As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, administrators of defined benefit pension plans continue to field questions about the notary requirement related to certain participant and spousal elections. For qualified retirement plans subject to the qualified joint and survivor annuity rules (such as defined benefit pension plans), an alternative form of

The Internal Revenue Service announced the 2021 cost-of-living adjustments to the dollar limitations for qualified retirement plans and other benefits, and the Social Security Administration announced its own cost-of-living adjustments for 2021.  Most of the dollar limits, including the elective deferral contribution limit for 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans and

On August 8, 2020, President Trump issued the Presidential Memorandum on Deferring Payroll ‎Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster (the “Executive Order”).  The ‎Executive Order instructed the Treasury Department to provide guidance authorizing employers ‎to defer the collection and deposit of employee payroll tax obligations.  On August

On July 31, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department issued ‎Proposed Treasury Regulations (the “Proposed Regs”) providing guidance under the ‎‎“carried interest” rules of Section 1061 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ‎‎(the “Code”).  Please see our Quick Study “IRS Issues Carried

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued helpful guidance to plan sponsors of safe harbor 401(k) plans that are considering reducing or suspending safe harbor employer matching contributions or safe harbor nonelective contributions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  As explained below, IRS Notice 2020-52 provides temporary relief from certain

Lori Basilico and Phil Bush review IRS Notice 2020-50 which provides helpful guidance for plan sponsors and plan participants who wish to take advantage of the enhanced distribution and loan provisions under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The Quickstudy is titled “IRS Issues Helpful

On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the “Stafford Act”) in response to the Coronavirus Disease 19, or COVID-19.  This declaration allows employers to make qualified disaster relief payments to employees affected by COVID-19 on a