William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence

Texas A&M University School of Law’s online wealth and international tax risk management graduate curricula for industry professionals has attracted over 160 enrollment this fall semester. Apply now for courses that begin January 11 spring semester. See the international tax course list by > weekly topic here. <

Texas A&M, annual budget of $6.3 billion (FY2020), is the largest U.S. public university, one of only 60 accredited U.S. universities of the American Association of Universities (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity) and one of only 17 U.S. universities that hold the triple U.S. federal grant of Land, Sea, and Space!

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• Texas A&M ranks #1 in Texas, #1 in the SEC, and #12 in the U.S. in Washington Monthly’s 2020 overall college rankings based on the quality of education, accessibility, graduation rates, student involvement, and research: see tx.ag/WashMonth20

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

Happy October Fest! Several states now allow employers to use federal forms (1094-C and 1095-C) for state reporting requirements. This may be the beginning of an interesting trend towards simplification of state filing requirements. Obviously, not everything from a federal filing translates directly into state filings (for example, many states treat pension income differently in an attempt to lure retirees), but often much of the information that is filed for a state is redundant to the respective federal forms.

California Allows Employers to Use Federal Forms 1094-C and 10-95-C. Will Other States Follow?

California and several other states have imposed their own state-level individual mandates that closely resemble the Affordable Care Act mandate (now reduced to $0). California’s mandate became effective in 2020. Recently, the state announced that employers can satisfy their state-level reporting responsibilities using the same forms that apply for federal purposes. Employers who offer health insurance to California residents must now also submit their Forms 1094-C and 1095-C to the state franchise tax board (as well as the IRS under federal rules that continue to require employer reporting). Currently, however, the state-level forms must be filed by January 31. Historically, the IRS has extended the federal deadline to March 2. Employers should continue to pay close attention to ensure both state and federal requirements are satisfied. For more information on the employer reporting obligations, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

PBGC CARES Act Relief for Defined Benefit Plans

Sponsors of defined benefit plans are generally required to pay premiums annually to the PBGC. Calculating the premium amount is complex. The CARES Act extended the deadline for making a 2019 defined benefit contribution until January 1, 2021. However, according to PBGC guidance, these contributions must be made by October 15, 2020 in order to be included in calculating the variable portion of the plan sponsor’s PBGC premium. Contributions paid before January 1, 2021 are not considered late, so the plan sponsor does not have to worry about incurring any additional filing obligations. For more information on the defined benefit plan funding rules, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

Updated Model Safe Harbor Notice for Rollover Transactions

Retirement plan qualification rules periodically require employers to provide notice to participants who are eligible to take rollover distributions. In Notice 2020-62, the IRS released an updated safe harbor model notice that taxpayers can use under Section 402(f). That notice identifies several types of new distributions that are not eligible for rollover. This model notice can be modified, but is generally required for all 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans that make distributions that are eligible for rollover to another retirement account. For more information on the notice requirements, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

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