On September 30, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) finalized a rule to defer the effective date of the updated long-term insurance standard for a second time. The deferral will give insurers more time to properly implement the changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Need for change After 12 years of work, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update […]
There are two trust types that don’t require one or more human beneficiaries: charitable trusts and noncharitable purpose (NCP) trusts. A charitable trust is the more common of the two, but an NCP trust could also be a formidable tool to help achieve your estate planning goals. Defining an NCP trust Historically, trusts were required […]
As a result of the current estate tax exemption amount ($11.58 million in 2020), many estates no longer need to be concerned with federal estate tax. Before 2011, a much smaller amount resulted in estate plans attempting to avoid it. Now, because many estates won’t be subject to estate tax, more planning can be devoted […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many people borrowing from their companies’ qualified retirement plans, and the CARES Act provides some temporary rule changes to this loan type. However, given the risks and costs of borrowing from a retirement plan, it should generally be viewed as a last resort. From an estate planning angle, subtracting […]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies have extended certain claims and appeals periods for employee pension benefits plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The relief also applies to qualifying group health plans, as well as eligible disability plans and other employee welfare benefit plans. The extension permits the “outbreak […]
by Stuart Rubin, EA and Nicholas Sanchez, J.D., LL.M. Taxation Last month, Governor Newsom signed SB 1447 authorizing a $100 million hiring tax credit program for businesses with 100 or fewer employees (as of December 31, 2019) that experienced a 50% decrease in gross receipts when comparing 2020 second quarter gross receipts with 2019 […]
Management consulting company McKinsey names synthetic identity theft the fastest growing financial crime in the United States. And a LexisNexis Risk Solutions study has found that 20% of ID theft losses by banks can be attributed to synthetic versions of the scheme. If you’re unfamiliar with synthetic ID theft, you should know that it’s not […]
In August, a federal trial court invalidated several provisions of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) temporary regulations that implemented the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). By way of a response, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division recently issued revised temporary regulations and updated its related FAQs. The revised […]
Generally, the proceeds of your life insurance policy are included in your taxable estate. You can remove them by transferring ownership of the policy, but there’s a catch: If you wait too long, your intentions may be defeated. Essentially, if ownership of the policy is transferred within three years of your death, the proceeds revert […]
In Notice 2020-71, the IRS recently announced per diem rates that can be used to substantiate the amount of business expenses incurred for travel away from home on or after October 1, 2020. Employers using these rates to set per diem allowances can treat the amount of certain categories of travel expenses as substantiated without […]
In some cases, investors have significant related expenses, such as the cost of subscriptions to financial periodicals and clerical expenses. Are they tax deductible? Under the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, these expenses aren’t deductible through 2025 if they’re considered expenses for the production of income. But they are deductible if they’re considered trade or […]
In Notice 2020-66, the IRS recently determined that Medicaid coverage limited to COVID-19 testing and diagnostic services isn’t minimum essential coverage under a government-sponsored program. Thus, an individual’s eligibility for this coverage for one or more months doesn’t prevent those months from qualifying as coverage months for purposes of determining eligibility for the premium tax credit […]