William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently confirmed that life insurance agents were properly classified as independent contractors, rather than employees. The case involved eligibility for benefits under ERISA, and a district court, using the traditional Darden factors for determining classification status, had ruled in 2017 that the agents were employees who were eligible for ERISA benefits. For more information on insurance agents and employment classification issues, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

The definition of “compensation” is important for many reasons in the retirement planning arena, but has gained new importance in light of suspended deductions and exclusions post-tax reform. Retirement plans generally must use the IRC’s definition of compensation for nondiscrimination testing purposes, which includes, for example, nondeductible moving expenses (but excludes deductible moving expenses). Post-reform, however, all moving expenses are nondeductible. Despite this, the moving expense deduction was only suspended, not eliminated. This is one example of how tax reform has created a level of uncertainty regarding the appropriate definition of compensation while all tax reform provisions remain (at least temporarily) in effect. For more information on the definition of compensation for qualified plan purposes, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

In the years that have passed since the ACA became effective, many employers may have forgotten the importance of maintaining the grandfathered status of their health insurance plans. Grandfathered health plans remain exempt from many of the ACA market reform provisions and help employers avoid some of the more difficult compliance issues presented by the ACA. To maintain grandfathered status, employers should be sure to maintain proper documentation of the plan coverage extending from March 23, 2010 to the present. If and when the plan enters a new policy or contract, it should provide the health insurance company with documents governing the plan terms to make sure the change will not cause loss of grandfathered status. Adding new employees or new contributing employers will not impact the grandfathered status of the plan, so long as the principal purpose of any restructuring of the business was not to cover additional people under a grandfathered plan. Amendments to the plan that eliminate certain benefits can cause loss of grandfathered status, as can increases in certain cost-sharing requirements and copayments. For more information on grandfathered health plans, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More