ERISA News

The IRS has announced the postponement of certain tax-related deadlines for victims of Hurricane Nicole in Florida. The tax relief postpones various tax filing deadlines that began on November 7, 2022. Affected individuals and households who reside or have a business in Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach, Putnam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties, as well as taxpayers with records located in the covered area that are needed to meet covered deadlines, qualify for relief.
 
In addition to extending certain tax filing and tax payment deadlines, the relief includes completion of many time-sensitive, tax-related acts described in IRS Revenue Procedure 2018-58 and Treasury Regulation 301.7508A-1(c)(1). Affected taxpayers with a covered deadline on or after November 7, 2022, and before March 15, 2023, will have until March 15, 2023, to complete the acts. This includes filing Form 5500 series returns that are required to be filed on or after November 7, 2022, and before March 15, 2023.
 
“Affected taxpayer” automatically includes any individuals who live, and businesses whose principal place of business is located, in the covered disaster area. Those who reside or have a business located outside the covered disaster area, but have been affected by the disaster, may contact the IRS to request relief.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a disaster declaration for Hurricane Nicole in Florida, for the period of November 7, 2022 – November 30, 2022.

Employers with qualified retirement plans may allow participants to take hardship distributions if

• they have incurred expenses and losses because of a FEMA-declared disaster, and
• their principal residence or place of employment at the time of the disaster is located in an area designated by FEMA as eligible for individual disaster assistance.

If the employer permits hardship distributions for expenses and losses related to a federally declared disaster, participants can check fema.gov/locations to determine if they are located in a disaster area designated for individual assistance.

The IRS may also issue relief related to this disaster for certain tax-related deadlines. Additional information can be found at irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule titled, Open-End Fund Liquidity Risk Management Programs and Swing Pricing; Form N-PORT Reporting, has been published in the federal register. With publication in the register, comments on the proposal are due by February 14, 2023. Highlights of the proposal were previously announced.

The IRS has issued Notice 2023-5, which contains updated guidance on factors used in certain defined benefit (DB) pension plan minimum funding and present value calculations. Updates include the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates for December used under Internal Revenue Code Section (IRC Sec.) 417(e)(3), and the 24-month average segment rates under IRC Sec. 430(h)(2). IRC Sec. 417 contains definitions and special rules for minimum survivor annuity requirements in DB plans. IRC Sec. 430 addresses minimum funding standards for single-employer DB plans.

The IRS has issued Revenue Ruling 2023-1, which contains the applicable federal rates (AFR) for January 2023. These rates are used for such purposes as calculating distributions from retirement savings arrangements that meet the requirements for substantially equal periodic payments (a 10 percent early distribution penalty tax exception), also referred to as "72(t) payments."

The IRS has issued final regulations granting a permanent, automatic extension of time to comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting requirements. Employers, health insurance issuers, and governmental plans have additional time—not to exceed 30 days after January 31— in which to provide Forms 1095-B or 1095-C to individuals. If the extended due date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, statements are due on the next business day. The extended deadline is effective for calendar years beginning after December 31, 2021. 

In addition, the regulations provide guidance on the following.

Medicaid Coverage Limited to COVID Services.  Medicaid coverage that is limited to COVID testing and diagnostic services is not minimum essential coverage under a government-sponsored program. Individuals covered under this type of plan may still qualify for premium tax credits. This provision is effective September 28, 2020.

Additional Extensions Not Available. Reporting entities are not permitted to request an additional extension to provide Forms 1095-B or 1095-C beyond the automatic 30-day extension. A reporting entity may seek to qualify for penalty relief by showing a failure to file was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

Elimination of Transitional Good Faith Relief. For calendar years 2015 through 2020, the IRS did not impose penalties on reporting entities if they could show that they made good faith efforts to comply with the ACA reporting requirements. The final regulations reiterate that transitional good faith relief is not applicable to the 2021 calendar year and will not be available in the future. 

Filings Submitted to the IRS.  Reporting entities are also required to submit an information return and transmittal form to the IRS on or before February 28 for paper submissions (March 31 if filed electronically) of the year following the calendar year. This deadline has not been extended.

These final regulations provide welcome news to reporting entities who are in the beginning stages of preparing to comply with the 2022 reporting requirements.

Representative Carol Miller (R-WV) has introduced HR 9514, the Working Families Childcare Access Act. According to a press release, the bill allows certain additional expenses in a dependent care flexible spending arrangement—specifically qualified sports, tutoring, and music or art expenses. Additionally, the bill would support families by:

• Increasing annual contribution limits to $15,000 from the current $5,000 limit
• Eliminating the “use-or-lose” rule by allowing the rollover of saved unused dependent care FSA funds into the following year
• Expanding qualified expenses by providing parents with the flexibility to use their dependent care FSA funds for adoption expenses, tutoring, sports, art, and music programs
• Raising the allowable age limit for dependent care expenses for children and dependents to age 15

Currently, these tax-advantaged accounts are limited to $5,000, and any funds not used by the end of the year are forfeited.

Effective December 14, 2022, the federal prime interest rate increased from 7 percent to 7.50 percent. The prime interest rate is largely determined by the federal funds rate, as set by the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). As Department of Labor regulations require a retirement plan loan interest rate to be comparable to interest rates charged by entities that are in the business of lending money in similar circumstances, plan sponsors typically use a benchmark such as the prime rate to set the interest rate on plan loans. As a reminder, for a participant who is on active duty in the uniformed services, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 prescribes an interest rate limitation of 6% for loans that were secured before the military service period started.

The next FOMC meeting is scheduled for February 1, 2023.

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) has issued a final rule updating interest assumptions under the asset allocation regulation for plans with valuation dates in the first quarter of 2023. These interest assumptions are used for valuing benefits under terminating single-employer plans. The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2022, and is effective January 1, 2023.

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