NEWS
Standard business mileage rate will increase for the second half of 2022
The IRS recently announced that it will increase the standard mileage rate for qualified business driving for the second half of 2022. The adjustment reflects the soaring cost of gasoline this year. In fact, as of June 13, the nationwide average price of regular...
The fringe benefit implications of employer-provided cell phones
With so many more employees working remotely over the last couple of years, many employers have had to grapple with whether to provide workers with cell phones or allow them to use personal phones for business purposes. From a fringe benefits perspective, two...
After tax day: Take these action steps
The April tax filing deadline has passed, but that doesn’t mean you should push your taxes out of your mind until next year. Here are three tax-related actions that you should consider taking in the near term (if you filed on time and didn’t file for an extension)....
Are pretax HSA contributions allowed without a cafeteria plan?
By now, many employers have chosen to offer employees a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) along with a Health Savings Account (HSA). One interesting issue that’s arisen is, at some organizations, employees have asked whether they can make pretax HSA contributions....
EBSA increases penalties for ERISA violations
Any employer that sponsors a pension plan or a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k), is undoubtedly familiar with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The law also applies to employer-sponsored health maintenance organization plans, Flexible...
Congress eyes further retirement savings enhancements
In 2019, the bipartisan Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) — the first significant legislation related to retirement savings since 2006 — became law. Now Congress appears ready to build on that law to further increase Americans’...
What taxpayers should do if they get an identity theft letter from the IRS
From the IRS: When a thief steals someone's Social Security number, they can use it to file a fraudulent tax return. This is tax-related identity theft. The IRS scans tax returns for possible fraud. If a tax return is flagged as suspicious, the agency will pull it for...
Fully deduct business meals this year
The federal government is helping to pick up the tab for certain business meals. Under a provision that’s part of one of the COVID-19 relief laws, the usual deduction for 50% of the cost of business meals is doubled to 100% for food and beverages provided by...
The tax rules of renting out a vacation property
Summer is just around the corner. If you’re fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you may wonder about the tax consequences of renting it out for part of the year. The tax treatment depends on how many days it’s rented and your level of personal use. Personal use...
Should your business address retirement plan leakage?
Under just about any circumstances, the word “leakage” has negative connotations. And so it follows that this indeed holds true for retirement planning as well. In this context, leakage refers to early, pre-retirement withdrawals from an account. Now, as a business...
