The IRS & Treasury Dept. have published FINALIZED executive comp IRC Sec. 162(m) guidelines. Here’s what’s changing…
Section 409A Meets 162(m) and Some NQDC Plans May Need to be Amended by December 31
Thank you, Mike Melbinger, for the following in-depth update on a problem no one apparently saw coming. We’ve enclosed below the full text of Mike’s article published on December 2, 2020: “Section 409A Meets 162(m) and Some Deferred Compensation Plans and Agreements May Need to be Amended by December 31,” followed by his additional postscript article published shortly thereafter.
Potential Tax Policy Changes with a New Administration
As we all wait for the dust to finally settle around the 2020 Presidential election, you’ll be interested in this look at potential tax policy changes
IRS Announces Retirement Plan Contribution Limits for 2021
The IRS has published benefit and retirement plan contribution limits for 2021. Notice 2020-79 defines the updated dollar limitations for tax qualified benefit and defined contribution plans. Chart
IRS Guidance on New Retirement Plan Features Under the SECURE Act
The IRS has issued guidance on new retirement plan features under the SECURE Act, specifically related to long-term, part-time employees.
Top Hat Plans: What Executives and Organizations Need to Know…and Why
This past January, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published its initial findings after conducting a review of executive retirement plans, specifically, top hat plans. The study came in response to a request filed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (Oregon), Bernie Sanders (Vermont), and Patty Murray (Washington).
This article looks at 1.) the GAO’s report; 2.) the final rulings by the U.S. District Court in the class action lawsuit of Berry v Wells Fargo & Co; and, 3.) the implications of both on Top Hat plans in general.
Deadline for RMD Rollback Under CARES Act is August 31
Taxpayers who have already taken their required minimum distribution, RMD, for 2020, have the option for an RMD Rollback under the CARES Act if taken by August 31, 2020. The intention of this option is to provide tax relief for those who took their required RMD prior to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act becoming law on March 27, 2020 and wish to ‘undo’ their action.
CARES Act Guidance for Plan Sponsors and Participants Updated
On June 19, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated and clarified issues of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) guidance for plan sponsors and plan participants. Issued as Notice 2020-50 (“Guidance for Coronavirus-Related Distributions and Loans from Retirement Plans Under the CARES Act,”) the publication explains the new provisions which allow enhanced access to plan loans and plan distributions.
Defining “Separation from Service” under Section 409A
The atypical circumstances of recent months have created new situations most organizations have not previously faced. Every employer needs a clear understanding of which workforce reduction circumstances could constitute a “separation of service” and thereby trigger payment of benefits for plan participants covered by a nonqualified deferred compensation agreement (NQDC).
Does Furlough Constitute a Separation from Service Under IRC 409A
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought operational challenges and financial strain to businesses in every sector. While some organizations have terminated employees, other businesses have been able to furlough some of, or all, their workforce instead. How the employer handles the furlough is important for many reasons, including how the guidelines of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (IRC 409A) impact decisions made by both employer and employee.
