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Notice Available for Download The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Notice 1036, Early Release Copies of the Yearly Percentage Method Tables for Income Tax Withholding. Highlights of the notice include the following: Early release copies of the percentage method tables for income tax withholding that will appear in Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer’s Tax […]

Information on Filing, Exemptions, and Potential Payment With the 2016 federal income tax filing season approaching, the IRS is reminding individual taxpayers of the “individual mandate” (also called individual shared responsibility) provision of the Affordable Care Act, which requires every individual to have minimum essential coverage (MEC) for each month, qualify for an exemption, or […]

Previous Deadline was December 15, 2016 The Health Insurance Marketplace deadline to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start on January 1, 2017 has been extended to 11:59 P.M. EST on December 19, 2016. The previous deadline was December 15, 2016. The last day to enroll in or change any 2017 health plan […]

President Obama has signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which, among other things, allows small employers to offer new “qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements” to reimburse employees for qualified medical expenses, including individual health insurance premiums, for years after December 31, 2016. Small employers are defined as those with fewer than 50 […]

Tax Returns Due April 18 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that tax season will begin Monday, January 23, 2017 and that the filing deadline to submit 2016 tax returns is April 18, 2017. Tax Season Begins January 23 The IRS will begin accepting electronic tax returns on January 23, 2017. Many software companies […]

Everyday Practices Can Help Prevent Illness Interaction between people in close contact increases the risk for respiratory illnesses like the flu to spread. In the workplace, employees who are sick may not be as productive when it comes to getting work done, and symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and fever can spread germs to healthy […]

The IRS has released Form 8941, Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums, and related instructions, for tax year 2016. Eligible small employers use this form to figure the credit for health insurance premiums under the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is designed to encourage small businesses and tax-exempt employers to offer […]

Duty Extends Only to Members of a Worker’s Household The California Supreme Court recently addressed the issue of whether (among other things) an employer that uses asbestos in the workplace has a duty of care to protect members of an employee’s household from exposure to asbestos through off-site contact with employees who carry asbestos fibers […]

Recommendations Do Not Create New Legal Obligations The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released its Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction publication to help employers improve safety and health at construction worksites. Highlights of the recommendations are presented below. New Features The recommended practices reflect current conditions in the […]

Rule Generally Applicable Beginning January 1, 2017 The U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services recently published a final rule that restricts the allowable duration of short-term, limited-duration insurance to less than three months and requires issuers to prominently display a new notice in the contract and application materials provided in connection […]