sure you’re meeting deadlines?
Many organizations find that it’s helpful to review the remittance schedule on a quarterly basis and to tie the 401(k) remittance schedule to the payroll tax withholding timetable. Reviewing the remittance schedule on a quarterly basis will speed up the correction process, making it easier and less expensive to address any mistakes. Delayed deposits mean missed opportunities for employees to earn interest and capital gains from the funds, so the longer the money is missing, the more expensive it will be to make up lost earnings.
Another added protection is to develop a backup strategy. People get sick and go on vacation, so it’s a good idea to have multiple employees trained in completing the remittance procedures. Reviewing possible holidays each quarter also may help in planning around those days when the company, financial institutions or other partners are closed.
Lastly, if there is a late remittance, it’s critical to document why the transaction was delayed. This helps your auditor and the DOL understand the situation and your actions to apply a remedy. [...]
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