Defined benefit plan

The IRS has posted 2025 tax year draft Instructions for Form 8889, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Taxpayers file Form 8889 to report HSA contributions and associated tax deductions, as well as distributions and any tax or penalty owed for distributions not used for qualified medical expenses.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued Notice 2025-43, which contains updated guidance on factors used in certain defined benefit (DB) pension plan minimum funding and present value calculations.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued Revenue Ruling 2025-17 which contains the applicable federal rates (AFR) for September 2025.

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) has issued a final rule providing minor clarifications and improvements to several miscellaneous provisions.

The IRS has announced the postponement of certain tax-related deadlines for victims of West Virgina severe storms until February 26, 2026.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously advanced two bills to strengthen Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). S. 1728, the Employee Ownership Representation Act—sponsored by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)—would add two ESOP board members to the ERISA Advisory Council.

Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and several co-sponsors have introduced H.R. 4548, the Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act.

Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) have introduced S. 2461, the Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and several Democrat sponsors have introduced S. 2458, the Employee Ownership Financing Act.

President Trump has signed into law the Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act (“Act”). The Act allows the Treasury Department, after consulting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to postpone filing deadlines for affected individuals and businesses in a state-declared disaster area that has not yet received a federal disaster designation.