As part of the SECURE 2.0 law, there’s a new benefit option for employees facing emergencies. It’s called a pension-linked emergency savings account (PLESA) and the provision authorizing it became effective for plan years beginning January 1, 2024. The IRS recently released guidance about the accounts (in Notice 2024-22) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published some frequently asked questions to help employers, plan sponsors, participants and others understand them.
Ever wonder how IRS examiners know about different industries so they can audit various businesses? They generally do research about specific industries and issues on tax returns by using IRS Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs). A little-known fact is that these guides are available to the public on the IRS website. In other words, your business can use the same guides to gain insight into what the IRS is looking for in terms of compliance with tax laws and regulations.
The SECURE 2.0 law, which was enacted last year, contains wide-ranging changes to retirement plans. One provision in the law is that eligible employers will soon be able to provide more help to staff members facing emergencies. This will be done through what the law calls “pension-linked emergency savings accounts.”
The IRS recently released guidance providing the 2024 inflation-adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
No one needs to remind business owners that the cost of employee health care benefits keeps going up. One way to provide some of these benefits is through an employer-sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA). For eligible individuals, an HSA offers a tax-advantaged way to set aside funds (or have their employers do so) to meet future medical needs. Here are the key tax benefits:
As you’re aware, certain employers are required to report information related to their employees’ health coverage. Does your business have to comply, and if so, what must be done?
As mitigation measures related to COVID-19 ease, it will be interesting to see which practices and regulatory changes taken in response to the pandemic remain in place long-term. One might be relief from a sometimes-inconvenient requirement related to the administration of 401(k) plans.
Many employee benefit plan sponsors have faced logistical challenges during the pandemic, such as office closures and remote work environments, which have made it difficult to remit participant 401(k) contribution deposits on time. In response to these challenges, the Department of Labor (DOL)'s Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) has issued Disaster Relief Notice (2020-01), which provides flexibility and relief to sponsors struggling with remittance delays due to the pandemic.
Many employers have been forced to implement some form of workforce reduction in order to continue operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. While furloughs and layoffs have a significant and immediate impact on a company’s operations, plan sponsors also need to understand the longer-term effects that workforce reductions may have on participants’ benefits and retirement accounts.
Part 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.
