Fall 2018 For Your Benefit Newsletter

Fall 2018

Kushner & Company
For Your Benefit
In the ever-changing world of HR strategy and employee benefits, Kushner & Company is an acknowledged leader in the field. We provide comprehensive consulting and administrative services individualized to assure your specific strategy and benefit requirements are entirely fulfilled.

2019 Benefit Limits and Designs Announced by IRS

On November 15th (much later than usual), the IRS finalized the release of the 2019 employee benefit limits, indexed for inflation.

Student Loan Repayments and 401(k) Match

In a Private Letter Ruling (PLR), the IRS has recently sort of, kind of, maybe, in special circum-stances enabled employers to make a matching contribution to their 401(k) plan on behalf of eligible plan participants who, instead of contributing to the 401(k), make qualifying student loan repayments instead.

2017 Tax Act Creates Opportunity for Small Business Defined Benefit Plans

A new Section 199A of the 2017 Tax Act passed by Congress last December enables small business owners--especially sole proprietors, subchapter S corporations, and partnerships--to get up to a 20 percent deduction of qualified business income if they have total income below certain thresholds. The Treasury Department recently issued its first set of proposed regulations regarding this new section, and some of the methods that had been offered in the market, such as what was known as "crack and pack," were deemed abusive. However, an acceptable method of meeting the thresholds is the creation of a qualified defined benefit plan.

IRS Releases ACA Penalty Letters for 2016 Plan Year

The employer mandate penalty notices for 2016 have been mailed the week of November 12, 2018. Better known as Letter 226-J, these notices inform employers of a preliminary penalty under IRC Section 4980H. In late 2017, the IRS began mailing notices for 2015 - with a reported 30,000 applicable large employers receiving Letter 226-J.

Kushner CEO Quoted as Resource in Washington Post

Gary Kushner, a frequent contributor to national and regional media, was quoted in the Washington Post responding to a question about open enroll-ment timelines.

F ollow Kushner & Company on Social Media

Kushner & Company makes great efforts to keep you informed with the latest information on all things relating to human resources and the workplace. To stay on top of it all, we invite you to follow us on each of the available social media outlets, including:

Twitter: We use Twitter to share a wide variety of interesting and informative articles that we've written or have found on the internet and through other social media outlets. Follow us here

LinkedIn: LinkedIn provides us with a means of sharing content rich material specific to Kushner & Company's areas of expertise. Follow us here

Facebook: We like to use Kushner & Company's Facebook page to show you who we are as individuals and as a culture, the fun we have, and the good works our employees do in the community. Follow us here

Issue: 143

In This Issue

2019 Benefit Limits and Designs Announced by IRS

Student Loan Repayments and 401(k) Match

2017 Tax Act Creates Opportunity for Small Business Defined Benefit Plans

IRS Releases ACA Penalty Letters for 2016 Plan Year

Kushner CEO Quoted as Resource in Washington Post

Follow Kushner & Company on Social Media

Health Care Reform

Kushner & Company is your source for information on all aspects of the ACA, as well as for all HR strategy and employee benefit information.

For updates and resources, visit our website.

Kushner & Company
2427 West Centre Avenue
Portage, MI 49024

269-342-1700

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