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Welcome to the Snell & Wilmer Benefits Blog. We will be posting about current employee benefits and executive compensation topics and issues. We invite you to contact the authors with your thoughts or questions.Blog Contributors
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What’s Old Is New Again: HHS Proposes to Reinstate and Expand Transgender Nondiscrimination Rules
Since it was enacted in 2010, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”) has prohibited discrimination in covered health programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. As we have previously … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform
| Tagged 1557, ACA, biden, health program, HHS, nondiscrimination, NPRM, Obama, transgender, Trump
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A Running Start: IRS Pilots New Pre-Examination Program
The Employee Plans Office of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) announced a new pre-examination program for retirement plans to begin as of June 2022. The pilot program is designed to reduce the amount of time and resources the IRS … Continue reading
Posted in audit, Employee Benefits, Qualified Retirement Plans
| Tagged audit, closing letter, EPCRS, IRS, IRS letter, new program, pilot program, pre-examination, qualified plan, retirement plans
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To the Moon After All? DOL Targets Cryptocurrency in Retirement Plans
In Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (the “Release”), the Department of Labor (the “Department”) signaled its intention to scrutinize inclusion of cryptocurrency assets and crypto-derivative products as investments in ERISA-covered retirement plans. In particular, the Release articulates the Department’s view … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits, Qualified Retirement Plans
| Tagged 2022-01, audit, Bitcoin, brokerage window, Compliance assistance release, crypto, cryptocurrency, Department of Labor, DOL, EBSA, ERISA, fiduciary, investigation
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Final Touches: IRS Clarifies Impact of COVID-19 Disaster Relief on COBRA Payment Deadlines
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued guidance to clarify the interaction between COVID-19 disaster relief and premiums due for continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”). As summarized here, the Joint Notice and the EBSA … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits
| Tagged ARPA, COBRA, covid, deadlines, examples, Notice 2021-58, premiums
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Better Late Than Never: IRS Issues Guidance Clarifying COBRA Premium Subsidy Rules
S&W Insight: The IRS clarified several trailing issues with respect to COBRA premium subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act, including extended election periods, eligibility for other coverage, and rules about allocating premium credits among employers. In addition, a notice … Continue reading
Posted in Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform
| Tagged american rescue plan, ARPA, COBRA, cobra premium, IRS, notice requirement, subsidy
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For the Long Haul: SCOTUS Ruling Means ACA Coverage and Reporting Rules Here to Stay
Despite myriad legal challenges, the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) remains the law of the land. We previously reported on the Supreme Court’s latest validation of the law in our SW Benefits Update, “Three Strikes You’re Out – The Affordable Care … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits
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Credit Where Credit Is Due: IRS Offers Long-Sought Guidance on Employer Retention Credit Program
As we previously reported, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) provided for an employee retention credit (“ERC”) designed to encourage employers to retain workers during the COVID-19 crisis. In general, the ERC permits eligible employers … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation, Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform, Qualified Retirement Plans
| Tagged CAA, CARES Act, eligible employer, employee retention credit, ERC, paycheck protection program, PPP, Qualified wages
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IRS Clarifies SECURE Act Changes to Qualified Automatic Contribution Arrangements
The IRS recently published Notice 2020-86 (the “Notice”), which provides clarification with respect to certain changes made by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the “SECURE Act”). In particular, the Notice answers several outstanding questions … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits, Qualified Retirement Plans
| Tagged automatic contribution, IRS, Notice 2020-86, qaca, qualified automatic contribution arrangement, SECURE, treasury
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Finally, Some Good News: IRS Extends Certain ACA Reporting Deadlines and Transition Relief
As in prior years, the IRS has provided relief for employers preparing to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s (“ACA”) information reporting requirements in early 2021 for the 2020 calendar year. In particular, Notice 2020-76 (the “Notice”) extends the deadline … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits, Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform
| Tagged 4980H, ACA, deadlines, extension, notice 2020-76, reporting
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Enjoy the End of the Decade with Some Employee Benefit Plan Checklists
Each year, we publish health and welfare, cost-of-living, qualified retirement plan, and executive compensation plan checklists to help individuals and employers stay apprised of updates to the law of employee benefits. We just published the last of these annual checklists. … Continue reading
Posted in Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation, Health & Welfare Plans, Health Care Reform, Qualified Retirement Plans
| Tagged checklists, COLA, cost-of-living, ERISA, Executive Compensation, Internal Revenue Code, qualified retirement plan, to do list
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